Intermission Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)March 19th, 2004
INTERMISSION
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
Unhappiness runs rampant in John Crowley's INTERMISSION, a shaky-cam movie of about a dozen overlapping tales of woe. Like the old joke about the business that loses money on every sale but makes it up on volume, INTERMISSION is a mean-spirited movie with not just one character you don't like but a whole host of people you couldn't care less about. The stories do eventually join, something you may never know if you walk out of it, which many viewers will be apt to do.
"Hate your opponents and you'll never give less than one-hundred percent," is the motto of sadistic Detective Jerry Lynch (Colm Meaney). Lynch is a pretty despicable character, but, in this film, he has competition for who is the most contemptible. One of the thieves that Lynch chases is played by Colin Farrell.
Sometimes a single example is enough to clue you in on exactly what a movie will be like. In INTERMISSION, a movie obsessed with bowel movement jokes, its worst episode comes in the description of the definitive moment of a character named Sally (Shirley Henderson). She has forever been scarred in her relationships with men, her sister Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald) explains. After Sally trusted her last lover with all of her money, he tied her up on the bed, did a bowel movement on her breasts and absconded with her money. When she was found three days later, the flies were all over her and the stench was unbearable -- probably almost as unbearable as INTERMISSION.
INTERMISSION runs a long 1:45. It is rated R for "pervasive language, some sexual content and violence" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 26, 2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
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