Demolition Man...
Added 2/11/2009
Edmond Burke (William H. Macy) is not where he belongs. He is a typical drone in a typical corporate hive. One day, Edmond simply walks away from all ties- his job, his marriage, his life. Edmond takes a trip through the "bad" part of town, in an attempt to find some meaning, direction, or just plain excitement. Instead, he discovers only his own latent insanities and prejudices. Edmond is a little man lost in a big world, using bigotry and hatred in order to feel larger. He wanders from one misadventure to the next, neither receiving satisfaction nor gaining any real insight. This is the ultimate mid-life crisis. Edmond releases the ugly, pent-up beast that has been incarcerated behind his respectable life. He sees this as true freedom, only to find that it leads to total self-destruction and his final confinement. We are taken along w/ Edmond as he mentally disintegrates and takes out his life-long frustrations on both the deserving and the undeserving. Stuart Gordon (From Beyond, Re-animator, Castle Freak, Dagon) seems an odd choice to direct this film, but in the end, it IS a horror movie of a sort. EDMOND is a tale of inner turmoil and terror unleashed. This is a man in free-fall mode, and we get to follow him all the way to the bottom...
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The Fool's Journey
Added 12/2/2008
Q. Is this movie monstrous? A. Yes. Q. Does it lead somewhere? A. Yes, if you pay attention. Q. Is it sexy? A. Only if you are mentally derranged and sexually twisted.
I consider "Edmond" a parable about a man seeking his true identity. In the beginning a fortune teller shuffles her tarot cards and informs him that he's not where he belongs. By the end of the film Edmond discovers where he DOES belong - hint... its not in society. William Macey is incredible at playing "The Fool" as he leads us down the dark alleys of Mamet's fool's journey. Edmond goes through a real transformation at the end. Of course, what he discovers is not what most people would consider enlightenment or what Hollywood would consider a happy ending. Lets just say that Edmond is more suited to the contemplative life. We all struggle to find our place in the world. You've got to at least give Edmond credit for trying.
I found this film more than provocative - and it definitely made me think.
Q. Is it a film that some people may interpret the wrong way? A. Yes
Q. Is it fun-entertainment? A. It depends what your definition of fun is.
Q. Is it for everyone A. No.
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I sat in disbelief as I watched this film. Macy has proven such a
fine actor in so many other films, but was completely wrong for
this part. His delivery was totally flat and unconvincing. He just
wasn't right for the character. As for the ending, it couldn't have
been any less ironic or ridiculous. No subtlty or believability
whatsoever. For movies addressing the same subject matter, see
Taxi Driver, Falling Down, and Fight Club. They are better movies
and the actors do a much better job at fulfilling their respective
roles.
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Terrible movie
Added 6/17/2008
I watched this movie recently and was looking around to see if there were any decent arguments about how this is in any way a movie worth watching. So far I have not found any. On positive reviews I see comments about how the movie is "dark". If you want to see a "dark" movie go see something else. About a third to halfway through the film this thing goes totally off the rails and becomes an incoherent mess. This movie is terribly written and the main character's actions are totally unconvincing. And to those that say he's mentally imbalanced that may be true but his behavior at the beginning and ending of the movie make no sense to his behavior through the rest of it because the script and the acting do not allow the audience to understand his motivations. Bottom line, this movie is totally absurd. It's not "dark", it's terrible.
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Mamet's Nightmarish Film About the Human Condition is Disturbing and Unsatisfying
Added 1/12/2008
Seeing this film in the video rental store, I had high expectations. A David Mamet "sexy thriller" starring William H. Macy; what could be bad? Unfortunately, the film is neither sexy nor thrilling, and does not rise to the level of Mamet's other works. But it does succeed in being both interesting and disturbing.
Macy gives a frenzied performance as Edmond, a middle-aged white professional who descends into madness as his life careens out of control. We witness Edmond as he reacts against all the horrible things he sees in the world: greed, lawlessness, cruelty, violence, loneliness, and ultimately the emptiness and meaninglessness of his life. It's reminiscent of DeNiro in "Taxi Driver" and Michael Douglas in "Falling Down", both of which are better films.
The problem with "Edmond" is that we don't connect with or care enough about the main character. We don't feel his pain, and so we can't understand his actions. There are some satisfying scenes where Edmond righteously defends against the prostitutes, muggers and other lowlifes in his path. But just as we start to feel we understand him, Edmond lashes out violently against seemingly innocent victims. It's as if the filmmakers couldn't decide between making a thoughtful drama or a slasher horror flick, and so combined elements of both.
There are flashes of Mamet's trademark sparse snappy dialog which are almost poetic. But whenever Edmond tries to say something meaningful about his philosophy, it just comes across as the rantings of a psychopath. This is a serious weakness of the film. You can't have the main character acting crazy and then expect us to take anything he says seriously.
Overall, the film has a nightmarish quality to it that is captivating. All the action takes place at night at seedy locales. And while any given scene unfolds in a logical manner, taken as a whole, the plot makes no sense. LIke most nightmares, we get caught up as the story unfolds, shocking and unnerving us. I suppose Edmond's living nightmare brings consciousness to some dark areas of our psyches that are disturbing to see. In any case, like other nightmares, I was glad when this film was over.
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