Customer Reviews

Crashing

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Richard (Campbell Scott), a successful writer, is kicked out by his wife on the day he is to speak to a college writing class, at which he reveals his current status as a homeless writer. Two coeds (Izabella Miko and Lizzy Caplan) invite him to sleep on their couch. The arrangement lasts beyond the first night as Richard promises to assess the women's writing in exchange for his spot on the couch.

Richard repays his hosts' kindness by reading their e-mail, using them as templates for his newest novel, and fantasizing about having a more intimate relationship with them.

To me, "Crashing" was a mildly entertaining diversion but little more. Richard is so self-centered that he failed to engage me, and the two women, as extensions of Richard's fantasies, are not allowed to develop their own personalities. Too often, the dialog seemed affected, as if in an effort to be "Literary" (with a capital L). There is a good story here, but for the most part, it is not allowed to develop.

For those who are interested, the film's R rating is attributable to drug use, language, and sexual situations.

Is it a film about making a film? Is it a film about writing a book? Is it a film about writing a book about writing a script for a film? Is it a film about a book, turned into a film, which was a book about films being made?

Nope it's none of these things. It's about a very poorly written and filmed mid life crisis. Yep, plain and simple, an author has a fantasy about two young pretty female roommates.

But the director and writer would have you believe this is some kind of Indie art film all about self-relexivity of film and the written word. After about 10 minutes the film is obvious where it is going. The ending, him in bed with the really lovely British "English Professor," is beyond predictible.

The cover art and advertising would have you believe this is a very liberal film, a very hard R rated film. In fact, it gets the R from using the F word more than twice. There is virtually no nudity in this film. No it's really barely a PG-13 film.

The entertainment value is mildly low here. This looks like an assignment for senior year of college film production. Yeah, this director probably thought he was making Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It." No, nothing of the kind. Poor camera work, poor lighting, flat sound, decent acting, and strange uneven editing, all make for a movie to pass on.

Absolutely no extra features on the DVD, only trailers for other films.

I've seen parts of this now a couple of times and just caught the ending. It's actually an okay movie and if I'm not wrong, the last scene there seems to indicate the none of the events actually happened. The guy was never kicked out of his house .. never in the apartment living with the two girls and "writing about writing" etc.

Instead, he and his wife are happy at home, and the entire movie has been the guy sleeping on his own couch to come up with the ideas for everything we've seen in the movie up until the last minute or so when he returns to bed and has that last conversation with his wife.

So in effect, he's been writing about a guy who is kicked out of his house and forced to live with two girls where he writes about them, writing about him. Or something like that !!!

Anyone else get that impression ? Kind of a clever end that way.

This movie will appeal to those who've lived college life in the dormitory, or sharing apartment space. It sure reminds me of how much I miss those fun times with roommates, especially coed situations. Unlike most college movies, it's not about fraternities, partying, or goofing around. It's a slower paced, day to day activity that's realistic, dealing with studying, stresses of exams, and campus, rather than flamboyant dramas. This low budget production goes hand in hand as this genre is driven by the atmosphere, characters, and set up. Lizzy Caplan and Izabella Miko play their student roles well beyond carrying a backpack. Campbell Scott plays a depressed but accomplished published novelist who ends up crashing at these girls' place in exchange for tutoring in literature. My only complaint was that the very last end scene was a bit far fetched (exaggerated) and made to appease the Hollywood concept. Don't expect much from this flick, but it's worth it for any college grad.