Customer Reviews

Crime Fiction

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Checked out Crime Fiction this weekend. Top notch. I'm rough
on film, particularly indie cinema -- which of course, is the
only hope for eventually making a buck while maintaining some
semblance of soul, sanity & dignity for the American
filmmaker. Love the scene with Cooper's disembodied voice
insisting upon his identity to the radio jock from the
frontier cloud cover. Hell of a closing, that Cooper-jock rant,
seems to make the culminating point with haunting clarity.

Hilarious. The reality refracted into infinity bit via the
pursuit of fictional fortune -- well-done. The denouement:
perfectly mad-cap (what the hell is the Lauren character
muttering while deconstructing "Marilyn" on the porch? I've
watched the scene four times now, & can only make out what
sounds like "pi intitum." Her turn away from the camera
doesn't help). About three-quarters of the way through the
film, my wife says this: "he's good." I think she was talking
about Eliotâ(tm)s acting, as the flick wasn't exactly her cup of
decorous tea.

"Crime Fiction" is an interesting and tricky exploration of the blurred distinction between art and reality. A little "Momento" a little "Coen Brothers" all results in an intriguing story that leaves the viewer seeking the equilibrium of trying to grasp whether the horrifying story was being unveiled in the literary imagination of the would-be author or motivated by the same author to create fodder for his next work. It was like looking into a double mirror with endless reflections. Most impressive was the tight direction of Will Slocombe who has an eye and imagination that keeps the film flowing. The angles, the view points and the work of this promising director comfortably holds the hand of the audience through this perverse journey.

I loved this film. It's really smart and even though it is shot on a low budget, you can hardly tell. Really clever script, kept me watching the whole way. You don't need bucks to make a great thriller!!!

I found this film to be highly amusing, though some of the more off color remarks had me a little perplexed, especially those which referred to strange sexuality or critiqued America, a country that made the Canadian writer's idea into a reality (Jonathan Eliot's script). Nevertheless, quite brilliant in moments. It certainly kept me watching. The direction by Slocombe was great. I would highly recommend this for those who want to look at the dark side of life. I am a writer and I understand the evil of which Eliot writes. This film is disturbing: beware. It will sneak up on you unawares. I will not say anything else, for fear of spoiling it. A great indie.

"Crime Fiction" is an interesting and almost plausible story that makes for highly enjoyable movie watching. It is a dark story with a lacing of humor. "Crime Fiction" takes the viewer into the mind of a killer whose ambitions outrun his intellectual strategizing. It contains modest violence, nothing over the top. The actors deliver strong performances, in just the right balance.

There's a real cleverness to the execution of Crime Fiction - like in a good novel, it has unforeseen twists and turns that keep the audience hooked. With it's familiar premise - a young struggling writer accidentally kills his girlfriend and decides to turn it into a best seller - it has a lot to overcome, but with a very sharp script and equally impressive style, it rises above the level of being just another mildly entertaining thriller. The first notable exception is the solid direction by Will Slocombe, whose technique is like a Tales From The Crypt episode as told by the Coen Brothers - strange and wondrous. With Crime Fiction's non- linear jumps and quasy-reality vibe, Slocombe has created an odd, biting and very funny social commentary on our reality-obsessed generation. But then add to that an impassioned performance by Jonathan Eliot (who also wrote the timely script!) as the battling with inner demons writer James Cooper (plus a little smarmy Christian Stolte as a cocky rival novelist!) and you've got one very memorably unconventional little flick. (Aka think Best Seller meets Barton Fink!) My only complaint with this one is the shameful lack of DVD extras, with only a trailer, photos and an available on-line press kit. (Do these really count as special features?) There's no featurettes, interviews or even a much desired Slocombe/Eliot commentary track and it's a real shame - original work of this type is the kind of thing that true fiction film aficionados want to know more about - the exclusion of further details is the real crime.

This film is Tarrantino after reading Derrida, Kaufman under the Gargoyle's loom, Jarmuch tripping on that middle city ice. Paglia in a hot red dress? A trippy, witty cinematic romp, the work is entertaining as all get-out, even while leaving one with varied wild fodder to ponder at its closing. There's certainly a good deal to dig in this Crime Fiction.

I saw this film at it's Chicago debut and it was a great thriller! Loved it!