Bad

Rating: 4/10 (5 November 2005)

In order for this film to succeed you need to have a cohesive center, an actor whose personality will draw you inside the character's soul, pull you inside the illogical nightmare unfolding in front of him, and somehow leave you wondering about human nature. Instead, we are dealt a pretty sterile number, resembling an MTV video but without the pizzaz that genre usually packs. Sadly, another one of those overrated character actors tries unsuccessfully to anchor the film and falls with a louder thud than the film itself.
Peter Sargaard's smoldering personality and piercing eyes project the sarcasm and irony we know should be the heart of the film. However, he is not the heart or soul of the story. He is relegated to be a part of very talented supporting cast that shines at unexpected times. Jamie Fox gives his scenes the right touch, teasing us into believing this project will eventually catch fire.
Finally, the pastiche is a mess, a soulless attempt to bring the perspective of every man into what happened during this period of our history. One word of advice to those who can still save the business: commanding personality, a great face, and a real star. This film lacks one of those. Otherwise why do we look at the heavens? Louis B. Mayer used to brag about having more stars in his studio than there were in heaven. He knew how to play the game. Hollywood has forgotten what it is like to create a bewitching movie. It becomes enamored of people who are perfectly capable in bit parts and suddenly are being pitched as movie stars. A rhinestone is not a real diamond.