'London Fields' begins with two fiction writers embarking on an apartment swap. Struggling scribbler Samson Young vacates his squalid Hell's Kitchen den to stay at the opulent Notting Hill residence of successful Mark Asprey, who departs for New York City. The duo's names give the game away - the swap signifies a personality split rather than any geographical re-location. The symbolism of Young's moniker and his home base are fairly obvious while Asprey's initials echo those of London Fields' novelist Martin Amis.
The film follows Young as he slots seamlessly into Asprey's social milieu. He focuses on documenting the anticipated murder of his upstairs neighbor, a movie star called Nicki Six, who has predicted her own death at the hands of an unknown killer. The prime suspects for this future homicide are a darts player and a city wheeler-dealer - soon to be joined by Young himself. Nicki has affairs with all three, goading them to kill her through jealousy, so that her prediction will prove correct.
This extravagant plot might be manufactured by Asprey's fevered imagination, but unfortunately the film itself also looks like the product of a mind in disarray. The movie shows the potential dangers of getting a music video director to film the adaptation of a fairly sophisticated narrative - the end-product might be be garish visuals at the expense of characters' personalities and their environment. Compounding the catastrophe, the actors deliver theatrical performances which destroy any chance of taking the proceedings seriously. By the time the climax arrives with its predictable twist, it's hard to believe anybody still cares about the fate of these cornball caricatures.
The film follows Young as he slots seamlessly into Asprey's social milieu. He focuses on documenting the anticipated murder of his upstairs neighbor, a movie star called Nicki Six, who has predicted her own death at the hands of an unknown killer. The prime suspects for this future homicide are a darts player and a city wheeler-dealer - soon to be joined by Young himself. Nicki has affairs with all three, goading them to kill her through jealousy, so that her prediction will prove correct.
This extravagant plot might be manufactured by Asprey's fevered imagination, but unfortunately the film itself also looks like the product of a mind in disarray. The movie shows the potential dangers of getting a music video director to film the adaptation of a fairly sophisticated narrative - the end-product might be be garish visuals at the expense of characters' personalities and their environment. Compounding the catastrophe, the actors deliver theatrical performances which destroy any chance of taking the proceedings seriously. By the time the climax arrives with its predictable twist, it's hard to believe anybody still cares about the fate of these cornball caricatures.