My Friend Dahmer

Based on the graphic novel by John “Derf” Backderf, My Friend Dahmer is about the early life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer during his time in high school and the events that would eventually shape into becoming one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th Century. Written for the screen and directed by Marc Meyers, the film largely chronicles Dahmer’s senior year in 1977 and 1978 that would eventually lead to the moment he would commit his first murder as Disney teen pop singer/actor Ross Lynch plays the role of Dahmer while Alex Wolff plays the role of Dahmer’s classmate Derf Backderf. Also starring Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts, Tommy Nelson, and Vincent Kartheiser. My Friend Dahmer is a haunting and entrancing film from Marc Meyers.

From 1978 to 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was infamous for killing, raping, and dismembering 17 people in the course of that period until he turned himself in only to die three years later when he was murdered in prison. Many wondered what made someone into one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th Century as the film is about a year in the life of a young Jeffrey Dahmer just before he would commit his first murder. Marc Meyers’ screenplay is really the study of a young man who is about to become unhinged in his young life as he doesn’t just deal with being a social outcast during his senior year of high school. He would cope with growing tension between his parents, his homosexuality, his inability to fit in, and dependency on alcohol. The first scenes show Dahmer having an interest in dead animals where he puts them in jars full of acid just for the bodies to dissolve as he has an interest in bones.

Much of the film’s script doesn’t just follow Dahmer’s descent into rage and disappointment but also the events that would shape the life of a young man who would later become extremely dangerous. Even as he was forced by his father Lionel (Dallas Roberts) to stop collecting dead animals in order socialize where he would get people’s attention by pretending to have spasms to the point that one of his classmates in Derf Backderf would form a little club that would allow Dahmer to act out erratically. Eventually, the stunts that Dahmer would do eventually become troublesome with one of Derf’s friends in Neil (Tommy Nelson) becoming uncomfortable with the effects it is having on Dahmer. Derf is seen as someone who would continuously push Dahmer to act out as a way to inspire his work as an artist but he would eventually realize that something is off. Especially as he would see a glimpse into Dahmer’s family life which show Dahmer’s parents fighting and a sense of neglect towards their eldest son not knowing that he is unraveling.

Meyers’ direction is riveting in the way he captures Dahmer’s young life in the 1970s at a small suburb in Ohio where much of the film is set and shot at around these small towns of Bath and Middleburg Height. Much of Meyers’ direction is straightforward with some intoxicating imagery and compositions to play into Dahmer’s sense of detachment from the world as he prefers to be in this small shack with his collection of dead animals that would eventually be destroyed by his father. The usage of the wide and medium shots help play into that air of detachment as there aren’t many close-ups in the film as it is about Dahmer’s sense of disconnect with the social ideas of high school. There are also these eerie scenes that play into Dahmer’s secretive homosexuality where he gazes at a jogger who he sees every now and then and later meets him. There are these dark moments of humor where Dahmer would have fake spasms where it would be comical but it would also take a dark turn as it shows Dahmer unraveling little by little.

Notably as Meyers shoots a lot of the scenes at home with Dahmer’s back in front of the camera as it is clear that he’s being neglected by his parents with his mother Joyce (Anne Heche) relapsing into her own mental illness that prompts her to be unpredictable as well as be inattentive. Meyers’ direction also showcase elements of surrealism as it relates to Dahmer’s fantasy for the jogger but also this growing sense of rage that is looming with his parents being unaware of his actions. Even as the film’s final moments play into Dahmer’s isolation as well as some revelations for Derf who would get a closer look into the damage his pranks involving Dahmer would inflict. Overall, Meyers crafts an unsettling yet somber film about the makings of a future serial killer in his senior year in high school.

Cinematographer Daniel Katz does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into some of the natural colors of the forests and low-key lights for the scenes at night that does help create a mood in how Dahmer sees the world. Editor Jamie Kirkpatrick does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into some of the dark humor of Dahmer’s spasms and in some intensely-dramatic moments. Production designer Jennifer Klide and set decorator Carmen Navis do fantastic work with the look of the Dahmer family home as well as the interior of the school to play into the look of the late 1970s.

