PSYCHO
** (out of 4) - a fair movie
Release Date: December 4, 1998 Starring: Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Anne Heche, Robert Forster Directed by: Gus Van Sant Distributed by: Universal Pictures MPAA Rating: R (violence, sexuality/nudity) URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1998/psycho.htm
The original PSYCHO, released in 1960 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a classic suspense thriller which all other entries of the genre derive their lineage from. Even for one who's never seen the movie -- such as myself -- the movie's popularity among film buffs is immediately popular. Only the first syllable of Hitchcock's last name need be invoked before testamonies come pouring from the lips of others. And, being a classic, aging only makes it more popular; so, it's natural, then, that someone might want to remake it?
The arts are filled with remakes. For the theater, the most popular remake vehicle is probably THE NUTCRACKER or LES MISÉRABLES; for the cinema, LES MIS again comes to mind. While it's almost a given that a remake will never approach the genius of the original, filmmakers take their shot either for fame or for love of film. Hopefully it's the latter -- someone who just wants to work with a great script -- but likelihood says it's the later -- someone wants to be known as the genius who bested a longstanding champion. It's difficult to say where Gus Van Sant stands in helming his PSYCHO remake.
The bottom line on Van Sant's product is that it falls flat on its face. There's no question that the script was written as a truly cinematic experience; do not mistake this to be a cleverly-penned movie. Instead, Joseph Stefano gives the filmmaker a bare bones plot and expects that it will be glorified by atmosphere -- camera angles, moody music, timing or pacing, film speed or stock, acting, and any of the other qualitative properties of a movie. This may have been the case in 1960 with Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh, but it is most certainly *not* the case in 1998 with Gus Van Sant, Vince Vaughn, and Anne Heche.
The movie begins as we're introduced to Marion Crane (Heche) and her lover, Sam Loomis (Viggo Mortensen). Loomis is deep in debt but working it off so that he can get out of his marriage and live happily with Marion. Until that happens, however, Marion is set working at a real estate company. Upon returning from a "late lunch" with Sam, Marion finds her boss about to sell a house worth $400,000 to a wealthy Arizonan; the rich shmuck pays entirely in cash and the greens are handed over to Marion to take to the bank. She immediately thinks of the possibilities of paying off her lover's debts, and takes to the road in a newly purchased car -- her only mistake in stopping at the Bates motel along the way.
The motel is run by an eerie fellow named Norman Bates (Vaughn) and is entirely vacant when Marion shows up. She disappears shortly thereafter, and soon Marion's sister Lila (Julianne Moore), a p.i. (William Macy), and Sam come looking for her. The movie ought to reach its peak here, but there is absolutely no tension or suspense developed and PSYCHO becomes rather boring. Van Sant looks for cheap thrills by using camera tricks, but comes up empty-handed. This isn't the sort of work you'd expect from an Oscar-nominated director, and certainly isn't recommendable either. Best to see it at cheap prices; or rent the original, because by any measuring stick, it's a better watch.
-- Craig Roush kinnopio@execpc.com -- Kinnopio's Movie Reviews http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio
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