$pent (1999) Reviews

• Addiction is bad, denial is worse: This is "Requiem for a Dream" done "lite"

  bluemoon2232006-01-29

  This movie is about people hiding from themselves. Hiding who they really are and the struggles they go through to stay hidden and the consequences which result from their denial. Characters include a gambling addict, a closet homosexual, an alcoholic, and a guy who objectifies women (and a cigarette smoker, played by Rain Phoenix). The acting is superb, the dialog is realistic, and there are some comical situations. Interestingly the 2 main racties are married in real life (Spradling and London) and they do have amazing chemistry on the screen for what it's worth. I am pretty surprised this movie has not gotten more attention. The overall message is that denying who you are is not very good for you. The movie lacks realistic closure though, which may be why it got so many lame reviews. The acting is spot on though! I am in recovery myself so I know that the performances are, for the most part, well done, having lived many of the situations myself. For people looking for a dark drug movie, this ain't it though. Give'em a couple more decades, and these characters will be screwed up enough to hang out with "Harry and Marion" from Requiem-4-A-Dream. For now though this is "Requiem" done super-lite.