Review of Surveillance (2008) by John H — 28 Jun 2009

You could never accuse Jennifer Lynch of being a people pleaser. Fifteen years after her widely loathed debut Boxing Helena, JL returns with a film that enjoys playing with your perceptions. Although I can not go into detail for fear of spoiling, suffice to say that this serial killer whodunit is full of twists and turns.

I do not share the enthusiasm I read in the reviews I read, but this comic thriller kept me entertained. However, there were times where I thought that Jennifer might be intentionally trying to create a cult classic.

There is certainly a B-movie vibe to the production, down to the low budget cinematography, television actors and eclectic soundtrack. This will not please audiences who are used to the super slick style of the big budget thrillers.

But there is a always an absurd undercurrent that is lurking beneath the murder mystery. Truth be told, the ending was a bit of a let-down. Motives are never firmly established, although this isn't a total mind fuck like her father's films.

Each character gets to present their own version of reality until it creates a strange tapestry. I was impressed with the one perfect central sequence involving cops and an accidental automotive bloodbath.

As I was leaving the theater, a senior citizen in the audience made a sarcastic remark about "an academy award winner" It is true that this type of film making rarely gets recognized by Oscar.

The performances are solid, but there is a subtle groove that doesn't permit showboating. But for a weird walk on the wild side, this script delivered.