Review of Surveillance (2008) by Craig H — 22 Oct 2009

It has now become readily apparent that the only reason that Jennifer Lynch is allowed to direct films is that her father David Lynch is willing to bankroll them. This is only the second feature film from Lynch the Younger (the first being the widely reviled "Boxing Helena", the poor reception of which caused Lynch the Younger to go into seclusion) and it tells a very Rashomon-like story - a traffic stop gone awry involving out-of-control cops, drug addicts, a family of four, five cars, and two killers wearing masks that look like they are made out of skin.

Two FBI agents (Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond) arrive on the scene to determine what happened, and the three survivors of the events have differing versions of what happened for the agents to sort through.

And there are still the two killers to deal with. Low-key, boring thriller where most of the characters and some of the performances seem lifted directly from one of her father's films (Bill Pullman seems to be channeling "Blue Velvet" specifically).

In spite of its lack of originality and vitality, its biggest flaw is...there is no point to the story. You get to sit through the whole dang thing to get to say, "who cares?" or "what the heck was that all about?" Lynch says it has to do with "how people change their stories based on what they see".

Really, Jennifer? It seemed more like "how people change their stories when they are engaged in full-on CYA to save themselves". And the title has nothing to do with anything plot related (there is no surveilling, no surveillance cameras, or anything to do with the word 'surveillance' in the film).

Here is hoping Jennifer stops riding Daddy's coattails and doesn't direct again. Woodchuck sez, "Skip it.".