Seldom is there a movie produced which can incorporate the personal, immediate feeling of a play with the abstract and subtle strokes of cinematic genius; yet here it is.
The script alone is genius, and with a few minor snips here and there, it could have easily been a theatre piece. But the way that the cinematics (camera angles, rate of motion, "intoxication effect", etc) were able to bond with the work is what really elevated the film. I've never had a movie imbue me with a sense of serenity with nothing more than an accelerated frame rate and a minimal sound use, but here it is.
The problem with the whole of the piece is that it's driven towards the writer, not the audience; being a reflective piece, that is understandable. And even admirable, because there's not a doubt in my mind that when this movie was produced, Janou knew it wasn't going to endow him with financial success, only artistic. A blockbuster this is not, but a brilliant work of art it is, proving once again that with just a twist of lemony liberty, life is the best form of art.
Steven Dorff has also reached a pinnacle in my mind with this film, and again, on an artistic level--not financial. The brooding character struggling with his adolescence, once played by the typecast Christian Slater and now by Dorff, has matured. Dorff was able to take the character into an autumnal growth, transplanting the brilliance and detatchment into the shoes of an adult who sees the world for what it is, yet at the same time is able to maintain his edge.
I could go on about the supporting cast, but really, this movie is about the main character, and how he deals with near-success, utter failure, and realistic romance. Definitely not one to miss.
