A film review by Johnathan Pritchett
Copyright © 1999 Johnathan Pritchett

'8MM' is a good movie. It would seem that our main whipping boy, Joel Schumacher, has bounced back from his Batman debacle. Before us now is a fine film that has a disturbing story (usually a plus), fine acting, good writing, and even great directing. I suppose I am easy to please, but as I watched this film, I was enthralled from start to finish.

Nicolas Cage plays Tom Welles. A private eye who is hired by a widowed old lady that found an eight mm film that belonged to her husband. The film reel contained underground porn that could possibly have an actual murder on it. As he sets out to find the truth, he has to go into the porno underworld with the help of a porno shop clerk (Joaquin Phoenix), and slowly becomes obsessed with the case.

Written by Andrew Kevin Walker, this story is dark. Mr. Walker is becoming known as our man for these dark, twisted movies. His earlier works include 'Hideaway' and the extremely queasy thriller 'Seven'. Here, he has written a good screenplay. It is smart, creepy, and maybe even more restrained then his other movies. That, however, is not a bad thing. What I liked most about this story is that the 'shock' of the story's content was toned down a bit. This was a smart move because what I found to be even better is that the 'shock' was more oriented in the main character's actions. It is always more involving and more compelling when a film doesn't have to just use its own disturbing subject matter, but rather its characters, to grip and thrill the audience.

Joel Schumacher delivered some goods here. His ability to not need to overplay the shocking visuals to create a dark atmosphere is to be admired. In other movies of this nature, director's tend to almost overkill the audience with creepy, grotesque shots. While I like that a lot, to truly capture a mood, it will always lie in the performances. Joel Schumacher also built the tension very well. It was, in my opinion, unpredictable and fascinating. The pace is slow, but very rewarding. There is plenty of room where almost every character was properly developed. It seems that the grainy film look is back in style. While I like that look, I hope it doesn't become overused in the future. It works here though. This is a far cry from 'Batman and Robin'. One more good movie and all will be forgiven.

Let me tell you, the performances were good. I give many propers to the cast all around. Some damn fine performances from relatively unknowns. As for the leads, Nicolas Cage does an exceptional job once again. He can always make you forget you are watching a movie star, and make you believe his character. This is no exception. As we see him as a good family man, we believe it. As we see him start to lose it, we believe it. As we see him go ballistic on the baddies, that's right; we believe it. That friends, is a good actor. Unfortunately, Joaquin Phoenix's Max California isn't in the film near long enough. He did such a great job and I hope this guy finds a big leading role soon. He carried his own so well with Nicolas Cage. Also of note, Amy Morton plays the victim's mother, Janet Mathews. I don't know what it was, but her performance stood out. She was amazing in her bit role. If you look at all the characters, and not just the main ones, you sometimes get to see good performances by not well known actors. I have no problem complimenting a supporting character, even if he or she is unknown. Good job The rest of the cast include James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Anthony Heald, Myra Carter, and Catherine Keener. Good job by all of them.

This is a welcome addition to the dark, disturbing thriller genre. Also, a nice, quiet comeback for Joel Schumacher. I do recommend this film to anyone who likes these types of films. Not as all-out as maybe "Seven', but definitely as good.

Grade: Cool

Related 8MM Links:

• Official Site
• The IMDB: 8MM (1999)
• Upcomingmovies.com: 8MM

You can't prepare for where the truth will take you.