MOVIE - THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE - Review Rating $$$ (OUT OF 10)
STARRING - Kevin Spacey (David Gale), Kate Winslet (Bitsy), Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven, Rhona Mitra, Leon Rippy & Jim Beaver.
Director - Alan Parker (Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Angela's Ashes, The Commitments)
The fictional story of an opponent of the death penalty ending up on death row in Texas for a crime he did not commit.
The Life of David Gale wears its politics on its sleeve. Unfortunately, the cloth from which the sleeve is made from is not the best quality. First time screenwriter, Charles Randolph, a former philosophy professor, clearly has gone to one too many "So You Want To Be A Screenwriter" seminars. The script is an exercise in connecting the dots 101. You only need to connect less than half the dots before you'll be able to figure out the numerous forthcoming plot twists. The entire second half of the movie doesn't contain one iota of suspense as a result. Randolph's script deserves a failing grade for wringing all life out of an interesting premise.
The very serious subject of the merits of the death penalty is undermined by the highly contrived story line. Almost every character in the movie is an outcast or living a life not worth living. They have to be to justify the end result. The problem is that the fact they all are stretches the boundaries of credibility. It doesn't help that the former philosophy professor, posing as a screenwriter, uses the movie to take shots at campus politics and political correctness. While these subjects are worthy of discussion the mixing of these issues is simply inappropriate. If this was a term paper the author would be severely admonished for introducing irrelevant elements and getting off track. I could comment further but since the various issues are presented in such a simplistic fashion the discussion here would be more in-depth than it was in the movie. It would also give away the entire plot which is something I am loathe to do.
The script is so bad that some of Hollywood's biggest talents can't earn a stay of execution for the film. Kevin Spacey, in particular, can't seem to make up his mind how to portray Gale. The character, and Spacey's performance, appears to suffer from multiple personality disorder. One moment Gale is a study of pathos, the next a zealot and finally Mr. Mom. The end result is not only unconvincing but unsympathetic too. Alan Parker, who previously directed film's like Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, is unable to breathe life into The Life of David Gale. Even he can't create tension and suspense where there is none. The one bright spot is the performance of Kate Winslet. She holds the film together with her spot on portrayal of the hard-nosed journalist whose cynicism is replaced by genuine concern. The only reason to stay to the end of this movie is see how Winslet handles the inevitable transition.
David Gale, the philosophy professor, warns his students about being careful of what they wish for. He argues that a life measured by the number of toys you have is an empty life because things desired, once obtained, are no longer desirable. The Life of David Gale makes this point only too well. Once seen you may wish you hadn't bothered going in the first place.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Peter Travers/Rolling Stone Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
The Life of David Gale Official Website
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© Copyright
2003
David Schwartz.
Last update:
8/9/03; 11:07:20 PM.
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