GOSSIP is the subject of this report slipped out under the noses of the NRG top agents. From the heart of their stronghole our mole Segue Zagnut sent Father Geek his report so that you might view the results.
Father Geek
My name is Segue Zagnut. Tonight I will say enough. NRG has lost another battle. We slid past the man and into a screening Monday night in Pasadena. The movie was 'Gossip'. And in what is becoming a trend, the film was pretty solid until the last five minutes.
But first, the set up: Three eccentric college kids decided to start a ruthless rumor about a well known celibate rich girl that is designed to destroy her image. Once the ball starts rolling the lie distorts out of control and has the unintentional effect of up rooting a very dark secret in one of the three students past. All three deal with the ever-changing plot twists uniquely as each struggles to correct it or cover it up or just play along.
Before I get into my specific beliefs, let me say that somebody screwed up to start with. Not the movie, the screening. Although I think many people liked it, this was not the right audience for it. They recruited 15 to 29 year olds and sold it as a Jawbreaker or Disturbing Behavior in the description on the pass. But the style, the music, the characters fit more in a smart mainstreamed art house vibe then as a dark Varsity Blues. It's more like Fargo (although, even with a better ending, not quite in that league), wicked and clever and aimed at twenty something and up, not down. In fact, it owes an obvious debt to Sallow Grave, a great little film about three roommates going crazy trying to cover up a dead body and a lot of money. However, instead of a dead body and money, it's sex and lies and not quite as good.
There are a few holes and some week dialogue but overall the direction and style are very specific. With the techno soundtrack, it does a good job of allowing you to enter the reality of their world and ignore some unexplained situations. Most of the acting is strong, with Lena Heady who plays the female college student, Jones, the strongest. Edward James Olmos is a close second as a convincing no-shit homicide detective. Unfortunately James Mardsen, who plays the lead student, Derek, is not quite charming enough to completely pull his role off. His character must be both an asshole and likable. Certainly a hard job for any actor and he's good enough to not detract from the movie, but if he had been better it definitely would have added.
This movie is designed to be dark yet charming, funny yet unpleasant and the writer doesn't miss many beats, with many twist totally unexpected yet believable. That is until the end. The ending feels like the writer and the studio played a game of chicken and the studio won. The studio is afraid moviegoers can't take flawed characters with tragic yet just endings. So, instead the studio backs away from an interesting climax and serves up one student for punishment. It comes off preachy and, even worse, makes most of the movie irrelevant because none of the characters learn anything new in the end. Leaving the question why did they do it hanging wide open. The main character's revelation is important and perfect, but we don't find out the penalty. And what of the other two roommates involvement in the wrongs of the movie? They should also receive some form of just results. Instead the film invalidates many of the most interesting plot points that added depth and consequences, by making most of the last half turn out to be a complicated totally unbelievable trap to get the truth. A truth that everyone but the moviegoer already knew. I'll bet the writer has a better ending in mind that tries all the events and characters into a fitting ending and the studio just fears it's too dark. I understand there is another screening of it tomorrow night in Pasadena, possibly with a different ending. What's sad is how close the ending I saw comes to perfect yet ends up missing by so much.
This film doesn't come out until next fall. That gives the studio plenty of time to figure out how to market it to adults AND shoot an ending that makes sense. I hope it happens. But for now, I've said too much. I haven't said enough.
SEGUE ZAGNUT
