Review of Natural Born Killers (1994) by Daniel L — 16 Sep 2011

Natural Born Killers was a comedic depiction at the violent obsession through media around the world. It follows tow ruthless killers on a mass murder spree while the media glorifies them as celebrities because of the violence of their crimes. It follows them from their beginnings to middle at the height of their crimes and then to their incarceration and escape. The acting of the film was very good but the direction and script were only slightly above average.

The direction by Oliver Stone (Heaven and Earth) was decent but it was not his best work. He tried to take an artistic approach to a couple on a murder spree but also poke fun on the obsession that media has with violence. Though the message was loud and clear, there were times where it just seemed like it was so out of place because the film was trying to do too much with the film. It also at the same time was a rather slow mover, which is normal for Stone because he is one of the few directors who focuses so intently on detail. This was something in addition to the "artistic" aspects that hindered the film that should have been more for entertainment purposes.

The script by Oliver Stone, David Veloz (film debut), Richard Rutowski (film debut) wrote a very detailed script that zoned in on every detail necessary to make it complete film. The problem was that it made the film much longer than it needed to be. I understand wanting to cover every detail but there were several scenes that could have been cut out and still remained a flowing film that wouldn't have left any loose ends. For the most part it was good but throwing in all of the artistic touches left the film too long and it was almost forced to continue watching.

The acting was quite good. Woody Harrelson (Indecent Proposal) did a very good job as the insane killer who did everything to protect his new bride who he truly loved. Though it was not his defining work, he fit the role very well and made the character quite memorable. As good as Harrelson was, Juliette Lewis (Mixed Nuts) was possibly even more memorable because she was able to make her character more sadistic which made more of an impression because of her feminine touch. Without her sexual prowess the role would have fallen flat. Her presence is what made that role memorable. Robert Downey Jr. (Hail Caesar) also did a remarkable job. His role of the central media was great because it showed the humanity behind the camera and what the person behind the camera and his approach to the killers. He seemed to allow the character and his natural personality combine so the role was not necessarily difficult, but he was able to make it work very well. Tom Sizemore (Wyatt Earp), Tommy Lee Jones (The Client), and Rodney Dangerfield (Ladybugs) all did very well supporting the main three but at times were over the top, even though at times it was pretty unnoticeable. The chemistry of the cast was shaky but even so it almost needed to be because of the intensity of the film.

Natural Born Killers is a film that depicts how violence takes over the media and how it takes precedence over some other aspects. The acting was good but that is where it almost ended. The script and direction seemed to get away with those in charge of these aspects which didn't really help the film be the best it could be. For the most part it was too long and made for a tougher watch than should have been. In retrospect it was still not the worst film and still had value at face because of the different direction it took, a bolder look into society than many films are willing to take.