shadowflame Reviews

The Gingerbread Man (1998)

Well-made, but thrill-less thriller

[19 August 2001]

The promising first half-hour is let down by the failure to develop the characters and thus waste a great cast. Downey Jnr is a fantastic actor but is given very little to work with, same goes for Hannah, Berenger and Janssen (who seems to have no purpose in the film whatsoever). Davidtz would've been great if her character had grown, but instead all she got to do was mope around for the whole movie. Majority of the bog-standard material here is given to Branagh, and although he is by no means poor, he just does not get the viewer involved in his battle.

The direction, for me, was the film's only virtue. Altman creates a wonderfully dark and intriguing atmosphere, it's just a shame neither the story nor the undercooked characters are equally dark and intriguing.

With more complex characters, more of Downey Jnr and Jansenn, and more explosive dialogue, I could've easily overlooked and forgiven the silly plot turns and contrivances, but sadly they stick out like a sore thumb.

Disappointing sub-noir thriller. 4/10

Scream (1996)

Slasher done right

[9/10 · 9 April 2001]

Scream is not an excellent film. It's a good film, and an excellent slasher. It stands above every other film in the genre for several reasons.

Firstly, it doesn't take itself seriously. It has a good humour and the irony is not as overdone or as irritating as some people claim. It stops the audience from grumbling about the unlikeliness of it all, and so shields criticism in that sense.

Scream also has characters that you actually care if they die or not. Although, from the offset, its quite easy to tell who'll die and who won't, it still works. Thankfully, the cast do justice to the characters their given.

Neve Campbell is fine in the 'scream queen' role, but it is the more minor characters that are played best. David Arquette is good as dopey Dewey, Matthew Lillard's overacting suits Stu, Courteney Cox and Jamie Kennedy are ideally cast, while Rose McGowan is impressive as the gutsy best friend.

Scream is also well directed by Craven, with well-timed shocks and some excellent set-pieces.

Williamson's script is what makes Scream special, but although it looked like a new talent had been spotted, with the cash-in that was I Know What You Did Last Summer, it seems that he's a one-note writer with little imagination.

But Scream, although it's tarnished by the inferior sequels and the floods of truly awful imitations (Urban Legend et al), remains an example of how slashers should be done - more than just an excuse to cut up busty teens, it's a smart and funny film.

9/10