ironhorse_iv
While, this movie really seize, what life of fear and alienation was like the summer of 1977, in New York City. It didn't really capture, the 'Son of Sam' expect that well. I get that, director, Spike Lee was facing a lot of negative feedback from the family members of the victims who didn't want a film being made which might glorify the killer in some sorts, but I think the movie would had work better, if the film focus, more on the murders case, than anything else. After all, I was really, hoping for a more insight tone about the way, the detectives and the press, were trying to figure out, who this man is. It would had made a very interesting story, similar to the way, 2007's film, 'Zodiac', told its story. Instead, the film mainly focuses on a group of fictional characters in The Bronx that has little to do with the police investigation. Directed by Spike Lee, the film follows local, hairdresser, Vinny (John Leguizamo) as he slowly unravels, into believing that his best friend, punk-rocker, Richie (Adrien Brody) might be the notorious '.44 Caliber Killer' that been, terrorize, their neighborhood, for weeks now. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I think this film plot would had work, if the movie didn't ruin the mystery, by exposing who the killer is, within the first 20 minutes. I believe, the movie would have work best, if they didn't show, .44 Caliber Killer at all, until the end. It could make the events of the third act, seem somewhat believable, and a lot more tragic, than it originally turn out. After all, the film really could had capture, the prejudices and witch hunts toward anything outside the norms, a lot better than they did. It wasn't ambiguous, enough. Another problem with this film, is how many loud & obnoxious unlikeable stereotypical clichés characters, there were. They had no redeeming qualities at all. Plus, there was way too much, annoying and mean-spirited yelling from these characters, for my taste. It's was really deafening, and somewhat numbing. It's weird to find out, that this film was previously known as the most use of the F-word in a mainstream film, until 2013's 'The Wolf of Wall Street' came out. I never really notice, on my first watch. Maybe, it's because, I was trying to drown out, most of the useless dialogue, with 1970s music. However, after watching it, for a second time, I don't mind, the large profanity levels, since most of it, was used in, a somewhat realistic aggression tone that works with the intense subject matter, but I would love, if they just lower, their volume, a little down, at times. I thought my ears were going to start to bleed. About the sexual content of the film, it wasn't as bad, as people make it out to be. It wasn't very pornography. Yes, one of the opening scenes finds Vinny sodomizing his wife's cousin in the backseat of his car, while another scene finds him, and his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino) going to 'Plato's Retreat', a notorious swinger club, after they are refused entry into Studio 54, but those scenes were somewhat trim down, compare to the explicit original cut. I think, the only reason, why the MPAA threatened the film with an "NC-17" rating, was because of the scenes where a bisexual character was having sex with older men for money. It makes more sense. About the film's drug use, it was indeed somewhat glamorized here, like any other 1970s movie, but at least, the filmmakers were able to show the negative output, of living a life of substance. After all, it may be no coincidence, that Vinny & Ritchie's drug use, cause them, to really distrust each other, leading to a climatic uber violence, encounter. As much, as the real serial killer, plays only a minor role in this two hour and 16 minute film; his scenes repeatedly shooting victims at nearly point-blank range were somewhat graphic and brutal. I just wish, he played, a bigger part in the film, and had more interacts with these characters. Another thing, the delivery of why, he was doing it, was always somewhat laughable. They were could had made, the dream sequence with 'Sam' seem, more menacing than cartoony. Despite that, the acting in this film, was alright for the most part, even if the women character don't really stand out, much. Each person, did what they were supposed to do, even if it was somewhat "demoralizing" to their careers. I also love the little cameo from Spike Lee, here, as well. Another thing, I kinda like, about this film, is Spike Lee was trying to expand beyond his previous black centered stories. It really make him, seem, least than one-trick pony. Overall: the film's direction is a mess. It's a highly repetitive film, full of many filler scenes, only there to make, certain New Yorkers, feel nostalgia for the 1970s. The only good things about the film, had to be, the music, costume design and cinematography; other than that, I really didn't like how this fake fictional story overtakes the whole real-life murder fiasco. I really can't recommended, watching this film.
connorstelle
At the time I watched Summer of Sam, it had an average rating of 6.6/10 on IMDb. For a while, I didn't think much of the movie, as I didn't think it was supposed to be very good. However, after reading Roger Ebert's praising review, I decided to check it out. 2 hours and 20 minutes later, I was amazed. How is this movie not talked about more? This is easily one of Spike Lee's best films, along with Do the Right Thing and 25th Hour. A small detail that tells a lot about what to expect is the film's title. Most people expected a profile of the Son of Sam serial killer. However, the movie is called SUMMER of Sam, which tells what the film is about. It's about the time period and the paranoia that gripped New York during the killings, not the killer himself. There are several scenes showing the killer's life, who is played excellently by underrated actor Michael Baddalucco, but these scenes do not take up the majority of the film. Though he isn't the main character, the film belongs to Adrien Brody as wannabe punk rocker Richie, who is slowly believed to be the Son of Sam by his paranoid friends. His performance is eccentric, dramatic, and just close enough to over-the-top to be believable. The film's best sequence is about halfway through the film, in which Richie rocks out to The Who in his garage, and the scene is dazzlingly intercut with Richie moonlighting as a dancer in a sleazy club and the killer doing his business. I must also give a large applause to the film's top notch editing and soundtrack which play a big part in making the film unique. Despite any negative reviews you've heard, I highly recommend this film for any fan of unique thrillers and Spike Lee's other work.
