"Spun" (2002): Starring Jason Schwartzman, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Mena Suvari, Chloe Hunter, Deborah Harry, Eric Roberts, etc.. My reactions are mixed. I'll try to keep it simple: First, I'm very glad to see artists trying different approaches to film making. Many of the techniques used in "Spun" are effective for illustrating the pathetic mental/emotional/drug states of crystal meth addicts. Schwartzman is good as the one-foot-in, one-foot-out addict, who, although the main character, is a satellite to the addicts who are in much deeper. Rourke is solid as the drug "cook" - cold, lost, unpredictable, with a self-styled version of "war-torn honor"; Murphy is very good as the fragile, broken meth addict whose life is a total wreck yet she clings to a sad fantasy about improvement; Leguizamo is the paranoid dealer with an anger that flashes from nowhere for no real reason and keeps everyone tense; Fugit is the totally lost kid who hasn't a clue, never did, and never will; Suvari plays the burned out addict who's reached the nasty-scuzzy level where even another addict would rather jerk off than "face" her; and Roberts plays a Retro-flamo Elvis-Liberace character we should see more often for comic relief. It's quite a team. In a less "stylish", cruder way, "Spun" reminds me of "Pulp Fiction". Some of the techniques failed, or are unnecessary (the animation scenes), some are interesting but overused (fast editing, film speed changes, harsh color, sound effects), but the camera angles are consistently unique, as are the close ups of everyday things that keep the mood at a very basic, pointless, daily grind level. The scoring is appropriately kitschy, ironic, and moody. The dialog is better than many would give it credit for (but then, I think "Gummo" is underrated, too, so there's where I stand on THAT!). "Spun" is NOT a story. It is a mood. Does it have a moral tone? Sort of, yes: drugs don't work in your favor. Are we supposed to like or dislike these characters? Nah. They are who they are, and we ain't gonna change 'em. Are they the people you want as neighbors? Hell, no. Do we feel better about OUR lives after seeing theirs? Hell yes.
