 Spun (2002) As a movie, though, it's incredibly unpleasant to watch. Curiously, anyone who has never tried meth will find it annoying, and anyone who has will simply not want to revisit the experience. Which is not to say it isn't well done. Spun is directed with real flash and acted with absolute commitment. Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) showcases a whole different side here, brilliantly. Brittany Murphy, surprisingly, is outstanding. And in the film's most revealing and humongous coup d'etat, Mickey Rourke returns for the role he was born to play, an emotionally vacant meth "cook" whose seeming immorality masks deep, dark pain. It goes on far too long, with unnecessary subplots involving John Leguizamo and Mena Suvari (the only bum performance in the film), plus a misguided "Cops" satire centering around two meth-fueled cops trying to take down the drug ring depicted. But where it's good, it's real good. It came across to me almost like a commercial for crystal meth, making me simultaneously nostalgic and self-loathing in the process. Cameos by Rob Halford, Ron Jeremy, and Billy Corgan (who also provided most of the soundtrack) are superfluous, as is the stunt-casting of Debbie Harry and Eric Roberts, themselves no strangers to drug use and abuse. It's almost as though the director wanted to pack the film with as much hipster bait as possible, to ensure that college students nationwide would fall into line declaring Spun to be an absolute masterpiece. It isn't, not by a long shot, but it's well worth a look. The temptation to fast-forward through the second half is strong, as it barrels toward the inevitable crash. Paced just like a meth high, it bottoms out fiercely, but beautifully.
Review by Mason Bray |