Pound, Pound, Pound, Mr. De Palma

Rating: 5/10 (20 June 2008)

I know this film has quite a following, but I found it to be fairly ridiculous. In typical fashion, Brian De Palma pounds away at the viewer, music, sound and performances amped up to deafening levels, and he directs with hammer and anvil obviousness. I'm sure he thought he was being immensely clever to pay homage to the Odessa steps sequence from "The Battleship Potemkin" in the climactic set piece that takes place on the staircase (imperiled baby carriage and all), but it comes across as cheesy. De Palma and Oliver Stone must have gone to the same school of film-making, because neither of them gives his audience an ounce of credit for being able to think for itself.
Grade: C