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
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/9/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on Elmore Leonard's short story, 3:10 to Yuma is the story about an ex-Civil War sharpshooter who is asked to accompany a vicious criminal to a prison train as he and various men are being followed by the criminal's gang. Directed by James Mangold with a screenplay by Stuart Beattie, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas with elements of the 1957 adapted script by Halstead Welles for Delmer Daves' version of the film. The film explores the world of temptation as a farmer and a criminal try to outwit each other. Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Gretchen Mol, Logan Lerman, Alan Tudyk, Ben Foster, Vinessa Shaw, Dallas Roberts, and Peter Fonda. 3:10 to Yuma is a sprawling yet adventurous film from James Mangold.
The film explores a rancher named Dan Evans (Christian Bale) whose life hasn't been great as his ranch is suffering from a drought while he's in debt as well as getting threatened by a man named Hollander (Lennie Lofton) who wants Evans' land for the railroad. When the criminal known as Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) has been captured after stealing money from the railroad barron Grayson Butterfield (Dallad Roberts), Evans volunteers to help the Pinkerton officer Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) to accompany Wade to the prison train to Yuma along with Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk), Butterfield, and Evans' 14-year old son William (Logan Lerman). Yet, the party is being pursued by Wade's right-hand man Charlie Prince (Ben Foster)and the rest of Wade's gang as a battle of wits emerge between Evans and Wade about what to do where Wade tempts Evans into helping him while Wade isn't sure if he can take Wade's offer.
The original film version of 3:10 to Yuma was essentially a western that was part character-study, part suspense where it's about these two men trying to play a game of wits in seeing how far they'll go in dealing with their own morals. Director James Mangold, obviously a fan of the original, doesn't tinker with the film's old formulas very much. Instead, he helps expand the story, add a few new characters, and take the western genre back to form with some new methods. The film's script that was written by Stuart Beattie, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas definitely brings back some of the original dialogue that was written by the film's original scribe Halstead Wells. What is very surprising is that the dialogue that is used again manages to be as relevant as it was heard back in the original 1957 version.
The script also works as a device of character study where it's really about both Ben Wade and Dan Evans. Wade, a sadistic man who can be very charming and witty while is also a ruthless killer who is even willing to kill one of his own men for gain. Yet, part of his redeeming qualities is how he reminds someone like William that he's not a good man despite the growth of respect he has for Dan for his bravey. Dan Evans is just as complex as a man who is forced to swallow a lot of his pride in order to maintain the survival of his family. Yet, he too has a dark side that he doesn't like to show that Wade manages to discover. What's surprising is that both men have similar morals, characteristics, and pride. It's where the film's script succeeds in.
The direction of James Mangold is very solid throughout the entire film in how he maintains the faithfulness to the original film. While the female characters like Alice Evans (Gretchen Mol) and Emmy (Vinessa Shaw) aren't as big as they were in the original film, they still play to what's expected in the plot. More importantly, the plot is expanded where the original film is 95 minutes and this version adding thirty more. While the violence and language is more confrontational in the original, it's definitely because Mangold adds elements of directors like Sergio Leone and in a lesser extent, Sam Peckinpah. There, he still manages to bring that quality that is expected in the genre in terms of the idea of men running lose, doing wild things, shootouts, and such. One complaint that might be understandable in comparison to the original film is the ending.
Probably because of what Mangold is trying to convey in terms of where the genre was then and now. It might work on some aspects but might not work with some audiences. Still, Mangold brings the genre right back to its essential that makes not just purists satisfied but also people new to the genre to be excited about.
Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael brings a wonderful look to the film with its gorgeous, epic-like photography with the film's inspiring location shot in New Mexico. The film's nighttime scenes from the outside with the blue sky is mesmerizing as is some of the daylight exteriors that manages to maintain its grittiness. It's definitely a highlight of the film. The location in New Mexico and with a $50 million budget definitely gives the production with the saloons, farms, and towns created by production designer Andrew Menzies and art directors Greg Berry and Jay Hart a look that is authentic and a reminder of what was great in that genre.
Costume designer Ariane Phillips definitely create some nice suits for Dallas Roberts while the cowboy clothing for the rest of the actors maintains its grittiness. The makeup also works since a lot of them wear beards or a mustache whether it's the clean, handlebar mustache look Roberts have to the dirtier, grimy look that both Ben Foster and Peter Fonda have.
