Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Life of David Gale

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 03-02-2003, 03:30 PM:

Saw it at Regal(formerly UA) Perimeter Pointe, Atlanta, GA.
The presentation was bad. I do give them points for showing it in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1. But they lose points because the adjustable masking was broken , so there was this empty space on top of the screen as the picture was projected at the bottom of the 1.85 screen. It looked very amateurish. The sound lacked richness. I understand that a movie like this won't have many surround effects, but still, the movie sounded a little tinny like you were watching on your tv.

The MOVIE(SPOILERS abound):
The movie is entertaining with solid performances by Spacey and Linney, but here are some spoilers, so do not read on.

I just hated the viewpoints. First of all, I am pro death penalty. However, I do believe that there is no harm in improving the appeals process without having to sacrifice efficiency. It's after all a man's life at stake. So I had problem with scenes where Laura Linney cries when the lady who killed a cop was executed. Why not show some sorrow for her victim too. I mean, feel bad if you want, but don't expend all your energy on her.

But the major problem I have with , even if from an objective view is this: They really did not prove the fallacy of the death penalty at the end. They show Kevin Spacey at the end looking at the camera. He was in on his own fate. Even if the system got better, there would no way for the system to find out the truth because they had it planned so carefully. And the manner in which they achieve their goals just makes you sick of the whole group at the end. So I don't know what the movie was trying to say? Were they just presenting a whodunit? Were they trying to make a point about how even a well intentioned group can go too far? Or were they trying to make a statement on the death penalty?

Besides, when the politician asks Kevin Spacey at the beginning to name one wrongly executed murderer, he could not name one. Maybe we would have felt more empathy for their cause if these guys spent more time looking for wrongly charged defendants.

QUESTION: So was Kevin Spacey's wife a bitch or just reasonably fed up with Spacey? You do not even know what to feel when she makes a lot of money at the end even if she weren't in on the plan. I know the money was for his kid. But wasn't she rich in Spain already? Why would she not even allow him to talk to his kid on the phone? I left this movie hating pretty much every character in the movie including the normally good Winslet's over the top acting at the end. Her hyperventilating and crying in a few scenes in the last half hour just hit me as fake and cinematic. I felt like smacking her on the head and to get on with her job of doing the research.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-14-2003, 09:49 AM:

Not exactly a spectacular movie. Kate Winslet is always enjoyable to look at. She was really overacting in this flick, though, with the constant trembly-lip thing going on. Really lessened the impact it was supposed to have since it happened so often it seemed.

Also, this movie was shot on Fuji stock. Maybe that's why it isn't raking the audiences in. Hmmmmm......

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 03-21-2003, 03:10 PM:

That reminds me of a question I have:

Where did the money come from?

At one point in the movie Kate and the intern guy suddenly appear with a silver briefcase full of money and I didn't understand where it came from at all.

Posted by Tom Wienholt (Member # 1510) on 03-21-2003, 04:13 PM:

I thought that The Life of David Gale sucked. Honestly, it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Kate Winslet was definately over-acting. She was horrible. Also, the cowboy character that drove the pick up truck was just lame. Also, what was with that party at the begining of the movie where a bunch of college professors and students were hanging out? That never happens. This movie was weak. I would not recommend it.

Posted by Jacob Huber (Member # 1138) on 03-22-2003, 02:11 AM:

I still have that question, Micheal. For the life of my I can't think of where that money came from. One second they didn't have $500K, and the next they did.