Surveillance

A pair of serial killers is on the loose, and their latest hotspot is Nebraska. When the FBI investigates, they find that all the witnesses have conflicting stories and are leaving out parts that make them look bad.

Jennifer Lynch is not her father, and it is not fair to her for everyone to compare them. However, for those who are concerned, this is not on the level of David Lynch (but few things are). In its own right, it's a very entertaining and suspenseful film, and it might keep you guessing until the end. For the first half, we are only given a small part of the story, and it works well... I just had to know the rest.

Bill Pullman is fantastic as always (though he's beginning to show his age). I can't see anyone else in the role. Julia Ormond is not familiar to me, but she is also excellent. Cheri Oteri and French Stewart did a great job in serious, and in Stewart's case menacing, roles... a nice adjustment from their past.

I haven't seen anyone compare this film to the crimes of Charles Starkweather (which inspired "Natural Born Killers"), which strikes me as odd. Two killers driving through Nebraska? Seems like a connection... but then, maybe I'm just crazy.

This film is worth seeing and a fine piece of work. It may not be remembered in a few years (it has already begun to fade quickly), but hopefully word of mouth keeps the attention on it for a while.

Jennifer Chambers Lynch, one would assume had been nursing her pride from the dreadful reception of her debut, Boxing Helena. Fifteen years later she releases Surveillance. This one, a murder mystery, is a major improvement but it still has problems. It is a well-crafted seventy minute movie with a remaining twenty minutes of clumsiness, bad writing and a twist which unfortunately is predictable. The movie comes apart when it needs to come together, and the result is medium good, when it could have been very good.

FBI agents Anderson and Halloway for months have been investigating a series of interstate serial killings. The latest chapter in their investigation brings the stories of two odd-ball cops, a dis-communal family on a road trip, and a couple of coke-snorting kids, together in Rashomon fashion.

I like the way Surveillance plays out. Lynch keeps everything slow and mannered, unlike Boxing Helena which is over-blown from the beginning. Lynch is able to keep the film under control, but unfortunately is unable to pull the wool over the viewer's eyes. The answers we are looking for become obvious too quickly, making one question whether her intention was to have the viewer fooled or not. Survaillance is not designed to be conventional thriller. It is too deep and psychological for that, but it sort of ends like one.

If I was gonna label Surveillance in a word, it would be 'bitter'. When it's over, you come to realize that none of the characters (save one or two small roles) are all that respectable. Lynch's screenplay breaks them down into those who mistreat and those who get mistreated, sometimes both. On a positive note it contributes significantly to the drama or tension of the picture. There is a major lack of heart to the film, although at the same time, there is a certain lack of credibility as a side effect. Any attempt to explain may be a spoiler so I wont go that far, but that raises another question...

If I don't intend to spoil it, does that mean I am recommending it? Well, truth be told, I didn't dislike Surveillance. It is eerie and grim, which is certain a plus for a thriller, but the outcome is kind of disappointing. My advice: watch it only if you are curious, but it is not a movie that needs to be seen.

How have I not heard of this movie before? Absolutely fantastic. It's difficult to review a movie by Jennifer Lynch without comparing it to the work of her father. 'Surveillance' possesses the Lynchian small town banality, stilted dialogue, awkward character dynamics, brutal violence, truly twisted killers, and generally off-kilter weirdness that you'd expect. But despite the stylistic similarities, the two are very different filmmakers. 'Surveillance' has a far more traditional structure with a familiar art-house/indie conceit of multiple perspectives and unreliable narrators. The central mystery is expertly revealed through the eyewitness accounts of several individuals, slowly building the sense of dread to a knock-out last act revelation that doesn't disappoint. One of the best thrillers in recent years and deserving of a much larger audience. More than enough evidence that Jennifer Lynch is a talent in her own right.

A good thriller is my favorite genre and I was hooked into this film within the first few seconds and stayed involved for the entire ride. It kept me guessing throughout. The contrast between eerie cop shop and stark, beautiful prairies is a stylish treat for the eyes. The performances are believable and compelling. Well cast, without exception. The little girl is surprisingly good. Her even performance made me wonder about what had happened to her and drew me into the story. When she wasn't on screen, I worried about her safety. The ending is a clever, eerie choice. I was taken completely by surprise and I usually predict a telegraphed ending a mile away. In this case, any other choice would be a cop-out (pardon the pun). I was glad that the director resisted the temptation for a blood-fest. It could have gone much further in that vein. Instead the tension relied upon intelligent visual storytelling. Kudos to everyone involved. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

I'm usually happy to spoiler away in reviews - this time I shall be very careful not to spoiler.

I hadn't realised that the tendency to make disturbing movies is hereditary, but Jennifer Lynch's Surveillance is every bit as disturbing as anything Dad David has made. It starts with a moderately familiar scenario - two FBI agents arrive at a small police station (4 officers, one captain, one dispatcher) in the back of beyond to tape video interviews with the survivors of some sort of incident: the nature of what happened is revealed during the interviews. To say any more is to spoiler, so I'll shut up about the plot.

But I will say that "disturbing" is the best word to describe almost all of what follows. And not just one lot of disturbing, but several. The film is gripping, visceral, and features some stunning performances, notably from Bill Pullman who is not someone who I would normally have put high on my list of those I expect to surprise me performance-wise.

Not an easy film in many ways, but definitely worth catching.