I saw "The Killing of John Lennon" at the Tribeca Film Festival. I thought this movie would provide interesting insight into why Mark David Chapman killed John Lennon, but I felt like it missed the mark (no pun intended).
First of all, at 2 hours, this movie is about 45 minutes too long. There are long, drawn-out dreamlike sequences that were unnecessary - it would have far more interesting to learn about his relationship to his wife and to also include information such as the imaginary people Chapman heard and took guidance from.
The film fails to capture the zeitgeist of the day - there are many instances where we see modern cars and signs (such as the logo for Planet Hollywood and current Broadway shows when the cab is driving through Times Square) and a general lack of it feeling like 1980. Chapman was among the first of the celebrity stalkers, and a feeling of this relative innocence of the day is lacking. (For example, Chapman frequently asks the doorman if he's seen Lennon that day. Nowadays, the cops would be called. Back then, he was probably just seen as a rapid fan.) The film is presented mostly in monologue. I'm sure this was a decision to give the feeling that Chapman lived in his own world, but it ends up leaving the viewer feeling like they've missed something.
I saw people checking their watches about an hour in the movie. I knew it was two hours long and really wanted to leave about halfway through.
A documentary about Chapman would probably be an intriguing movie, but this movie is lacking in many elements.
First of all, at 2 hours, this movie is about 45 minutes too long. There are long, drawn-out dreamlike sequences that were unnecessary - it would have far more interesting to learn about his relationship to his wife and to also include information such as the imaginary people Chapman heard and took guidance from.
The film fails to capture the zeitgeist of the day - there are many instances where we see modern cars and signs (such as the logo for Planet Hollywood and current Broadway shows when the cab is driving through Times Square) and a general lack of it feeling like 1980. Chapman was among the first of the celebrity stalkers, and a feeling of this relative innocence of the day is lacking. (For example, Chapman frequently asks the doorman if he's seen Lennon that day. Nowadays, the cops would be called. Back then, he was probably just seen as a rapid fan.) The film is presented mostly in monologue. I'm sure this was a decision to give the feeling that Chapman lived in his own world, but it ends up leaving the viewer feeling like they've missed something.
I saw people checking their watches about an hour in the movie. I knew it was two hours long and really wanted to leave about halfway through.
A documentary about Chapman would probably be an intriguing movie, but this movie is lacking in many elements.