Abusing
the technique of style over substance, director Jonas Akerlund crafts an intense
drug-induced cinematic experience with his debut film, the visually assaulting Spun.
Combining crude images with way over- the-top editing effects, Spun
leaves audience members no choice but to squirm in their seats like trapped
worms. And squirm they shall, be it from actress Mena Suvari’s decayed teeth
or extreme close-ups of needles poking human flesh.
By
utilizing nearly every camera trick available in the cinematic toolbox, the film
qualifies as one of the most extreme stylistic efforts of all time. Imagine the
repeated drug-montages of Requiem for a Dream made into a feature; then
add one-thousand volts of electricity and you should get a basic idea of how Spun
plays. The trippy sound bites, heard whenever a character sniffs a line of speed
(which, in this film, is quite often), and the hyper-kinetic camerawork make up
over half of Akerlund’s vision.
The
film’s premise is simple enough: three chaotic days in the life of a
methamphetamine abuser. That abuser is Ross (Jason Schwartzman), a tweaking
slacker who drives around L.A. in his rusty Volvo looking to get spun. Thanks to
fellow speed-fiend Nikki (Brittany Murphy), Ross is introduced to her boyfriend,
The Cook (Mickey Rourke, suited in vintage cowboy attire). Cook is a speed
manufacturer who bakes the batches of dope in his seedy motel room and passes
the goods along to his peddlers, chief among them being Spider Mike (John
Leguizamo). Needless to say, the drug-lord takes a liking to Ross (well, he
takes a liking to Ross’ Volvo) and gives the kid errands to run in exchange
for free dope.
Every
notable character in Spun is
hooked on methamphetamine. Even two badass undercover narcotic agents (played by
Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette) sniff lines before making a bust. So since
most of the film intentionally resembles a nightmarish MTV cartoon, devoid of
any moral conscience, it’s obvious that Akerlund uses his arsenal of
camera-tricks to emphasize on the amount of deranged fun the viewers should
experience if they see past his film’s shallowness. And that is a pretty
admirable quality.
Equally
commendable is how writers Creighton Vero and Will De Los Santos (who based the
film on his personal experiences with speed), tap into an addict’s coked-out
frame of mind and type what sounds like such authentic dialogue, the
star-studded cast not only look like addicts, but sound like addicts. The edgy
paranoia, the skewed sense of priorities…it’s all in the screenplay.
For
cameos-galore, this is the film to see. Besides a quickie from Ron Jeremy, there
are Debby Harry and Eric Roberts in some of Spun’s funniest scenes.
Roberts’ short part in particular had me laughing until my stomach ached. For
performances-galore, this is the film to see. Everyone from Patrick Fugit to
Mickey Rourke, who delivers an applause-worthy speech about how precious a
woman's vagina is, are at the top of their game. For a coherent narrative and
sensible plot, avoid the film at all costs.
Click Here for Movie Navigator's interview with actors Jason Schwartzman and Mena Suvari.
-Copyright
2003 by Shaun Sages