Costume designer Carla Shivener does nice work with the costumes as it play into what kids wore in the 1970s as well as some of the strange clothes that Dahmer’s mother wore. Sound editor Coll Anderson does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the quieter moments in the forest as it relates to Dahmer’s interest in dead animals as well as some scenes in the school which add to Dahmer’s descent. The film’s music by Andrew Hollander is brilliant for its eerie and somber ambient score that help play into Dahmer’s slow descent as well as some of the dramatic elements of the film while music supervisor Jonathan Leahy creates a soundtrack that largely consists of music from the 1970s including Badfinger, Stephen Bishop, Rocket from the Tombs, T. Rex, and other artists from that decade.

The casting by Stephanie Holbrook is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Liam Koeth as Dahmer’s younger brother Dave, Jack DeVillers as an early friend of Dahmer in Oliver, Tom Luce as then-Vice President Walter Mondale whom Dahmer got his classmates to meet through a phone call, Sydney Jane Meyer as Dahmer’s senior prom date, and Vincent Kartheiser in a small yet terrific performance as Dr. Matthews as the jogger that Dahmer obsesses over where Dr. Matthews examines him leading to a very uncomfortable moment. Harrison Holzer and Tommy Nelson are superb in their respective roles as Derf’s friends Mike and Neil as two classmates who encourage Dahmer to do spasms with the latter feeling remorse over the pranks they’re creating believing Dahmer is starting to unravel.

Dallas Roberts and Anne Heche are fantastic in their respective roles as Dahmer’s parents Lionel and Joyce with Roberts displaying a sense of frustration over his son’s anti-social hobbies in the hopes he can fit in while Heche provides an energetic performance as Dahmer’s mother who is becoming unhinged in her mental state as well as becoming neglectful towards her eldest son. Alex Wolff is excellent as John “Derf” Backderf as a classmate who takes an interest in Dahmer’s antics as he would start a fan club to get Dahmer to act out where he would create drawings of Dahmer only to eventually see what he’s unraveled from Dahmer. Finally, there’s Ross Lynch in what is truly a revelatory break-out performance for the young actor in the role of a young Jeffrey Dahmer. Lynch’s physicality in the way Dahmer presents himself as well as how he performs Dahmer’s spasms are chilling including the quieter moments that play into this awkwardness into his attempts to socialize as well as the rage that is building as it is truly an incredible performance from Lynch.

My Friend Dahmer is a phenomenal film from Marc Meyers that features a tremendously chilling performance from Ross Lynch. Along with its supporting cast, intense character study, an eerie music score, and haunting visuals, it is an unconventional yet ravishing portrait of a young man who would become one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th Century. In the end, My Friend Dahmer is a sensational film from Marc Meyers.

© thevoid99 2018

Rampart

Directed by Oren Moverman and written by Moverman and James Ellroy, Rampart is the story of a corrupt LAPD officer who finds himself in trouble as he tries to redeem himself during the Rampart scandal of 1997 for the Los Angeles Police Department. The film is a character study of a man dealing with his own actions as he tries to defend himself and save his career amidst a tumultuous period in the city of Los Angeles. Starring Woody Harrelson, Ice Cube, Ned Beatty, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Brie Larson, Steve Buscemi, and Sigourney Weaver. Rampart is a compelling yet flawed film from Oren Moverman.

Set in 1999 Los Angeles during a dark period for the LAPD who is dealing with the Rampart scandal, the film is about a dirty and corrupt police scandal whose actions have finally caught up with him. Rather than quitting his job, officer Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) tries to save his job and avoid any jail time but he becomes more troubling as even those who once bailed him out are unable to help him. Yet, Brown is also someone who is really a man that is just born to undo himself where he would eventually bring discomfort to authorities that want to help him as well as bring shame to his family. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Brown and the things he does as a police officer but also a person who likes to take the law into his own hands. Sometimes it would be in the most gruesome way where he would be caught on tape beating someone who hit his car though Brown had every reason to beat up the guy.

While the script does paint Brown as a man who just hates everyone while doing all sorts of things. There are elements to him that try to show some goodness to him but his faults would often overwhelm everything as his own eldest daughter Helen (Brie Larson) really hates him. While the script does nice work in fleshing out Brown and his complexities, the script however doesn’t do much to get the story to move forward or really go anywhere. Especially as it relates to what Brown is trying to do but it tend to slow things down as he is given options that could’ve helped him. Whenever Brown is given these opportunities to redeem himself, the results become very frustrating as it play more into his character as someone that is just stubborn and not willing to see the bigger picture.

