Shadow Hours

When I catch this, one thing is certain: this is Peter Weller's movie. His presence is freaky whether playing Russian Roulette or betting on underground fights. BZAR Getty does all right keeping up but is more of a standout when talking to the other players. The supporting players were good considering what they had to work with. I was shocked to see Brad Dourif look somewhat normal. I will also say I was glad Rebecca Gayheart got some much needed work after that accident that killed that kid. Regarding the writing, aside from some choice one-liners (I've seen stuff that makes Dante's Inferno read like Winnie the Pooh) it's OK at best.

If it's on cable and are an insomniac (like Getty in this film), give a glance.

"Shadow Hours" is a well shot, well acted, impatient B-flick which gets moving quickly and keeps up the momentum throughout. Although the film is a journeyman production at best, it creates a curious mystique by asking more questions than it answers and keeps the audience guessing to the end and beyond. Weller's character is particularly compelling as he mentors a recovering addict, Getty, on life with a series of tours through the decadent underbelly of Los Angeles nightlife. Not for everyone, some will find this film provocative and will be looking forward to better offerings from this auteur in the future.

The devil feeds from your weaknesses and enstills good in temptation. "Shadow Hours" definitely understands this, and shows an interesting Lucifer who dwells in the seedy underworld of Los Angelos.

To say the least, I wasn't blown away by the story's originality, but director Isaac H. Eaton has some brilliant style tricks to keep it fun and intriguing. He is an adroit director working with a mediocre script, and the results are surprisingly good.

Balthazaar Ghetty plays Michael Halloway, a recovering alcoholic who tries to support himself as well as his wife Chloe by working at a seedy gas station on graveyard shift. In this environment, he's bound to see some interesting things. It seems everyone who comes through has exhausted themselves with something...most likely some sort of sin. They are all running on empty as they scurry through the night. There are wonderful sequences where gas meters rise as different things happen, communicating this theme perfectly.

Anyway, he runs into a mugger and a homeless man (who symbolizes his bottom of the barrel outlook), but most importantly, a writer named Stuart Chappell (played by Peter Weller, in easily one of his best performances). Chappell has a strange fixation on Michael, and he takes care of him, clothing him with nice suits, and giving him tons of money to gamble. From the start, it is obvious this guy's a little shady, however. He neglects the fact that Michael is recovering on AA and influences him to start drinking again. Soon, he plunges Michael into a truly harrowing underworld of fight clubs, gambling, drugs and sex.

In one of the most disturbing scenes of recent memory, they go to a bondage club where people get sadomasochistic pleasure from torture. At first, I was angry that Eaton would use this smut to manipulate his audience into feeling shocked (like how Todd Solondz did in his terrible film "Happiness"). Then I realized, Chappell, a satan figure, is indeed masochistic in that he feeds off his victim's pain. Little did Michael know as he looked at these twisted acts, that he was being used as a partner to Chappell's atrocity.

When Michael becomes closer with Chappell, he realizes how much of a lie this man really is. But the perks of being with him are too great, and soon Michael goes too deep into the dark side, hurting Chloe and damaging the new life he forged after leaving AA. I didn't like how the film ends. It takes an easy (and largely taken) way out, keeping itself on a level of simplicity. I believe Eaton is a genius director, but he sells himself short in "Shadow Hours".

I did like a lot of things in this film. I loved the performances by Getty (who also produced), and more so Peter Weller. He plays Stuart as attractive, fun and seemingly caring, but always dark somewhere deep. I liked how the story was paced and told, but it is lacking in overall freshness.

(2 and 1/2 out of 4)

I'm a tough sell when it comes to contemporary American films, and have

turned almost exclusively to watching foreign films or classics (ie: loved "Night of the Iguana;" admire Hitchcock), but when my 15 year old grabbed "Shadow Hours" off the shelf I thought I'd give it a shot for the sake of mother\daughter movie night.

Smart writing (a bloody rare attribute), terrific acting, fabulous score and a film noir look--I was hooked. Loved the jump cut gas station scenes, the crazies, the repetition of certain phrases/themes, the progressive descent into urban madness, and, Oh, Lordy, that Moby piece that tied it together at the end.

I've watched it twice, the second time with my husband, who is recommending it to fellow 'good film' afficionados, and so on, and so on...

Interesting to read B'zar Getty's bio. Note the tattoos on his hand in the film - they're the real deal.

'Shadow Hours' opened in late 2000 to some harsh reviews. Many critics believed that director Isaac H. Eaton borrowed from one too many films and that his storyline is jumbled and confused. I for one think that while the storyline can get familiar, the general storyline was going in interesting directions that made it more interesting to watch. And what made it even more interesting is that this film had a supporting cast of many familiar faces.

Balthazar Getty, in the lead role of the recovering addict, is servicable, but not exceptional. He seems one-note in many scenes, and clearly gets his scenes stolen from co-star Peter Weller, who has (I think) his best role in years as the devious writer Stuart Chappell. This is clearly Weller's best performance since 'The New Age' and he relishes it with a passion. One definitely doesn't know where his character is going, and Weller fleshes him out with enough mystery and charisma (without resorting to absurd overacting) to make him an enjoyable antagonist. If losing out to Weller isn't enough, Getty's acting chops also get more heat from Peter Greene, playing a cop, is just as creepy as the other man named Peter.

The soundtrack, with it's constant techno beat, is actually a refreshing change and works with the various set-pieces in the movie. All in all, check this film out. One might be surprised how good it is. It's more proof that one shouldn't always listen to critics.