Review of The Hottest State (2007) by Jacek S — 21 Dec 2007

Although I like Hawke's acting work very much, considering him to be one of the best actors of his generation, it's hard for me to say likewise when he came to handle the things on the other side of the camera.

One can wonder why Hawke's coming-of-age movie is flawed by poorly written script since he adapted it himself from his own book. But when we add to it unfocused directing, it comes out shining like a sun after rain that Hawke isn't up for the task here.

The story feels real. We have William, somewhat nerdy aspiring actor with a sense of lack of identity caused by coming from broken home. On the other side is Sarah, charming songwriter with baggage of her own. They meet, fall in love and eventually move in together and, bit by bit, they start to see what love is really all about when you want to approach the whole thing like a mature so you wouldn't follow your inadequate parents. That it's about insecurities, lust, sex, being an asshole, not knowing what you want, again sex, fear, trashing the apartment, swinging the doors etc. All these events come and go and after a while we're annoyed. And bored. Luckily, later in the film after they broke up, there're scenes which contain much more important substance. Two scenes with William's parents, played effectively by Hawke himself and - lovely as always - Laura Linney, turn out to be the most powerful in the film, simply because they allow us to escape - if only for a moment - atmosfere of endless, stiff talk that the loving couple had and catch some true emotion.

And since we came around actors. They are rarely convincing; Catalina Sandino Moreno is mediocre at best and even her unquestionable charm can't cover badly delivered lines. Mark Webber, on the other hand, is probably the most dreadful lead cinema of 21th century has ever seen; his flat preformance makes one want to go to sleep. One may think that maybe he was suppose act like this - sort of a cross of ameba and insomniac - nevertheless, it should be consider as a mis-cast.

Hawke wanted to put 80 minutes story into 120 minutes. Bad call. Despite his sensitivity and sincerity, his material fails to make love story a story about people we would care about and - what's more important - believe that after William will finally find a way to break loose from his troubled past to go fully live on his own, he will never look back again...

The only conclusion we're left with is to quote an old proverb that everything in life has its time and place. This can go to Sarah and William, as we can see on the screen. But, sadly, to director as well.