Spent . Austin Chronicle . 03-29-99

Spent

DIRECTED BY: Jr. Gil Cates

REVIEWED: 03-29-99

In Gil Cates Jr.'s exploration of consumption and denial, Max Kaplan is a compulsive gambler, a reasonably rational fellow who nonetheless can neither alter nor afford his extravagant betting habits. This causes tension with his girlfriend, herself in the grips of a (woefully unconvincing) alcohol problem, and his roommate, a reserved and accommodating fellow internally seething with repressed sexuality. Cates deserves points for attempting to strike at the heart of these profound problems, but he's merely shadowboxing, and a superficial performance by Dazed and Confused's Jason London as the man behaving badly doesn't help. Presumably, these characters are so mired in denial that it destroys them, and yet we never sense the urgency of that situation, and therefore, the tragic climax rings false. A comic sideplot involving Max's two best friends and a woman with huge nipples doesn't help anything. The film's predictable resolution, which attempts to find some hope in the situation, can't make much of an impression at all; by that time, our patience is spent.

--Sarah Hepola

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