Revolution #9
Exploring a potentially fascinating subject with only mixed success, Tim McCann's film charts the mental disintegration of a young man lapsing into schizophrenia. Unlike the similarly themed "A Beautiful Mind", which used trickery to bring the audience into the distorted mental realm of its protagonist, "Revolution #9" is a straightforward attempt to illustrate the devastating effects of the disease on both its victim and those close to him. The film is playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Quad Cinema.
When we first meet James (Michael Risley), he is a twenty-something man from the Midwest now living in New York and estranged from his family. He's engaged to the lovely, perky Kim (Adrienne Shelly), a waitress whose family is less than enthralled by the news of the coming nuptials. Their concern soon becomes well-grounded: James begins acting strangely, accusing his co-workers of moving things around in his desk and Kim's young nephew of using the Internet to try and control his mind. He soon thinks that all media are conspiring against him, particularly a trendy, stylized television commercial for a perfume dubbed Rev 9. He even tracks down the commercial's director, Scooter (Spalding Gray), who turns out to be an egotistic photographer desperate for attention. Eventually, a desperate Kim attempts to get James much-needed medical attention, only to find herself embroiled in the bureaucracy of the mental health and insurance systems.
The director keeps the tension at a fairly intense level throughout and effectively uses a range of photographic tricks and sound effects to convey the deepening effects of James' illness. Unfortunately, the film is less persuasive on a dramatic level. Although we are given a disturbing portrait of the labyrinth of the medical system, we never get a sense of who James was before the onset of his illness, with the result that his ensuing mental degeneration registers less forcefully than it should. And while his resulting symptoms are rendered with an admirable restraint, their depiction lacks emotional resonance. The characterizations and dialogue lack depth or complexity, with the ironic exception of Scooter, who, as perfectly portrayed by Gray, becomes more vivid in his insecurities and neuroses than the central character for all his delusions.
Risley, without resorting to overblown histrionics, does a skillful, chilling job of conveying his character's worsening mental condition, and Shelly is quite moving as the increasingly helpless Kim.
REVOLUTION #9
Exile Prods.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Tim McCann
Producers: Shannon Goldman, Tim McCann, Michael Risley
Executive producers: Adolfo Vargas, Gill Holland
Director of photography: Tim McCann
Production designer: Elise Bennett
Editors: Tim McCann, Shannon Goldman
Music: Douglas J. Cuomo
Cast:
James Jackson: Michael Risley
Kim Kelly: Adrienne Shelly
Scooter McCrae: Spalding Gray
Stephanie: Callie Thorne
Joe Kelly: Michael Rodrick
Dr. Ray: Sakina Jaffrey
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
When we first meet James (Michael Risley), he is a twenty-something man from the Midwest now living in New York and estranged from his family. He's engaged to the lovely, perky Kim (Adrienne Shelly), a waitress whose family is less than enthralled by the news of the coming nuptials. Their concern soon becomes well-grounded: James begins acting strangely, accusing his co-workers of moving things around in his desk and Kim's young nephew of using the Internet to try and control his mind. He soon thinks that all media are conspiring against him, particularly a trendy, stylized television commercial for a perfume dubbed Rev 9. He even tracks down the commercial's director, Scooter (Spalding Gray), who turns out to be an egotistic photographer desperate for attention. Eventually, a desperate Kim attempts to get James much-needed medical attention, only to find herself embroiled in the bureaucracy of the mental health and insurance systems.
The director keeps the tension at a fairly intense level throughout and effectively uses a range of photographic tricks and sound effects to convey the deepening effects of James' illness. Unfortunately, the film is less persuasive on a dramatic level. Although we are given a disturbing portrait of the labyrinth of the medical system, we never get a sense of who James was before the onset of his illness, with the result that his ensuing mental degeneration registers less forcefully than it should. And while his resulting symptoms are rendered with an admirable restraint, their depiction lacks emotional resonance. The characterizations and dialogue lack depth or complexity, with the ironic exception of Scooter, who, as perfectly portrayed by Gray, becomes more vivid in his insecurities and neuroses than the central character for all his delusions.
Risley, without resorting to overblown histrionics, does a skillful, chilling job of conveying his character's worsening mental condition, and Shelly is quite moving as the increasingly helpless Kim.
REVOLUTION #9
Exile Prods.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Tim McCann
Producers: Shannon Goldman, Tim McCann, Michael Risley
Executive producers: Adolfo Vargas, Gill Holland
Director of photography: Tim McCann
Production designer: Elise Bennett
Editors: Tim McCann, Shannon Goldman
Music: Douglas J. Cuomo
Cast:
James Jackson: Michael Risley
Kim Kelly: Adrienne Shelly
Scooter McCrae: Spalding Gray
Stephanie: Callie Thorne
Joe Kelly: Michael Rodrick
Dr. Ray: Sakina Jaffrey
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/19/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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