Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil


Starring: John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, Jack Thompson, Jude Law, Irma P. Hall
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Crime
1997

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A wealthy man (Kevin Spacey) is charged with murdering his friend (Jude Law), which whom he may have been having a homosexual relationship with. This causes quite a stir in elitist Savannah, and a magazine reporter (John Cusack) sticks around to cover the story.

Review:

Tim: This is a somewhat strange movie. It's appeal comes from the fact that it is unlike most films that you see. The story is told slowly, in rich detail, and is surprisingly good at sucking you into the story. This seems like the type of film that would be this powerful drama. While the foundation is laid in this matter, ultimately, the movie goes off and diverges from what we'd expect.

John Cusack works well in the movie. This is definitely his type of role, even if it isn't quite his type of movie. He is enjoyable to watch. He also works extremely well with Kevin Spacey. Spacey is also good as always, although he too feels a little out of place. Perhaps this is one of the most interesting aspects of Clint Eastwood's direction- we are never quite comfortable with the characters or the story. While watching this movie, we think we are understanding it well, although we're a bit uneasy. The movie moves in such ways that it never lets us get comfortable. This is an interesting viewing experience, and a big reason why this film deserves to be in a category by itself.

The supporting cast is decent, but doesn't do much of anything special, except for the performance of Chablis Deveau as Lady Chablis. He... uh, she, is truly somethign to behold. "She" and Cusack interact in some absolutely hilarious dialogue exchanes, and these scenes somehow become the most enjoyable of the film.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is an interesting example of filmmaking. It really shows the Savannah culture, and takes you away to a place that seems completely surreal, including a handful of eccentric characters. The movie is one that deserves to be seen, so enjoy yourself.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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