Spun

I Love this movie, A lot of people might dismiss it as needless strange or, worse, unnecessary. It is great, because it humanizes drug addicts. it shows that a speed freak is never just a speed freak, but a person with a life in distress. too often people with drug addictions are dismissed as eyesores or vagabonds who deserve harsh treatment, but the movie takes us into their lives. Most Importantly, the characters are not supposed to be heroes, they are just a cross-section of junkie culture. plus, the scenes with the cops are hilarious, and seeing Debbie Harry throw a six-pack at a guy's head and then kick him in the gut was priceless. To review, deals with oft over-looked subject matter in an objective way, some great cameos, imaginative film-making, I give it an A-Plus.

Spun is a wild ride, an ADD movie that seems to say, `If you don't like what's on screen right now, don't worry it'll change in the next ten seconds.' Director Jonas Akerlund, cut his teeth in the frenetic world of music video and it shows. Spun spins out of control from its opening minutes, shooting out images and plot points willy nilly. This makes Snatch look slow by comparison. If you can keep up with the pace, there is something here. Akerlund takes us deep inside the crystal meth culture, and it is an unnerving but hilarious journey. We meet a group of characters tied together by their association with one man, the crystal meth cook. We get a good sense of the lives of these characters, and even like some of them, no matter how addled they are by their addictions. What we see in Spun isn't story driven as much as it simply a slice of life – a dirty, sped up slice of life. Good performances compliment the material, particularly from Mickey Rourke as the Cook, Jason Schwartzman as the likeable speed freak and John Leguizamo who sheds almost all his inhibitions in this role.

Spun is all about methamphetamine addicts and their supplier (the Cook). The film is an incredible mix of humor and desperation showing addicts losing everything to get their fix. All of the characters are at the lowest rung of society whether they realize it or not, but somehow the movie finds humor in a place that most would describe as hell.

Ross (Jason Schwartzman) is a meth addict whose girlfriend has left him. His connection, Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), keeps losing the supplies that he gets from the Cook (Mickey Rourke). Among Spider's usual gang of idiots includes his significant other, the annoying Cookie (Mena Suvari) and Frisbee (Patrick Fugit) who seem to just want to hang around and get high. On one visit, the Cook's girlfriend, Nikki (Brittany Murphy) recruits Ross to take care of the Cook's transportation needs (Ross seems to be the only one of them who owns a car). Frisbee gets busted by the cops and is set up as an informant to get Spider and hopefully someone further up the chain.

The film is what I assume being on meth is like (I've never done it and have no urge to do it), it's fast paced at times, but seems to be intentionally slow at others. The director used quite a few clips of things that already happened, hallucinations and animation to show what is going on. Sometimes directors go overboard with these techniques, but here it really works. You feel like these things are happening in the characters' heads and that they're on a roller-coaster. What really makes this film work is the cast. This is definitely an ensemble. In addition to the actors I already mentioned; Deborah Harry plays Ross' lesbian neighbor, Rob Halford of Judas Priest plays the porn shop clerk, and Billy Corgan plays a doctor. Eric Roberts makes an appearance as the Man (the Cook's boss), and Pete Stormare and Alexis Arquette as a pair of cops who want to bust the meth ring.

I really enjoyed this film, but it is a trip. After watching it, you feel strung out.

This film was great! Many people have compared it to Requiem for a Dream, however I preferred this movie. Requiem accurately depicted drug addiction and how low some people would sink for their next hit. It was a very depressing and powerful movie, not one I would ever want to watch again. You leave the theater feeling extremely drained. Spun is altogether different. The only thing they have in common is their central theme. Spun centers around Ross, the fairly normal speed freak as his addiction takes him farther and farther away from reality.

Initially, I thought the characters were grossly overacted, however as the movie progressed, the opening sequences did not seem as far removed from Ross' world as I had originally thought. It was very interesting to see Ross' character move farther and farther away from reality. It was only a 3-day all-you-can-consume speed trip, however he started off as a normal guy with a drug problem and ended up on Mars, completely detached from reality. I also thought the cartoon sequences were very effective, they accurately demonstrated his impoverished state of mind while he was tripping. The audience got the impression he really was flying in his own world. It was interesting to see the lifestyles of the other people involved in the drug trade, most had been completely dehumanized by their dependence, living in squalor yet completely unaware of their surroundings.

A great film! One that I can watch again for entertainment purposes only, but which also drives home the anti-drug message without being preachy. 8/10

I saw this film at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. Boasting a raft of young talent (Jason Schwartzman, Patrick Fugit, Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy), this is a frantic tale about a group of methamphetamine addicts. Raunchy, disturbing, and often very very funny. The pace does tend to wear out the viewer, though. Since we saw the "unrated" cut, expect the final "R" version to be more manageable in length. Brittany Murphy and John Leguizamo do amazing work here. And the use of sound is quite jarring and effective, too.