“I would rather know why True Blood sucks.”
In the best tradition of Canadian cinema with commercial aspirations, here comes a homegrown movie with a ringer as the lead. The Right Kind of Wrong is a charming romantic comedy that avoids the genre’s cliches by going overboard with the eccentricities.
Leo (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood) is not having a good year. Not only his wife has left him, she has written a widely acclaimed blog documenting all his foibles (there is no shortage). A laughingstock in his community in Alberta, Leo goes through his day convinced sooner or later karma would bring back balance into his life. Suffice to say, the guy is a dreamer.
At the pinnacle of his notoriety, Leo meets Colette (Sara Canning, The Vampire Diaries), a slightly eccentric free-spirit. She is also just married, and her husband has “establishment” written across her forehead. Leo knows they are bound to be together, but Colette is not buying.
The Right Kind of Wrong walks the thin line between stalker romp and affecting romance, mainly thanks to the intrinsically likeable Ryan Kwanten. Pigeonholed as a bimbo in True Blood, Kwanten is a far more interesting actor.
The film would be much better if it relied on Kwanten charisma and the script (based on a Tim Sandlin book). Regrettably, director Jeremiah Chechik (Benny & Joon) chooses to overpopulate the movie with cute little touches, like two old angora cats, Indian kids wise beyond their years, and a couple of jocks named Chad. Yet Chechik misses the far more interesting matter of the blog and the phenomenally bitter wife.
Ultimately, The Right Kind of Wrong is redeemed by its good nature and a few solid laughs. The Banff-Canmore area remains a fresh sight and helps the movie rise above average, if just barely. Three a-dork-able prairie dogs.
The Right Kind of Wrong is now playing at the Galaxy.