Tödliche Gerüchte

'Gossip' requires a large suspension of disbelief. It's one of those "It could only work in the movies" things. If that bothers you then this probably isn't the one for you. If you are able to accept those types of scenarios in films however, you might just have a fun time with this one.

This movie has a real late 90s/early 2000s vibe about it. Back then these films were a dime a dozen and they were often quite good. 'Cruel Intentions' and 'Wild Things' were some of the best to come out of that time, but then only a few steps back were films like 'Gossip', that were still very good, but that missing that edge to make them memorable.

I liked this one though. It was only 90 minutes so it never outstayed its welcome. Its characters were either likeable or interesting. The dialogue was quite thoughtful for the most part. And the ending was.... quite something. This isn't must-see material but it's worth a look. 7/10.

My boyfriend and I have been on this wave the last week, just rewatching or watching 90s/early 2000s horrors and thrillers, and this one landed on our list.

It's important going into these movies not expecting today's standards and accepting them for what they are. With that in mind the movies are so enjoyable, and this was no exception.

The film had an interesting and dark enough premise, and althought it is a little all over the place in terms of storytelling and there's very little character delevopment, it's a good romp and kept me guessing. I also highly enjoyed the ending, so I would recommend it for a fun time where you don't need a 2 hour long 8. something rating on IMDB.

Oh, and this is an early 2000 galore fest, which I highly enjoyed.

This is one of the rare current films which takes the trouble to combine good acting and an interesting plot with excellent filming and directing. The viewer is left to think about the "harmless" thing called gossip, and about the views and moral codes of today's young generation. It is pleasant to note that the characters are quite realistic. We have all known, in high school and college such "artistic weirdos" as Travis, such hysterical "golden girls" as Naomi, such intellectuals as Kathy Jones, and such successful athletes as Derrick--popular and admired, and yet feared somehow, for the little diabolical flash in their behavior. It is a tribute to the talent and skill of these actors that they inspire belief in the viewer while playing the roles of abstracts. It should be noted particularly that James Marsden, usually an underestimated actor, manages by his skill to inspire sympathy, and in the end, a certain amount of bewildered admiration for his character. One may argue whether lying and manipulation are immoral--but doing both of them well, and professionally, is worthy of respect. To conclude--this is a film that is rare in the genre of youth films, in that it gets the viewer to sit back and think about the life these characters live, and the life which all of us saw firsthand in school and college. The life of gossip, of lies, rumors, reputations . . . a life in which words have power over reality. The Director shows this well, and the talented and skilled actors make us believe in the reality of their characters, their deeds, their emotions, and their thoughts.

I viewed Gossip in a classroom setting with 26 college freshmen as a unit in a class devoted to transition to college. I was pleasantly surprised at the discussion engendered by viewing the film in a classroom setting. The students responded enthusiastically and thoughtfully to the many ethical issues presented. I recommend the film for this purpose.

The first 80 minutes or so of this 90 minute suspense thriller reminded me of some of the earlier films of Brian DePalma. It is nicely shot at an urban university (NYU?), and the colors and angles add to the introduction of the main plot device - an "innocent" rumor started as a group project for a communications arts class. Notice how many right angles and sharp points are present in the party and residential settings. The students felt this contributed to the intended feeling of edginess engendered by the first 20 minutes.

The first 80 minutes are well-conceived and intricately-plotted. The plot reveals itself at an excruciatingly pleasurable pace, and a nice twist is that the character of Derek appears to know no more than we, the audience, do.

The ending is abrupt and somewhat derivative, but, in post-viewing discussion, we were able to identify a number of clues to the ending which the director has sprinkled throughout.

A dark, cine noir feeling to the production results in a film a bit out of step with the 21st century, but one that should be satisfying to fans of the genre.

A vicious rumour is spreading like fire through the university, three journalism students planted the story, hoping to trace how it changes as it burns its path; but what goes around comes around.

With a young and talented cast, including James Marsden, Lena Heady, Norman Reedus and Kate Hudson; Gossip deserves more credit than it seems to have received.

The story is full of twists and is genuinely compelling to watch and easy to relate too; the direction is pretty stylish and achieves the necessary feel for the plot to play out, and the cast all contribute with solid performances.

It's either been overlooked or harshly criticised by far too many people, come on! It's a good thriller. 7/10