Moverman’s direction has some very intense moments in the way it showcases late 1990s Los Angeles as a world that is quite dangerous and unpredictable. Shot on location in some of the urban parts of Los Angeles as well as some of its downtown areas, the film does play into a world where a man is convinced that he is doing good for the city but is extremely corrupt in his actions. Moverman’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are engaging though there are some moments that aren’t very good. Notably a sequence where Brown meets two attorneys where the camera is constantly moving around to focus on one character in a repetitive pan where it is very annoying. It’s one of the aspects of the film that didn’t work while the script’s lack of a strong narrative does falter the pacing. Though Moverman’s usage of crane overhead shots and other stylistic moments are good, the film’s resolution is lacking in terms of any kind of redemption could be made for Brown as it ends up being unsatisfying despite Moverman’s observation on its protagonist. Overall, Moverman creates a intriguing but lackluster film about a dirty cop’s attempt to make things right.

Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish usage of lights and moods for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night along with some grainy film stock for scenes set in the day. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does nice work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts and some unique rhythms for the suspense and drama though it does falter in that sequence where Brown is being interviewed by two attorneys. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Brown lives in with this ex-wives (who are sisters) and the hotel rooms he would crash as well as the home of a lawyer he would sleep with.

Costume designer Catherine George does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual along with the look of the police uniforms while the only character that plays into a sense of style is Helen. Sound designer Javier Bennassar does superb work with the sound in the way the police sirens and gunfire sounds along with the intimate moments at home and at the bars. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchliffe is brilliant for its somber-based score in the guitar and keyboards to play into the drama while music supervisor Jim Black creates a soundtrack that features a mixture of hip-hop, electronic, and Mexican music along with a song by Leonard Cohen.

The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Rachel Tenner is amazing as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Robert Wisdom as the Rampart station’s captain, Jon Foster and Jon Beranthal as a couple of fellow officers, Steve Buscemi as a district attorney official in Bill Blago, Stella Schnabel as Brown’s new partner early in the film who is perturbed by his actions, Sammy Boyarsky as Brown’s youngest daughter Margaret who questions about what her father has done, Audra McDonald as a one-night stand Brown would be with early in the film, and Ben Foster in a superb role as a homeless vet named the General who often hangs out at a fast food restaurant. Robin Wright is wonderful as the attorney Linda whom Brown would frequently sleep with while he is suspicious that she is spying on him. Ned Beatty is terrific as the former cop Hartshorn who tries to help Brown in any way including moments that would help him only to realize that Brown is his own worst enemy.

Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche are excellent in their respective roles as the sisters Barbara and Catherine as two of Brown’s ex-wives who deal with the coverage of Brown’s activities with Nixon as the more calm of the two and Heche as the one who wants nothing to do with him. Brie Larson is fantastic as Brown’s eldest daughter who despises her father as she also feels humiliated and embarrassed by his actions where she also copes with his own hatred for everyone. Sigourney Weaver is brilliant as the assistant DA Joan Confrey who wants Brown to reveal all of his activities as well as give the man a chance to do what is right. Ice Cube is incredible as the investigator Kyle Timkins who works for the DA’s office as he also tries to implore Brown to do the right thing while revealing what is at stake. Finally, there’s Woody Harrelson in a phenomenal performance as Dave Brown as a dirty LAPD officer who finds himself a big target during one of the lowest points of the LAPD where Harrelson brings a very menacing performance as a man with very little care for the world where he is also his own worst enemy as well as be selfish to the point that he brings shame to his own family including his own daughters.

Rampart is a stellar yet flawed film from Oren Moverman. While it features a great cast led by Woody Harrelson along with Dick Hinchliffe’s score, it’s a film that had all of the tools to be an intriguing character study but it lacks a very cohesive narrative to keep things going. In the end, Rampart is a fine but underwhelming film from Oren Moverman.

Oren Moverman Films: The Messenger - (Time Out of Mind) - (The Dinner (2017 film))

© thevoid99 2016

Cedar Rapids

Directed by Miguel Arteta and written by Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids is the story of a naïve insurance salesman who becomes a last-minute replacement to attend a regional conference to win a prestigious prize. At the conference, he befriends a wild bunch of insurance agents where they reveal about the dark world of the insurance business. Starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Kurtwood Smith, Stephen Root, and Sigourney Weaver. Cedar Rapids is a heartwarming yet very funny comedy from Miguel Arteta.

Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is an insurance agent from a small town who holds an idealism about taking care of his customers and earning their trust. While he’s also having an affair with his former schoolteacher Macy Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver), Tim lives a comfortable yet sheltered life. When a fellow agent named Roger Lemke (Thomas Lennon) had suddenly died, Tim’s boss Bill Krogstad needs Tim to go to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a regional conference to make presentation for ASMI president Orrin Helgesson (Kurtwood Smith) in hopes for another award for the company. Tim goes to Cedar Rapids where he shares a room with the kind African-American agent Ronald Wilkes (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.) and the more brash Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly) whom Krogstad wants Tim to stay away from.

Tim also meets Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche) as he learns about the rough-and-tumble world of the insurance game. While getting to know Ronald, Dean, and Joan, Tim also befriends a young prostitute named Bree (Alia Shawkat) as he and Joan win a scavenger hunt as they would join Ronald and Dean for drinks and partying. Yet, the party gets a little out of control with Tim after sleeping with the already-married Joan as Tim finds himself trouble with Orrin as he is set to make a big presentation for the Four Diamonds award. Joan would reveal some dark secrets to Tim about Lemke and how he won the awards as Tim refuses to believe what Joan says.

With Dean giving him some advice, Tim would do something to win over Orrin where he realizes what he had done. After going to a rowdy party with Bree, Tim learns what Krogstad is going to do forcing Tim to make some big moves with the help from his new friends.

The film is a comedy about a small town insurance agent whose idealism is tested when he becomes a last-minute replacement for another agent at a very prestigious regional conference. There, he would explore some of the dark secrets of the insurance game along with some people who share his ideals despite their much looser personalities. The film is a coming-of-age story of sorts of a how a young man who learns about what to do in the insurance game though he is someone that just wants to do good for those in his small town and make sure they can trust him. Phil Johnston’s screenplay does play to a bit of formula but its big success is in fleshing out the characters as well as developing them. Notably the Tim Lippe character as it’s his story that is told with some bawdy humor but also some intriguing insight into the world of the insurance business.

Miguel Arteta’s direction is superb as a lot of the presentation is straightforward yet engaging. From the way he shoots a lot of the interiors of the hotel early on to the way he presents some of the film’s humorous moments. The latter of which is done with a lot of improvisation as well as getting the actors set for the frame. The way the actors are directed in their approach to the frame as well as giving them relaxed and lively performance is among one of Arteta’s strengths as a filmmaker. He’s not afraid to put them in uncomfortable situations or tense moments while finding some way to make sure the humor comes off naturally. Overall, Arteta creates a very solid and witty film about a man coming of age in the insurance business world.

Cinematographer Chuy Chavez does a nice job with the film‘s very colorful cinematography that is filled with stylish lighting set-ups for many of the film‘s interior settings while utilizing more naturalistic shots for the film‘s day and nighttime exterior settings where a lot of it is shot in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Editor Erick Kassick does a very good job with the editing by utilizing some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s humorous moments including a wonderful montage scene late in the film. Production designer Doug J. Meerdink, along with set decorator Jeanette Scott and art director Rob Simons, does a brilliant job with the look of the hotel suite interiors to complement the new world that Tim Lippe steps in.

Costume designer Hope Hanafin does terrific work with the costumes from the suits the men wear to the more stylish business suit that Joan wears. Sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro does a fine job with the sound work to play up a few key scenes such as a talent contest where Tim steals the show as well as the raucous party scene where Tim parties with Bree. The film’s score by Christophe Beck is excellent for its very playful and melodic-driven score led by jazzy piano riffs and soothing string arrangements to emphasize the film‘s light-hearted humor. Music supervisor Margaret Yen provides a very fun score that is a mixture of folk, indie rock, classic rock, and pop music to play up the world that Tim Lippe ventures into.

The casting by Joanna Colbert, Richard Mento, and Meredith Tucker is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes Thomas Lennon as Tim‘s fellow agent Roger Lemke, Mike O‘Malley as the smug top agent Mike Pyle, and Rob Coddroy as a mean guy Tim meets at a party. Alia Shawkat is terrific as young hooker Bree who befriends Tim as she calls him “Butterscotch”. Kurtwood Smith is excellent as ASMI president Orrin Helgesson who claims to be about everything the contest is about only for Tim to discover something devious about him. Stephen Root is superb as Tim’s greedy boss Bill Krogstad who becomes desperate to win the Two Diamonds award while finding some way to make sure Tim succeeds in his mission. Sigourney Weaver is wonderful as Tim’s older girlfriend Macy whom he adores and always go to her for advice as Weaver brings a great maternal instinct to the character while still being very sexy.

