Rating: * * out of * * * *
Rated R for strong language, violence, some sexuality and drug content.
Running Time: 92 minutes
Starring: Matthew Lillaird, Keri Russell, Michael Vartan, Randall Bartikoff, Dana Delaney.
In 1998 a movie was made that was promised theatrical release. That movie was 'The Curve' it was however never released in theatres like it was promised, and I see why. 'The Curve' is a movie that was well-written and directed by Dan Rosen who also wrote the clever 'The Last Supper. The cast was well assembled with lots of talent. Matthew Lillaird who was annoying but funny in 1996's classic 'Scream', Keri Russell who plays in TV's popular 'Felicity' are all good in a film that is so wrapped up in it's plot it forgets to include us in having fun, and takes itself way to seriously.
Matthew Lillaird and Michael Vartan play college roomates Tim and Chris, whose friend Ran (Randall Bartikoff) girlfriend found out she was pregnant, not taking it too well he gets drunk and fights with his roomates. A new law has come out that in the US if your roomate commits suicide than you get a perfect 4.0 grade average for having to go through the whole 'trauma'. They do so, but when they learn some surprising things about Ran's death Chris doesn't know who to trust or who to turn to. The ending finale has about 25 twists all rolled into one, that pretty much saves the film from being a washout.
The film had many flaw in it, including it's plot. It was completely unbelieveable and the previews I saw for this, they made it look like a horror movie or even a thriller. It's not in any way intense or scary, mysterious and overly dramatic it is. What got me the most was the final 5 twists in a row, that you had to keep up with or you were lost. Some didn't like the ending which I can see, one twist is good, 2 twists is fine but 5 in a row is annoying.
The acting was incredibly above normal, Keri Russell gives the best performance as Chris's girlfriend, Matthew Lillaird gives a good performance too as does Michael Vartan. Dana Delaney who plays the college's counselor who learns a few surprising things about everyone. The movie does prove a good point as in Who Can You Trust? Because everyone in this movie is not whom they seem at first, by the end it's like your watching a totally different movie. At 92 minutes the film does seem to go on and on and on, but finally starts to speed up towards the end.
So if your in for a fun time at the movies, 'The Curve' is there, but only if there is nothing else. The final twists and the acting keep it afloat, it's sometimes clever and sometimes boring, sometimes good and sometimes bad. A misleading movie to which it is not a horror flick. 'The Curve' is not a bad movie however it's not all that great either. Reviewed By Brandon Herring October 2, 1999. Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html
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