Reviews written by Eric
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Exciting moviegoing experience: Linda took me as her hot date to a special advance screening of this film, after which there was a Q&A session with the incomparable (not to mention gorgeous... SHUT UP) KEVIN SPACEY! The pass only said something like "very special guest," and I had my suspicions that they were going to usher out the screenwriter or something—not like the screenwriter isn't very important, but none of your friends are exactly going to crap their pants if you tell them, "I saw Charles Randolph last night!"—but Kevin Spacey it was.
Spacey plays David Gale, a former college professor and anti-death penalty activist who is now on Death Row for the rape and murder of his female colleague (Laura Linney). Kate Winslet plays a journalist named "Bitsey Bloom" (contrary to what you might glean from that information, she is in fact not an animated Disney sidekick of any sort) whom David has summoned from New York to Texas three days before his execution for a three-part, tell-all interview regarding his famous case. Somewhat predictably, she has been saddled with a rookie partner who talks back a lot and generally annoys her—until it becomes clear that they've both signed on for more than they expected.
The majority of the story is told through flashbacks as David tells Bitsey his story: A student's false cry of rape destroyed his professional and personal life, losing his wife, child, and job. He was left with nothing but alcohol, his friend Constance, and the anti-death penalty organization in which they both participate as activists. Somehow, he ended up in prison for seven years for Constance's rape and murder, and he's going to be executed in three days. At first, Bitsey is a Cynical City-Dweller In A Small Town and is certain that David is guilty, but the more she finds out, the less sure of anything she becomes.
You all know the drill: It's a race against time! Bitsey has three days to solve the mystery before it's too late to save David's life! She realizes how all the pieces fit together! Her car breaks down at a very inopportune moment! Sure, it sounds cliched, but the film generates very genuine emotional reactions and suspense. It gives us characters rich enough so that its not a stretch to invest our emotions in them. It's impossible to simplify what you're seeing into mere matters of "right" and "wrong." It's also smart enough so that you'll be pondering for days the questions it makes you ask yourself. And unless you're made of stone like (*cough cough like Linda cough*), the ending will leave you dumbstruck with emotion.
The Life of David Gale constantly flirts with convention, but none of it feels done before. It tells a story from the point of view of vehement opponents of the death penalty, but it manages to be about the people, not politics. It has a surprise twist ending, but it doesn't feel like a gimmick. The Life of David Gale was originally slated as an end-of-the-year Oscar release, but was delayed due to the already overcrowded season. Universal's decision to shelve the movie for several months and release it now, during a cinematic dead zone, will probably cost Laura Linney an Oscar nomination. I'm already certain it's going to be on my top 10 of 2003 list. In other words, trust me, not Linda!
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