Summer of Sam
Spike Lee directs a movie set in the summer of 1977, the year in which the Son of Sam conducted his killing spree. If you are not a fan of Spike Lee, this movie will not change your mind. Its inherent faults are shared with many of his other movies, especially its cumbersome length and unsatisfying ending. Despite its title, _Summer of Sam_ is really the story of a guy named Vinnie who looses control of his life at the same time David Berkowitz looses control of his. Berkowitz is portrayed brilliantly by Michael Badalucco, while Vinnie is John Leguizamo in fine form. I think this dichotomy of title and story is what hurts the movie the most. While Vinnie's story is very interesting, it is nowhere near as interesting as that of the Son of Sam. There are many scenes involving Berkowitz that, while powerful, distract from the main story. Speaking of which, Vinnie's problems are twofold. First, he can't stop cheating on his wife, played by Mira Sorvino. Second, his best friend and he have grown apart and some in the neighborhood think the friend is the killer. Not a bad plot, but Lee can't seem to narrow his focus. He crowds too many side stories into the movie, diluting its powerful main story. As an aside, Mira Sorvino once again portrays a good woman put upon by those she loves -- Sound familiar? Sorvino is a very good actress, but I am sick of her playing the same character in every movie. She should try playing a villain or, at the very least, someone a bit bitchier. In the end, this movie was compelling, but not satisfying. Lee has shown a talent for interesting characters and situations, but he has rarely been able to deliver a good movie. In his case, the parts always seem better than their sum.
Rating: Fair
Ratings go like this: Abominable, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Great, and Perfect. As you might guess, most movies are Fair to Good. Very few movies are either Abominable or Perfect. --
Jesse Kopelman - thebruce@paonline.com "It's not worth leaving, until you've worn out your welcome."
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