Thursday, February 20, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Film: Life of David Gale is a death march

By Mike Prevatt

It goes without saying that having Kevin Spacey in your film is no longer enough to convince people to see it. After American Beauty, in which he rightfully won his second Academy Award (Best Actor), Spacey has starred in more mainstream-oriented (re: less risky) pictures, and they've been nothing but dogs, from K-Pax to Pay It Forward. That trend continues with The Life of David Gale, another exasperating Spacey vehicle that panders to a wider audience and loses its soul in the process.

It's not all his fault. Weighed down by a transparent script that spells everything out, an unenlightening approach to the issue of capital punishment, a wrought musical score that apes Samuel Barber's ubiquitous "Adagio for Strings" and a train wreck of a performance by Kate Winslet (Titanic), David Gale is instantly forgettable. Its emotionalism misfires, its intellectualism feels out of place and its sense of urgency is the most contrived part of the film.

The death penalty is not an easy film topic, a few resonant exceptions aside (Dead Man Walking, Dancer in the Dark, The Green Mile). Here, the tragedy of David Gale--a professor and anti-capital punishment advocate, sentenced to die for the killing of his fellow activist, Constance Harraway (Laura Linney)--is manipulated by the dual irony that he stands to become a victim of the struggle he fought so hard against, as well as dying for a crime he may not have committed. The only person trying to prevent this is a journalist, Bitsey Bloom (Winslet), with the evidence that might turn things around if she's quick enough.

Winslet's performance borders on ridiculousness. Her hammy feminism and self-righteousness do no favors for her character's integrity, and her no-nonsense faãade is a con; it's as if she's trying to channel Jodie Foster.

As for Spacey, his overblown emotionalism seems to scream "for your consideration." Lost is the powerful subtlety and control of his earlier roles; now, he seems to prefer ham-fisted schmaltz. Maybe David Gale will be successful enough for him to once again be picky about the projects he chooses.