Editor Michael McCusker definitely goes against the current fast-cut, fast-paced editing style of today's films that would've hurt this film. Instead, he goes for a more traditional, intense style that manages to keep the film's pacing while the action is definitely attentive for the audience. During the more suspenseful moments, the cuts are definitely slow but engaging to maintain the tension between the main characters. Sound editor Donald Sylvester also adds atmosphere by using the sounds of the wind, horses, whistles, and such to play true to the film and its genre in terms of its suspense. Music composer Marco Beltrami adds a bit of symphonic orchestra to the genre but uses it in a low-key approach with the rest of the score performed on acoustic guitars and string instruments to play to that old-school atmosphere of the western.
Finally, there's the film's cast and what a hell of a cast does it have. Smaller performances from the likes of Sean Hennigan as the Contention City marshal, Rio Alexander and Johnny Whitworth as two of Wade's men, Forest Fyre, Luce Rains, and a un-credited cameo from Luke Wilson who gives a great performance as one of Boles' posse. Benjamin Petry is good as the little Mark Evans who has a great line that comes from the original film while Lennie Lofton is sleazy as the land-grabbing Hollander. Vinessa Shaw, playing the Felicia Farr role, is good as the sexy Emmy who is charmed by Wade. Kevin Durand is funny as the annoying Tucker, who manages to hate both Wade and Evans for different reasons while having a scene where he sings a song that angers Wade.
Alan Tudyk of Firefly/Serenity fame manages to give an excellent, yet funny performance as Doc Potter who manages to have some funny one-liners while admitting to not carrying a gun very much. Gretchen Mol is wonderful as the caring Alice Evans who loves Dan but also despises him a bit for his choices as she tries to maintain the household. Mol, who shows a more hardened maturity than in previous roles, is only a few scenes which is a shame since her performance really stands out by not playing a conventional farmer's wife.
Dallas Roberts from Walk the Line is great as the money-hungry Butterfield who thinks he has control only to realize that money can't buy everything while eventually becoming a tool for Evans' own pursuits. Logan Lerman is excellent as William Evans, a boy who seems to idolize Wade while losing respect for his own father. His development in the film is handled very realistically as he learns about sacrifice and why his father makes choices that sometimes aren’t right as he plays the character with maturity and energy.
Peter Fonda is brilliant in his small but mesmerizing role as the old, gruff Byron McElroy who manages to have a lot of hatred for Wade as Fonda's exchanges with Crowe are just fun to watch. Fonda, who has done westerns in the past, manages to bring that old school attitude that shows he's been there before and his performance is truly memorable that even his late, legendary father Henry would've been proud. Ben Foster is the film's sole scene-stealer as the psychotic Charlie Prince. Foster, sporting a beard and marks around his eyes, is a force that has to be seen where though he's a more sadistic, traditional villain. He has his loyalties and wit as he tries to save the man he's admired so much. It's a great performance from the young actor who proves he can act with the likes of Fonda, Crowe, and Bale.
Christian Bale gives one of his best performances as the troubled, prideful Dan Evans who was played by Van Heflin fifty years before. Bale's intense, layered performance shows the actor bringing a subtlety and grit that isn't seen very often but only expanding his range following his work in recent years. Though his character doesn't have a lot of humor, he still manages to have some wit and charm while maintaining his own stance against someone like Russell Crowe. Russell Crowe, in the role of Ben Wade that was played by Glenn Ford, is brilliant. Though Crowe didn't manage to play a great western character in Sam Raimi's The Quick & the Dead, this film proves he was born to be in a western.
Crowe's mix of charm, sadism, and antagonist attitude proves to be right as he plays the Wade character to the hilt. More importantly, he makes the audience to either love or hate him in whatever he's doing. The comradery between two great actors like Crowe and Bale are just amazing to watch and what's really great to see in those performances is how much fun they're having. Bottom line, both Crowe and Bale bring the kind of performances that purists of the genre will surely love.
The 20007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma is a marvelous film from James Mangold thanks to its cast led by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as well as its devotion to pay true to the western genre. The film isn't just a faithful remake to Delmer Daves' 1957 film but also ensures the vitality of the western genre as both films would make a great double-feature. In the end, 3:10 to Yuma is an exciting and enthralling film from James Mangold.
James Mangold Films: (Heavy) - (Cop Land) - (Girl, Interrupted) - (Kate & Leopold) - (Identity (2003 film)) - (Walk the Line) - 3:10 to Yuma (2007 film) - (Knight and Day) - The Wolverine - Logan - Ford v Ferrari - (Indiana Jones 5)
© thevoid99 2013
