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Directed by Paul Schrader
Bob Crane: A day without sex…
John Carpenter: …is a day wasted!
A well-made, well-shot biopic. But, unfortunately, it suffers the flaws of so many biopics in that it tends to be too episodic and much of the supporting cast seem to be used as little more than props in hitting the standard plot points of the flawed protagonist’s downfall. There’s the love interest that doesn’t understand and eventually turns against the main character. The second love interest that, at first, seems to understand him, but finally can’t put up with him anymore. The colleague that urges him to clean up his act, but does little to actively help. Only Willem Dafoe, as the facilitator of our hero’s demise, seems to have much depth, and even that is mostly owing to his sheer force of will and incredible talent. Dafoe and Greg Kinnear both give excellent performances and, ultimately, carry the film.
[IMDb]