The Life of David Gale

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven, Rhona Mitra
Directed by: Alan Parker
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A reporter (Kate Winslet) interviews a man on death row who spent his life advocating for the abolishment of the death penalty. With only three days until his execution, she begins to suspect he may be innocent.

Review:

Tim: I thoroughly enjoyed The Life of David Gale. I know critical opinion of the film was mixed, but count me in the group that voted thumbs up. The movie is an adult, serious film about mature themes. It features a very strong cast, and tells a powerful story. It also has some great bits of mystery in it, keeping the audience guessing until the final scene.

The story is pretty interesting, and the mystery elements add to it. A man is on death row, but ironically, he's one of the biggest proponents of abolishing the death penalty. He is accused of rape and murder, but there are concerns that his lawyer completely botched much of the appeals. While his story seems somewhat clear cut when the film starts, the more we get into it, the more complex and complicated we find it to be. The twists and turns keep coming, and all the while, we are wondering- is he innocent or is he guilty? Or, is it far more complicated than we imagined? The mystery propels the film forward and keeps our interest.

The cast is quite good. I love Kevin Spacey and enjoyed him here, as the titular David Gale. He is a hard man to figure out. He's a devoted father, but cheated on his wife. He doesn't believe in the death penalty because he thinks it's immoral, but he is accused of rape and murder. He is brilliant, but an alcoholic. He's a pretty fascinating character and Spacey does a good job bringing him to life. Now, that's not to say Spacey is excellent in the role. This isn't one of his most memorable characters, but definitely a solid one. He doesn't really go all out in the role, but plays him somewhat quiet and reserved.

Kate Winslet is also fairly good, but not quite great. She is the main character with whom we identify, as we see the events of the film through her eyes. Winslet is such an excellent actress, so of course, she's good here. However, I also believe this is not one of her most memorable roles. Yes, she gives a solid performance, but I didn't love her in the film. It's good, but it is not great. Laura Linney is surprisingly ineffective in the film. Linney is almost always terrific, but I felt like she was underutilized in the film. Her performance is surprisingly mundane and forgettable. I felt like this was the theme for the entire film- you have terrific actors, but none give performances worthy of their talent.

The story is told very effectively. This is a drama that gives us a number of twists and turns, which keeps the audience guessing. I was truly engaged in the story and the mystery. I really wondered what the truth was, and when we'd figure it out. The film keeps us in a constant state of suspense.

Now, I do want to talk a bit about the ending. I'm trying to be careful not to give away any spoilers. The truth about the situation is surprising- shocking even. I loved the unexpected twist and the big reveal. However, the film isn't done there- when we finally understand the truth, there's still quite a lot of movie left. The movie actually features (spoilerish warning!) a second twist right at the end of the movie. This was actually not needed at all. The second big twist actually felt a bit forced and really pushed the limits of what I would have believed. It felt like the movie wanted to surprise the audience one more time, and wasn't concerned about whether it made logical sense to the story. This does hurt the film's credibility, right at the end.

In summary, I really did enjoy The Life of David Gale. It's a competently directed, mature drama/thriller. It's a memorable film, and features a likable cast. Unfortunately, a few flaws and the lack of a terrific performance hurt the movie and prevent it from its full potential. Still, this is a very good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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