 |
Film Clips
MAY 18, 1998:
 DEEP CRIMSON. From director Arturo Ripstein comes this
remake of the '70s cult film The Honeymoon Killers, itself
based on a true story. At first, Deep Crimson seems to
be a black comedy in the spirit of Pedro Almodovar: Nicolas, a
vain, weasely thief who preys on lonely women, is caught by the
fat, dangerously manic-depressive Coral, and -- for reasons completely
pathetic -- they fall in love. She offers to help him swindle widows,
and in a whirlwind series of developments that would do any soap
opera (or parody thereof) proud, they plot a victim-by-victim
tour through the 1940s Mexican countryside. But the movie turns
horribly grim when Coral, overcome by jealousy, keeps killing
the women Nicolas is trying to seduce -- over, and over, and over.
By film's end, they've even offed someone's daughter. Some may applaud
Deep Crimson because it never romanticizes its characters,
but so what? We already know how loathsome these people are, and
the film's matter-of-fact storytelling offers nothing beyond that.
Three cheers for swift Mexican justice, though. --Woodruff
SUICIDE KINGS. Five cute boys, none of whom are named "Skeet"
or "Ethan," kidnap a mob boss in order to save one of
the boy's sister from some other kidnappers. The mob boss is played
against type by Christopher Walken, who has never played a mob
boss before, not even in King of New York or Last Man
Standing or True Romance. This film starts out with
a little style and humor, but quickly loses steam until it's reduced
to a pointless and boring series of flashbacks and speeches. Best
to wait for the video, and then not rent it. --DiGiovanna
|
|
