Surveillance

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Horrorphile - August 2009

Surveillance

August 13th 2009 00:33

Surveillance (2008) is writer/director Jennifer Lynch’s first movie in fifteen years. She’s the daughter of David Lynch; that’s a big shadow to work under. In fact this is only her second feature. The first was Boxing Helena (1993), which starred the dreadful Julian Sands and his captive, Sherilyn Fenn, a woman whom has lost both her arms and legs. I’ve never seen the movie (like a polar magnet), but from most reports it’s a mess, although there are those who love it; an acquired taste perhaps? Her father’s work is an acquired taste, and Surveillance isn’t easily digestible, so she’s certainly inherited a stubborn artistic sensibility.

FBI Agents Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Hallaway (Bill Pullman) are investigating a nasty homicide off the Sante Fe highway. They arrive at the local police station to find chaos floating in the air like a spectre of doom. Captain Billings (Michael Ironside) seems almost disinterested, two of his officers Degrasso (Gill Gayle) and Wright (Charlie Newmark) have apprehended two surviving witnesses; white trash Bobbi (Pell James) and young Stephanie (Ryan Simpkins), whilst officer Bennet (Kent Harper), nursing abrasions and a badly lacerated hand, whom was at the scene, is a ticking time bomb.

Surveillance Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond

Bill Pullman as Hallaway and Julia Ormond as Anderson

Something strange, ominous and very violent went down out on the highway, and it’s up to Anderson and Hallaway, through rigorous videotaped interview procedure, to discover exactly what happened. It doesn’t help that the three witnesses all have different stories. Bobbi is a coke addict, so her testimony is unreliable, Bennet is traumatised and volatile, so his testimony is dodgy, which leaves little Stephanie, whom seems to harbouring much more than she’s willing to reveal. It’ll all come out in the (white)wash in the end …

Surveillance Bill Pullman, Gill Gayle, Michael Ironside, Julia Ormond, Charlie Newmark

The FBI get the lowdown from Captain Bennings (Michael Ironside) and his two officers Degrasso (Gill Gayle) and Wright (Charles Newmark)

Like the best of her father’s work, Surveillance is about the surface of things and the darkness that seethes underneath, it’s about lies and truths, about deception and revelation, about mystery and enigma. It’s a movie that has some great scenes (although some seem like they’re from a completely different movie), but as whole it doesn’t possess the same assured cohesion as papa Lynch’s movies. Surveillance feels like a movie made in the editing suite, and one that could have had any number of rough cuts.

Pell James as Bobbi

The motley crew of characters, and their wildly contrasting behaviour works both for and against the narrative. Empathy is elusive, but that’s part of the deadly game. But the movie demands an atmosphere, and there is virtually none. The acting is solid; Ormond the stand-out, with Pullman delivering his usual facial and verbal histrionics, James gets better as the movie goes along, while her boyfriend, Johnny, played by unknown Mac Miller, is one to watch, and Harper (a successful producer as well) commands his scenes.

Ryan Simpkins as Stephanie

Surveillance is a hybrid crime thriller-horror that operates within a theatrical framework; only a few locations, basically the police station and the highway crime scene. This creates a sense of claustrophobia which heightens the movie’s pressure-cooker situation. The pay-off is effectively disturbing, and the ending reverberates with a hollow sense of satisfaction. Apparently David Lynch was impressed enough with the movie to have the patriarchal name used as a selling point (David Lynch presents …) In Germany the alternate title translates as Under Control. After watching the movie I think this title is just as good, although there is a plot-point near the end of the movie that gives the title Surveillance a double edge.

Who is lying? Who is manipulating the truth?

I can hardly describe Surveillance as Jennifer Lynch’s return to form, and although it clutches at cult straws, it’s doesn’t quite cut the dark mustard. This might sound like an odd comment, considering how indulgent her father is frequently criticized for being, but Surveillance felt like it was acting weird and fucked-up for its own sake. The level of suspension of belief was raised high, and I don’t think Jennifer Lynch managed to straddle it successfully. Curiously the movie won Best Director at the most recent New York City Horror Film Festival.

Here's the trailer:

BUT WAIT!! It seems Jennifer Lynch has taken the bull by the horns (or is that the reptile by the tail?), her new movie, a xenomorphic Indian-American co-production, Hisss (2009), looks fantastic! Check out the sexy-nasty trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

10 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

August 13th 2009 02:05

Film & TV on DVD

I have this one in my netflix queue (released next month on DVD).

Yep, I'm one of those oddities that enjoyed Boxing Helena for its exploitative qualities.

Comment by JohnDoe

August 13th 2009 02:11

Film & TV on DVD

Just watched that footage from Hisss. Must see in my book too!

Comment by Bryn

August 13th 2009 04:55

Horrorphile

How good does it look?! Great trailer, kinda like a mini-movie ... normally though I hate seeing so much of the movie in a trailer, but this worked, I didn't feel like it gave too much away

Comment by Jason King

August 13th 2009 05:26

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Cool - I will keep my eye out for this. I am actually another who enjoyed the twisted Boxing Helena - you should watch it Bryn - I know you will probably loathe it - hahaha

Comment by Jason King

August 13th 2009 05:27

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Forgot to say - what a brilliant poster - I love it!

Comment by Bryn

August 13th 2009 06:23

Horrorphile

Jason, I always meant to watch it, after it came out on video, but for some reason or another ... I can't stand Julian Sands and the way he acts. But I did have a rather soft, or should I say hard, spot for Sherilyn, especially during Twin Peaks ...

Comment by Christopher Waldeck

August 15th 2009 04:40

Dunk Films

Personally, the Hiss trailer looks great, but i didn't care for Surveillance. i almost didn't like it at all. I can see why it getting really bad reviews. i think Jennifer has talent, but she needs to find a way to hold the tension and the horror in the film better. It felt really sloppy. Hiss looks very interesting and hopefully it goes to theaters rather than limited release, though the trailer pointed to good and bad movie so its hard to tell.

David Lynch has been critically savaged and praised during his years as a filmmaker and it looks like his daughter might be on the same track. I think Lynch's Twin Peaks fire Walk with me was unfairly criticized mainly because critics were expecting Twin Peaks and got a much weirder David Lynch film, but they were to angry to appreciate it's quality. The movie wasn't flawless, but it didn't deserve half the awful reviews that it got.

Comment by Bryn

August 15th 2009 07:32

Horrorphile

Chris, the Hissss trailer has me very excited.
If David had released Fire Walk With Me during the first season of Twin Peaks, and not some time after the end of the second season then the movie might've been more well received. I agree it was unnecessarily lambasted, however an earlier release might have confused even more of the audience. Therein lies The Rub. I doubt Hisss will receive a theatrical. If anywhere maybe a limited cinema release in India and America ...?

Comment by JohnDoe

October 1st 2009 18:21

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,

Just saw Surveillance last night and agree with your assessment. It is a film that has some great scenes and every actor gets to inject eccentricities into their parts making for watchable fun...the ending however was disappointing because the clues were to obvious early on...another film that would have benefitted from staying low key instead of going over the top.

That being said alot of the comedy works a treat and makes for an entertaining one off screening.

is it just me or did this have the feel of a messy Brian De Palma film...I almost expected Bill Pullman to change onto John Lithgow at some stage.

Comment by Bryn

October 1st 2009 23:23

Horrorphile

JD, hahaha, It certainly didn't have the impact I was hoping for after all these years hiatus and having papa Lynch on board as well. Julia Ormond looked like she was having fun though, great to see her playing such a nutcase.

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[ Next - Coraline ]

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