Spun

In the genre of "drug films" this one has to be, in my opinion, one of the best. The aesthetics and dynamics are spot on. The gritty, filthy and discordant atmosphere encrusted around the typical meth-head's life looks and feels like the real deal here. John Leguizamo and Mena Suvari are dead on in their portrayals of two dysfunctional people in a relationship mixed with sex, love and drugs (or more appropriately, love FOR drugs). Mickey Rourke's character conveys a menacing presence delivered through the actor's characteristic cool and laid back style. Of course Brittany Murphy's character is a continuous delight and pleasure to behold in every way. Even the police presence is entertaining.

The whole package gives the feel of being right there. Not to mention a "healthy dose" of delusional hallucinations for you to chew on in between heart palpitations. If you're looking for a great "druggie" film with a strong comedic undertone, I guarantee you'll get your fix with this one.

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.

Spun is a tale about drugs, sex and addictions. Ross(Jason Schwartzman)who is a speed freak along with Nikki(Brittany Murphy) are introduced to the perfect speed made by "The Cook"(Mickey Rourke). Along with some other speed freaks including dealer Spider Mike(John Leguizamo) and his girl Cookie(Mena Suvari) their addictions will come to some crazy consequences that could affect their entire future. This was a very crazy and wild movie filled with humor and excitement. The performances are excellent by all actors and their characters were very believable. I would give Spun 7.5/10

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

This movie is a realistic portrayal of the meth lifestyle, not because it's a realistic movie, but because it's a bunch of tweakers very busy doing nothing. My friend and I laughed during the whole movie because we both knew people who fit the characters in the film perfectly. If you don't know anyone into drugs this movie probably won't appeal to you. The moviemakers get a lot of facets of the lifestyle spot-on, like the importance of the car. The main character is the most important person in the movie, even more important than the cook, because he's got a car. A lot of the movie is spent driving around on various crank-related missions, most of them pointless. And that's really what being a crankster is about, getting high for the sake of getting high and finding ways to fill all that extra time they now have. If the characters come off as blunted and one-dimensional it's because that's how the people they're portraying are.