Flicks: The Life of David Gale

The Life of David Gale * out of 5



Disclaimer: Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors and I’m a sucker for his movies. Thankfully, he does me a favor and keeps the Kapax’s down to a minimum. That being said, this film didn’t quite live up to the hype.



Strike 1: The initial scene, which depicts the “end” of the film adds nothing to the narrative and seemed gimmicky.


Strike 2: The twisting, flashing transition sequences reminded me of the intro: a stylistic choice that adds nothing to the narrative. The flashing words (taken the chalkboard in his classroom and other sources) reminded me of the cut-scenes from Seven to the point that I swear I saw gluttoney in there somewhere.


Strike 3:The “surprise” twist that I hope did not surprise anyone.



As scathing as this seems, I’m glad I saw the movie and would encourage other people to see it (for no more than $5). The performances were excellent and the backdrop of the capital punishment debate was an interesting dimension to experience.