Pretty Good

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

...that seems more of a vanity project for director/star, Alan "X2" Cumming than anything else, and what a vanity project it is, or isn't, depending on your perspective. The script is from a noob screenwriter, and it's a step above many, though not nearly as clever as it might otherwise wish. It takes way too long to get down to business (Syd Field would not be pleased), and has a tendency to spoil its own mysteries. In a nutshell, Cumming overacts a martinet of a private music teacher with a weakness for "nurturing" various young talents, in this case a ladies man of a writer who ends up grifting him to the point of histrionic vengeance. It's not a pretty sight (in fact, it's laden with homosexual clichés, beginning with their love of opera, and not yet ending with a macho man in bra and panties), and does nothing to advance the situation or audience appreciation of its protagonist or anyone else within earshot. As mentioned, the acting (and this is mostly all Cumming's baby) verges on hysterically overdone (or in the case of the antagonist (David "Angel" Boreanaz), crushingly underplayed to the point of apparent boredom), although (for the most part) the various production elements are fairly well done, given the relative low budget. Minimal appearances by the likes of Henry "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" Thomas, Carrie "Star Wars" Fisher, Anne "Psycho" Heche (looking exceedingly pinched and drawn), and Karen "Easy Rider" Black (who utterly steals her scene as a foul-mouthed slut) cannot rescue this potboiler no matter the best of intentions.Strictly for Cumming fans, and even they will be, at best, bemused.

Sebastian St. Germain (David Boreanz) is a struggling writer who isn't familiar with Becket (the writer of "Waiting for Godot"). This angers his host, the opera fanatic Jon Vandermark (Alan Cumming). When Sebastian can't make any payments and his writing career appears to be going nowhere, Jon takes drastic measures to get even.This is a first film for writer Tom Gallagher, and is directed by the star, Alan Cumming. The writing and acting is excellent. For the right people, this film is going to hit home. I personally enjoyed it, and my girlfriend was liking it as well, despite not generally being a fan of movies. Where the film runs into snags, I fear, is the subject matter.The dialogue is very heavy with references to Becket, various operas, and other pieces of literary and "high" culture. By no means do I consider myself sophisticated, but I do have a basic background in the liberal arts. I am not sure if those with less interest in literature or the arts would take much liking to the movie. The plot is pretty basic, and Boreanz is an amazing actor (Cumming is great, too). But without the dialogue, the film falls somewhat flat -- particularly in a scene where Sebastian is quizzed on a variety of topics, such as Jack Kerouac.I would like to give the film a second viewing now that I know where it ultimately goes, and if possible get more insight from the creators. I feel the film is meant to be very deep despite being a relatively simple storyline. If there's some deeper sense, I have missed it. Perhaps it is an homage to some great literary work? This would be appropriate, but if so it was over my head.I recommend this film for horror and thriller fans, although you won't get much in the way of gore or many scares. It's more of a violent drama. (The film is classified as "horror" or "black comedy", but it's hard to fit it neatly into either slot.) If nothing else, this film is worth your rental... you may be surprised where it goes.

Before watching this film I thought it could go one of two ways, either be genius or be awful. It did neither and both. The plot was thin and not particularly rewarding, the character David Boreanaz played was weak and his acting was, as to be expected, fairly mediocre. So why have I given it 8 out of 10? Alan Cummings' performance was pure magic. In the previous review this was a criticism which surprises me. The reviewer is correct, it is dramatic, overblown and extremely theatrical, and as previously said, he isn't and is not meant to be a likable character but that doesn't make him any less of an interesting character to watch. You're given the sense that as the character becomes more and more dramatic and over-the-top, he couldn't stop himself if he tried or wanted to. The entire performance is an interesting portrayal of passion, rejection and obsession that in my opinion makes up for the weakness of the plot and surrounding characters. More theatrical than big screen but a fantastic performance by Alan Cummings regardless.

There is only one reason to see this film - David BOREANAZ! The plot seems typically reasonable, but writing or directing over the top should not impede a good play or movie. There is no need to act as though everyone is without morals or merit. A well-executed comedy should be able to reach everyone without using one expletive word. Seinfeld's comedy was always outrageous, but within the acceptable guidelines, and this is the kind of comedic writing that many new artists never understand. Without vulgarity or graphic violence, most writers have no idea how to entertain people anymore. David is always wonderful in whatever he does. He has timing, looks, charm, and savoir faire. Cummings, go back to Creative writing class 101 and this time, pay attention.