SYNOPSIS: Barkley Michaelson is in a deep life rut. He's struggling to finish his PHD thesis when his father, the learned Eli Michaelson, wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Barkley and his mother, Sarah, a renowned forensic psychiatrist, now have the ill-fortune of living with a man-eating monster whose philandering ways have gotten less and less discreet. As if Barkley's world is not bad enough, on the eve of his father receiving the Nobel, Barkley is kidnapped and the end requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel prize money. Needless to say, Eli refuses to pay it and so starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. In the words of Michel de Montaigne, the 16th century philosopher: "There is more barbarity in eating a man alive than in eating him dead."

REVIEW: This movie is in your face violence, sex, tactlessness, infidelity, and dry, sarcastic wit. What a treat! It is sick, twisted, and cruel with a touch of philosophical and intellectual. Oh yeah, it’s also kind of funny too. The sound is loud and so is the story along with the performances. This will either keep you going or completely annoy you; there is very little grey area here. The sound in the form of music is pretty good and intense too, especially if you like upbeat techno type stuff. It kept pace with the storyline. The cast is eye-opening as well as the roles they play and how they played them. Everywhere you turn there is a worthy and recognizable talent. Starting with Alan Rickman as Eli Michaelson, he masterfully plays a self-absorbed professor and chemist whose arrogance grows exponentially after winning the Nobel Prize. It is almost as if no one else fits in the same room with him. Alan was very well cast for this role. Bryan Greenberg plays Barkley, Eli’s disgruntled and (in his eyes) underachieving son. Last I saw Bryan was in Prime with Uma and Meryl and he was good in that one so I could expect a good job out of him here and he delivered. Mary Steenburgen never disappoints and she plays Sarah, Eli’s wife and Barkley’s mother. She stands by her man, as much as possible, but in no way is she dependent on him. She is just as much a brainiac as her Nobel Prize winning husband. I’ve seen Shawn Hatosy play some cold characters but I think this one took the top position. His role will give you chills. Last on my list of mentionables is, of course, Eliza Dushku who plays City Hall . . . yes, she goes by the name City Hall. You will see a side of her that at least I have never seen before, in more ways than one. She is seductive and crazy, penetrating and obsessed. I was somewhat surprised by her being cast in this film which could be considered out of her zone, but she pulled it off.

This film has the S.S.D.D. characteristic. No, not what you’re thinking, it has a sharp script and direct dialogue. There is no beating around the bush or over dramatic monologues in this picture. Like the soundtrack, the script also kept pace with the intensity of the story, and what a story it is. Probably what impressed me the most was the plot of this film. It’s got enough twists and turns to make a Grand Prix race track jealous. There are elaborate schemes and plenty of back-stabbing and double-crossing. Good stuff. Director Randall Miller has done a lot of TV work and low key movies. Could this be his breakout direction? I will tell you that if you decide to see this movie, there is a good chance you will be pleasantly surprised.  

Review By Cine Marcos 
cinemarcos@smartcine.com

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