Isaiah Whitlock Jr. is great as the film’s straight-man Ronald Wilkes as he shows Tim the ropes about the conference while proving that he can loosen up and be threatening in his own way. Anne Heche is amazing as the very fun Joan Ostrowski-Fox who helps Tim deal with his new surroundings while revealing some secrets about the ASMI conference as it’s Heche giving out one of her best performances of her career. John C. Reilly is phenomenal as Dean Ziegler as Reilly brings a lot of energy to his character that might be a brash blow-hard but there’s also a lot of heart to his character who does care for clients and friends. Finally, there’s Ed Helms in a winning performance as the naïve Tim Lippe where Helms brings a wide-eyed innocence and enthusiasm to his character. Even as Helms gets a chance to be funny while proving to be a solid dramatic actor as it proves that there’s more to Helms than being the crazed partier in the Hangover movies.

Cedar Rapids is a fun and enjoyable comedy from Miguel Arteta. Featuring dynamic performances from Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, and Isaiah Whitlock Jr., it’s a film that is very smart as well as providing enough amusing and compelling moments to keep its audience entertained. Notably as it’s comedy that doesn’t try to rely on cheap gags in order to create characters and situations audiences can relate to. In the end, Cedar Rapids is a fantastic film from Miguel Arteta.

Miguel Arteta Films: (Star Maps) - (Chuck & Buck) - (The Good Girl) - (Youth in Revolt) - Beatriz at Dinner

© thevoid99 2012

Walking and Talking

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/5/03 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Walking and Talking is the story of two female friends whose lives are changed by the engagement of another. With one dealing with a sick cat as well as her lackluster love life, the other deals with the transition of becoming a married woman. The film explores the world of female relationships and the men that surrounds them in this witty yet engrossing film. Starring Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Kevin Corrigan, Randall Batinkoff, and Liev Schrieber. Walking and Talking is a superbly funny film from Nicole Holofcener.

Since being friends since childhood, Amelia (Catherine Keener) and Laura (Anne Heche) are in their 30s as their lives are set to change. Amelia is dealing with the illness of her cat Big Jeans while Laura is a doctor who is dealing with a disturbed patient (Vincent Pastore) who claims to see the devil. Amelia's ex-boyfriend Andrew (Liev Schrieber) reveals that he's been talking to a woman from California as Amelia befriends a video store clerk named Bill (Kevin Corrigan). After convincing her therapist (Joseph Siravo) that she no longer needs therapy, Amelia's life is rocked when Laura announced she's engaged to her longtime boyfriend Frank (Todd Fields). Amelia is in shock as her date with Bill doesn't go well while she turns to Andrew for help to deal with the news.

Laura meanwhile, ponders about what is ahead for marriage as she finds herself going to play with an actor named Peter (Randall Batinkoff) whom she met earlier at a restaurant he worked at. Depressed over the news of her cat's illness and the news of Laura's engagement, Amelia goes on another date with Bill as the night ends in disaster when Bill hears Laura on the answering machine supposedly talking about him. Amelia wonders what happened as she hangs out with Frank at his apartment while Laura sees Peter in his play. After hanging out with Andrew and his parents for a meal, Amelia learns that the woman Andrew has been talking to was a phone sex client. Things worsen when Amelia confronts Bill about what happened that night as she was shocked to learn about Laura's phone message.

Going to a weekend getaway at a lake house, Amelia joins Frank and Laura to the house where Frank wants to have the wedding. Yet, Laura is bothered by the mole on Frank's shoulder thinking its malignant as Frank leaves where the two women are bothered by some obscene phone calls. With Andrew helping out, they all return to New York City as Amelia becomes depressed over some events as Laura has second thoughts about the upcoming wedding. The two longtime friends start to bicker over their own decisions as each wonder about their own role as women and the men in their lives.

