IMDb plot summary: I have chosen to omit this because it reveals something that was not clear to me until about 20-30 minutes into the movie, and I think it is more interesting not knowing from the start.
Directed by Hampton Fancher. Starring Owen Wilson, Brian Cox, Janeane Garofalo, and Mercedes Ruehl.
(Spoilers ahead about the same plot point that made me leave out the plot summary.)
While a glance at the IMDb plot summary may indicated this is a typical serial killer thriller, it really is much more of a quiet character piece, more along the lines of The Talented Mr. Ripley than, say, Silence of the Lambs. Most of the time, it is extremely subdued -- thanks partly to Owen Wilson's extremely laidback personality -- which makes the few moments where suddenly Things Get Crazy really stand out. I really like that even while examining Wilson's murderous character, it doesn't go out of its way to psychoanalyze him or explain what exactly is going on. The mystery of his personality just is what it is, and it's intriguing to watch that unfold, even if it doesn't much.
That being said, there was *something* about this movie that didn't quite work for me, although I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Maybe it'll come to me later. Maybe it's simply that I haven't quite been able to categorize the movie yet. I thought at first maybe it was the ending, but, no, the more I thought about it, I actually very much liked the ending (despite the unnecessarily melodramatic score accompanying it).
Whatever it is, this one may have to sit in limbo for a little while in my mind. As time passes, I will either forget about whatever is subconsciously holding me back from loving this movie, or it will be the only thing I remember. We'll just have to see which direction it goes.
For now, 3.5 stars.
Flickchart: #694 out of 2127, below Gandhi and above The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment