Dan on DVD - "To Die For"

(Note: Since most of my movie viewing is done through the magic of digital media I thought I'd drop up a review from time to time of a DVD I've recently throw in the player. Hope it works for y'all. Dan.)

To Die For

Released: 1995
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Dillon, Alison Folland

This is the movie that changed my opinion of Nicole Kidman. Before this film I thought Kidman was just more Hollywood phluff that would be long gone once the novelty of the cheek bones and the red hair wore off. Ten minutes into this flick and I knew that she was for real. She took home a Golden Globe for this part and I think it was a crime that she didn't get an Oscar nomination too. I guess Days of Thunder was just too fresh in people's minds back then. I think her work in this film is matched only by her roles in The Hours and Birth. It's definitely one of her best.

Here Kidman plays Suzanne Maretto - the world's all-time grand champion female narcissist. Suzanne's so self-absorbed and manipulative that she schedules her honeymoon with young hubby Larry (Matt Dillon) to coincide with a television convention where she hopes to find fame as a network news anchor. Suzanne's got the looks, the drive and cute little dog she needs to make her a star. Her only problem is that to be successful as a narcissist you have to have enough brains to pull off your lies. In this respect Suzanne's clearly lacking. She's bright enough to manipulate those less intelligent than her but not smart enough to realize that most people can see right through her schemes. The result is an arrogant, ruthless and yet clueless psychopath who's just capable enough to be destructive of everyone she touches. In the end she becomes so self-confident and preoccupied with her grandiose self image that she willingly participates in her own doom.

Kidman plays this part so perfectly that even psychiatrists would be fooled. She switches from cold-hearted puppeteer to carefree seductress in the blink of an eye. You really need to despise Suzanne for what she is and Kidman makes sure you do. At the same time she plays the part in a way that's so fascinating that you can't wait to see what Suzanne's cooking up next. It would be easy for you to just hate Suzanne and give up on the character half way through the film. Kidman keeps you coming back for more. Suzanne is as creepy, dangerous and irresistible as Hannibal Lecter. I think Kidman nails her as well as Hopkins did the good doctor.

Also excellent are the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Alison Folland as Suzanne's naive minions. Phoenix in particular stands out opposite Kidman as the not-too-bright teenage loser that Suzanne molds to her scheme through sex and psychology. They say it's hard to play a character that's not as smart as you are. If that's true then Phoenix should have taken home an award or two himself.

The rest of the movie is flushed out with strong performances from the likes of Illeana Douglas, Dan Hedaya and Kurtwood Smith. I thought Matt Dillon was somewhat miscast as Suzanne's tragically infatuated husband, but I honestly can't think of someone who would have been better. I guess some parts just can't be properly filled. The only disappointment for me was a short cameo from writer Buck Henry who pulled a Quentin Tarantino and seriously overreached in a minor part he wrote for himself.

The story is tight and Van Sant does wonders with a disjointed timeline that keeps jumping back and forth over several years. The editing keeps the story rooted and you never lose your place even as you hop from the beginning to end of the storyline in a single cut. Less interesting is the cinematography which I found a little plain-jane. There's some brilliant camera work in a few scenes but art film this is not. It's a lot slicker looking than Drug Store Cowboy and you can see that Van Sant came a long way between that film and this one. Even so, the characters stand out so much that you don't really notice the background until the third or fourth viewing anyway.

People talk about this movie as an indictment of America's cult of fame. I like it better as a character study of how one mildly disturbed individual can explode inside the lives of so many others. I think it's better as pure fiction than as social commentary. Your mileage may vary. Either way it's a keeper. Highly recommended for the DVD shelf.

Dan's Disc Rating: 8.5 outta 10

Cheers,
Dan.