What makes Walking and Talking an enjoyable, light-hearted comedy-drama is that Nicole Holofcener balances the boundaries between comedy and drama throughout the film though at times, there's a few predictable moments. Holofcener deserves total credit for bringing in hilarious scenes as well as powerful, emotional drama as the actors play real people instead of the exaggeration Hollywood films will tend to do for some actors. Holofcener even brings a glowing look to her film with cinematographer Michael Spiller, who captures the nice, summer look of trees and the streets that is so New York City, it couldn't be imitated by another city. Another great noted factor about the film is the music ranging Yo La Tengo, Liz Phair, Joan Osborne, Joe Henry, some obscure acts like Sea and Cake and Catherine, and Billy Bragg, who does most of the music and the film's score that just jangles on through the entire film.

Catherine Keener, alone, is the film's best performance as she plays a desperate woman trying to find her niche in the world of relationships as she ponders her own misery without being overly melodramatic and being funny when the time is right. Anne Heche is excellent as Laura, who plays this confused woman who is about to get married but is wondering if she still exists in the singles life as Heche brings a nice charm to the character.

Todd Field is wonderful as the more laid-back Frank who plays the kind of guy who is cool to his girlfriend's best friend while he delivers a few hilarious lines, notably the "vagina music" line. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as the compassionate, porn-loving Andrew who brings out the film's more hilarious moments while he even displays his dramatic touches in a later scene with Andrew's parents. Kevin Corrigan is funny as the monster-loving Bill, who loves to talk about horror films and videos while he gets extra cool points for a wearing a My Bloody Valentine t-shirt (the band, not the movie). Also worth noting is Vincent Pastore who is hilarious as the devil-seeing patient and watch out for Allison Janney as one of Amelia's neighbors.

Walking and Talking is a fun, heartwarming comedy-drama from Nicole Holofcener with an excellent story, superb soundtrack, and an amazing cast led by Catherine Keener. It's a film that is very engaging in exploring the anxiety of women in their 30s as they deal with changes in their life. It's also a film that strays from convention of usual female-driven films as it allows the women to be very real as well as flawed in their decisions about life. In the end, Walking and Talking is an extraordinary film from Nicole Holofcener.

Nicole Holofcener Films: Lovely & Amazing - Friends with Money - Please Give - Enough Said - The Auteurs #22: Nicole Holofcener

© thevoid99 2012

Psycho (1998 film)

The 1998 remake of Psycho directed by Gus Van Sant is the story of a woman who steals money from her boss as she goes on the run and stops at a motel run by a creepy young man. When she goes missing, her sister and the woman’s lover try to find her with help from an investigator. Based on the original novel by Robert Bloch, the film is a shot-by-shot remake of the famed 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock as Van Sant also uses the original adapted script by Joseph Stefano. Starring Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, William H. Macy, Phillip Baker Hall, Robert Forster, and Anne Heche. Gus Van Sant’s take on Psycho is among one of the worst ideas ever presented from Hollywood.

With her boyfriend Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen) in debt, Marion Crane (Anne Heche) wants to help him as she returns to work where she is given $400,000 to deposit for a customer. Instead, she steals it and goes on the run where she encounters a highway patrol officer (James Remar) and trade cars only to stop at a motel. Meeting its manager named Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn), Marion briefly converses with the man only to have something bad to happen. When Marion has disappeared, Marion’s sister Lila (Julianne Moore) asks Sam where she is. Instead, a private investigator named Arbogast (William H. Macy) is on the search for Marion only to meet Norman and disappear. Turning to a local sheriff (Phillip Baker Hall) for help, Sam and Lila figure out what is going on along with the mystery of Bates‘ mother..

Remakes allow filmmakers the chance to update things for a modern audience and try to put a new spin for a film to be its own. While some tend to stand out on its own, others tend to be cash-ins on these old films in an attempt to put asses in the seat. With Gus Van Sant’s remake of the revered Alfred Hitchcock film, Van Sant chose a more experimental approach by updating some of the dialogue, set it in the present, and do a mostly shot-by-shot take for the film with colored cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Something like this could be a good idea but it didn’t work.

Since it is a shot-by-shot remake where Van Sant tries to replicate the same compositions and framing that Hitchcock has done in the original 1960 film. Some of it seems intriguing but one of the key elements that made Hitchcock’s film so beloved is the way he builds suspense and take his time to set up the chills. Van Sant tries to go for the same thing but for anyone that saw the original will know what will happen. Then there’s the few things Van Sant adds to the film by updating the money ten times its original amount and setting it in present times with modern cars and various objects. Yet, it’s mostly through Kelley Baker’s sound design and Ann E. Duddleston’s editing but it becomes more of a distraction rather than a solid addition.

