| Product: |
K-Pax (DVD) |
| Date: |
15/04/02 (107 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: based on an interesting book
Disadvantages: they've butchered the story!
prot is back. Or rather, the prot I wrote about when I reviewed Gene Brewer’s book, is now on the big screen in a film of the same name. K-PAX opened a week or so ago in UK cinemas and doesn’t seem to be doing all that well. It’s not making movie news columns or suggested viewing for this month pages, and when looked up the times for the showings at two cinemas near us this weekend, it was only on 4 times a day. Compared with, say, Ali G Indahouse, still on 7 times a day, and that Alliyah film, showing twice an hour. Still, I wanted to see it because I’d like the book (the most important reason, I’ve since found, to avoid a film), and we found a not-all-that-inconvenient showing time, so off we went.
The storyline is obviously based on the book, if rather loosely. We have prot (remember, no capitals) the man who claims to come from a planet rather far away called K-PAX, and Dr. Mark Powell (known as Dr Brewer in the book), the head of the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute, and the Psychiatrist to whom prot is assigned. Throughout the story it is prot’s job to convince us all that he really does not come from Earth, and Dr Powell’s job to convince us that prot’s really just some screwed up guy from somewhere in the US (somewhere which, it transpires, is probably New Mexico. Which is, after all, known for having inhabitants who have a passion for extra terrestrial life). As prot’s date of “departure” from Earth nears, Dr Powell and his team are working against the clock to try and unlock his mind for fear that when this day arrives, something physically or mentally atrocious will occur.
The cast is an interesting mix of semi-famous Hollywood stars and complete unknowns. Debra Zane, the casting director, also worked on American Beauty, Ocean’s Eleven and, erm, Stuart Little which, incidentally, I saw for the first time while in Tenerife the week before last. Anyway, Kevin Spacey is
a perfect prot as at times he can appear most dim. Jeff Bridges, (is it me, or does he look more than a little like Jim Davidson?) plays Dr. Mark Powell, and Mary McCormack his wife, Rachel. Two of prot’s closest “friends”, and fellow inmates, sorry, patients at the institute, are David Patrick Kelly (Howie) and Saul Williams (Ernie). Although Kelly has an acting career spanning 4 decades, the only thing I know him from is Ghostwriter. Now *that* was good TV…….
So what’s wrong with the film. (Come on, I gave it 3 stars – there has to be something not quite write…). First off, it goes on. And on. And on. When I looked at my watch during the film I was disappointed to find that it was only half way through. At 118 minutes it’s a bit long by my standards anyway, but even the story, which I liked in the book, wasn’t enough to keep me gripped. Speaking of the book, we come on the problem number 2 – the story. I’m not sure how screenwriters decide what to include and what not to include, but I had an inkling before I even looked at the Internet Movie Database, that Charles Leavitt hasn’t done that many before. I was right. I appreciate that some things are hard to get across on screen, especially when it takes direct narrative in a book to do it, but there were a lot of things I picked up on only because I’d read it beforehand. For example, the Institute is naturally enough full of people with various different disorders, but although bits and pieces are shown throughout the film, they are never justified, and you get the impression that most of the patients aren’t really sick, just a little kooky. They also changed some facts – like prot’s “departure” date, from mid August back to mid July – but with no apparent reason.
There’s little scope for special effects or a decent soundtrack, and the fact that there were in fact any
stunt men involved is quite worrying. Although I suppose, sitting in a tree can be dangerous, and is probably not something that someone like Spacey would ever be asked to do…. There aren’t any memorable lines which is a shame, cos they’re great for ops, and the dialogue at all times seems just a little, erm, boring? Plain? Not worthy of Hollywood?
I read a book once in which one of the characters’ jobs was simply to read books all day, and decide which might make good films. Again, I think whoever did this with K-PAX’s case was a little optimistic. Due to the nature of the book itself, the setting is hardly interesting, and no matter how hard you try, it’s hard to make a mental hospital in the middle of New York outstandingly beautiful. Most of the colour comes simply from the actors and actresses themselves – they’re a true Benneton advert, although I’m positive the majority were white in the original book. It’s hard to base a film around little more than a series of psychiatric interviews, and even harder to make it interesting. This is one film where the hype, or rather the lack of it, is a true indication of the quality. Not recommended. But the Bluebird is kinda sweet.
For more information there’s an official site at k-pax.com, and of course details at imdb.com.
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