And the next

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2000)

Just after you thought Hollywood couldn't sink any lower after giving Silence of the lambs the film of the year oscar they come up with this. Old style hollywood films weren't necessarily realistic but they did suggest life might be worth enjoying. The ludicrous and wildly inappropriate rock video titles and end titles tell you all you need to know about the hypocrisy behind this film. Despite the fact that the film critiques apathy it chooses the done to death subject of serial murder. Yawn. Even the excitingly shot chase in the middle rips off Blade Runner. It's all lazy stuff with some philosophical disclaimer tagged on at the end to make us think we've witnessed art rather than the bottom line of making a fast buck. It's meritricious crap. But what about Pitt's ridiculous performance, eh? There's no coherence at all, just some constant and bizarre jerking of the head all the time. The scene where he's chewing the fat with freeman about commitment is particularly gem. Keep still man, do you think if you keep trying to evade the camera we won't notice its you? What's sad is films like these have influenced television drama producers into doing dozens of carbon copy series in the UK. Stuff that used to be banned as video nasties now find pride of place in peak slots. The explicit nature of series such as Cracker, Something Evil and McCallum with their gruesome crime scenes and autopsies defies belief. One such plot had a serial killer despatching women by setting them alight with petrol. Thanks America.