WAKING THE DEAD (2 outta 5 stars)
Writer/director Keith Gordon has made some really fantastic movies that most people never see or hear about (A Midnight Clear, Mother Night) so I was very excited about seeing this one. Unfortunately, I have to say that it's not up to his usual standards. Billy Crudup plays an idealistic young man with dreams of winning a seat in the US Senate. Jennifer Connelly plays the idealistic young girl he falls in love with who has a slightly more radical take on government. The events of the movie take place out of the linear time sequence. The movie starts with Connelly's death and backtracks to when they first met... and it leapfrogs back and forth forever after... as the latter-day Crudup begins to have visions of his dead girl coming back to life. Is he crazy? Is she a ghost? Or did she fake her own death? The acting is pretty good... especially by Crudup, who gets all the showy, emotional breakdown scenes... but the script and story are a bit on the bland side. Not a bad movie... but kind of slow... and after all is said and done... doesn't really leave you with much. (A good movie for playing "Spot The Canadian" though... as all the smaller roles seem to be played by familiar Canadian actors... Molly Parker and Leah Pinsent among them.)
Writer/director Keith Gordon has made some really fantastic movies that most people never see or hear about (A Midnight Clear, Mother Night) so I was very excited about seeing this one. Unfortunately, I have to say that it's not up to his usual standards. Billy Crudup plays an idealistic young man with dreams of winning a seat in the US Senate. Jennifer Connelly plays the idealistic young girl he falls in love with who has a slightly more radical take on government. The events of the movie take place out of the linear time sequence. The movie starts with Connelly's death and backtracks to when they first met... and it leapfrogs back and forth forever after... as the latter-day Crudup begins to have visions of his dead girl coming back to life. Is he crazy? Is she a ghost? Or did she fake her own death? The acting is pretty good... especially by Crudup, who gets all the showy, emotional breakdown scenes... but the script and story are a bit on the bland side. Not a bad movie... but kind of slow... and after all is said and done... doesn't really leave you with much. (A good movie for playing "Spot The Canadian" though... as all the smaller roles seem to be played by familiar Canadian actors... Molly Parker and Leah Pinsent among them.)