Part of what Van Sant does is during the intense killing scenes, Van Sant would add strange inserts in between the stabbings which ends up making the moment seem silly rather than chilling. Then there’s some of the sound work where the voice-overs remain in tact but they’re meshed with other voice-overs that become quite confusing. One notable scene where the sound adds to a scene is where Bates is peeping at Marion as she’s taking her clothes off. In the original, it’s just a simple scene of Bates looking where in Van Sant’s version, Bates masturbates. It’s among a lot of the things that doesn’t work throughout the film. One of them is Bernard Herrmann’s score which gets adapted by Danny Elfman where at times, the music is used in scenes where it didn’t need any.

There’s not a lot of what Van Sant does with his direction other than update a few key set pieces such as the Bates motel and Bates home. At the same time, in order to make the film more accessible to an audience of the late 1990s. The film has a pace that is a bit faster but for some reason, feels a bit longer which shows an inconsistency to its tone. While there’s some good work that Christopher Doyle provides with his colorful cinematography, it’s not noteworthy enough to make it stand out on its own. Overall, it’s a remake that doesn’t really do anything other than remind people that the original film remains better and there is no way in hell that a shot-by-shot remake could ever make it better.

Aside from notable contributions from production designer Tom Foden and costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor to update the look of the film from the 1960s to the 1990s. There’s not a lot of technical elements that should be noted as the film’s soundtrack includes some faintly heard music from the likes of Rob Zombie, the Germs, Bill Frisell, and Danny Elfman providing a guitar piece for the film’s final credits.

The casting is one of the key elements of the film where there’s a few standouts in a sea of appearances including Gus Van Sant himself replicating Hitchcock’s own cameo where he has a Hitchcock imitator scolding Van Sant. The actors who do appear in the film includes Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea as Sam’s clerk, Rita Wilson as Marion’s fellow secretary friend, Chad Everett as the client Marion steals from, Rance Howard as Marion’s boss, James LeGros as the used car dealer, James Remar as the highway patrol officer, Phillip Baker Hall as the sheriff, Anne Haney as the sheriff’s wife, and Robert Forster in a great appearance as the psychiatrist towards the end of the film as many of the actors chose to play these roles in a straightforward manner.

William H. Macy is pretty decent as Arbogast, the private detective searching for Marion as he chooses to play it straight the same way that Martin Balsam approached the role. Viggo Mortensen is OK as Sam Loomis as he adds a Southern drawl to the character to kind of make it his own while Julianne Moore is pretty good as Lila by making the character that Vera Miles played as somewhat more aggressive in her search to find Marion. Then there’s the two key roles of Marion Crane and Norman Bates where both Anne Heche and Vince Vaughn, respectively, take these famed roles. Unfortunately, neither could really do what both Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins could do in these respective yet iconic roles.

Heche’s performance is truly one of the most horrendous performances ever captured on film as it was made at the time when Heche was mostly known as Ellen DeGeneres’ girlfriend and for being extremely outspoken. The performance Heche gives has an air of smugness that is very off-putting throughout the first half of the film. Yet, the highlight of her performance is to see her dead. Vince Vaughn’s performance as Norman Bates is a disaster because as good as an actor Vaughn is when he can be. He is completely wrong to play that character because not only does he fail to be charming and pull off the kind of innocence Perkins approach to that character. It’s also clear that once the audience sees his face, it’s obvious this guy has some problems as it’s a really terrible performance from Vaughn.

Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho is a misguided travesty that never should’ve been made in the first place. It’s film that reminds audience why the original is always going to be seen over and over again out of pure enjoyment. While it’s not fair to say that this is Van Sant’s worst film since it’s not really his film. It’s just that there not a lot of imagination to be put but rather serve as a weird experimental piece about why shot-by-shot remakes will never work. This is a film that should be avoided unless it’s for Van Sant completists wondering why this didn’t work. In the end, just watch the original Alfred Hitchcock version of Psycho and avoid Gus Van Sant’s remake.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - Drugstore Cowboy - My Own Private Idaho - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - To Die For - Good Will Hunting - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - Restless - Promised Land

The Shorts & Videos of Gus Van Sant - The Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

© thevoid99 2011