Review of Talk Radio (1988) by Willem W — 28 Nov 2007

Eric Bogosian and Oliver Stone's early indictment of our 'aim-low' media culture, as well as a character study of someone who isn't much of a person unless all the attention is on them.

Sadly, the attention has to be on his terms. Bogosian was positively robbed of an Oscar nod for his work here, he's alternately grating, loveable, endearing, and repellant. Stone keeps the visual pyrotechnics to a minimum, opting instead to trust the material and the actors.

But once in a while he underscores the drama with showy camera moves and sharp editing. Stone is a filmmaker's filmmaker. His output from the early-eighties to the late '90's is unparalled in terms of scope, ambition, ideas, and pure cinema.

Sure, the pundits have a lot to say about Oliver Stone, but he's one of the few filmmakers to look at our times as History, as Greek Tragedy, and an epic struggle of ideas.