Change Your Image
Steven J
Reviews
This Is Not a Love Song (2002)
Dull and meandering film
I had a chance to catch this film at the Chicago Film Festival, and I have to admit I was expecting something a little more lighthearted from Simon "Full Monty" Beaufoy. Not that this automatically made me dislike the movie; the fact that it's not good made me dislike it. The story concerns two best friends -- both criminals, one recently released from prison -- who find themselves on the run in the wilderness when they accidentally kill a young woman. The two pals spar, joke, laugh and cry together as they desperately attempt to stay alive over the course of one very grueling night.
With only one setting and a 24-hour time period, you would think the audience would be given ample opportunity to discover the inner workings of these two men, what makes them tick and stay together even as they destroy one another. And yet, screenwriter Beaufoy opts for a vague approach that doesn't really do justice to either of the central characters on screen. I understand that this is intentional; I do not understand why Beaufoy thought viewers would find it more interesting to watch his characters walk silently around the wilderness for what feels like hours on end.
The lead performance by Kenneth Glenaan as Heaton is phenomenal, though, as Glenaan brings shadings and depths due to his character that Beaufoy obviously did not provide in his script. "This is Not a Love Song" would make a spellbinding short film, but at feature length, it's meandering and repetitious to the point of boredom.
Adaptation. (2002)
Clever film ultimately just clever, not good
"Being John Malkovich" was one of my favorite films of the past few years, so it should go without saying that I have been looking forward to "Adaptation" ever since I heard about it three months ago. The re-teaming of director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman sounded like movie heaven. I couldn't wait.
How surprised I was, then, when "Adaptation" unspooled before my eyes, and the nicest phrase I can use to describe it is "borderline insufferable." To call this film a mess is an understatement. There was something whimsical about "Malkovich," the way Jonze and Kaufman played the material straight, as if the idea of a portal into someone's head was not only completely feasible but somehow quaint. They didn't lay the jokes on thick; they let the material speak for itself. "Adaptation," on the other hand, feels like it's jabbing you in the ribs every two minutes, saying, "Look, isn't this clever?!" Yes, it is clever, I'll agree. But I can decide for myself the originality and uniqueness of a movie without the filmmakers blatantly telling me again and again.
I want to highlight the greatness of the acting on display here, as Meryl Streep gives one of her most laidback performances in years, and it's a joy to watch. Nicolas Cage is equally good as twin brothers Charlie and Donald Kaufman, with the actor's miraculous ability to somehow convey the subtle nuances and differences between these two brothers without so much as special make-up or outfits to signify their true indentities. And Chris Cooper is dependable as ever.
And yet, there are no real characters here to speak of. Cage, Cooper and especially Streep seem like nothing more than mouthpieces for screenwrtier Kaufman's insecurities and self-esteem issues. Cage's voice-over narration is especially grating, if only because the concept and execution blatantly rip-off the much better Holly Hunter film "Living Out Loud." Streep, meanwhile, drones on and on about how she wishes for something more out of life, when we're never given a chance to discover why her life is so dull in the first place. Her dialogue soon becomes repetitious to the point of madness, at which point we pray for something -- anything! -- to happen to this woman.
And then our prayers our answered, and "Adaptation" proceeds to crash unlike any mainstream film I've seen all year. The last 20 minutes of this film are shockingly inept, so much so that you're convinced this must be some sort of colossal joke on the filmmakers. After all, it encompasses everything that Kaufman the film character says he wants to avoid in his screenplay. So is the ending a sly joke on the part of Jonze and co.? If so, the humor is lost on me, for as much as the real Kaufman may be laughing, audience members are forced to sit in their seats and watch the wretchedness wash over them.
"Adaptation" is ultimately too hip for the room, a movie that is clever, knows it's clever, and will do anything to flaunt that cleverness. A likable film is lost in the process, which is a shame when it comes to the filmmaking geniuses here.
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Nary a laugh in this depressing follow-up
How to describe the train wreck of a film that is "Scary Movie 2"? Well, at the screening I attended, laughs were about as far and in-between as a showing of "Requiem for a Dream." The fact that the filmmakers this time out decided to concentrate on the plot instead of the comedy speaks volumes on this sequel's wrong-headedness. No one goes to this kind of movie looking for a coherent storyline, as is evidenced by the first film's blockbuster grosses. And as a fan of the first film, I can say that "Scary Movie 2" fails on every level. It's not humorous, engaging, or even remotely watchable. The desire to flee the theater struck me more times that I can even count, and yet I stayed, hoping for some salvagable, hilarious set piece. No such luck. This 4th of July weekend, or any other weekend for that matter, do yourself a favor, save your 8 bucks, and stay the hell away. Only a masochist could enjoy this bomb. And why was Anna Faris's voice so strangely high-pitched this time out?