The Life of David Gale Widescreen Edition DVD with Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney (R) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap

See the film before the reviewers barricade its effect

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE is, I believe, a much better film than many fellow reviewers would indicate. Perhaps they are influenced by the reviews that came out in the media at the time of the film's theatrical release, perhaps the Editorial slam on the Product Page by Bret Fetzer taints opinion. I would urge you to see and/or buy this DVD, keep an open mind, and witness the effect on your own emotional response.Kevin Spacey fleshes out the title role as a believable philosophy professor who speaks against capital punishment in the state of Texas which just happens to be the place where more executions are performed than any other state. He is not without problems: alcohol, a drunken sexual relationship with a former student, and an awkward but deeply significant relationship with Constance (Laura Linney) who later when found 'murdered and raped' on videotape results in the arrest and conviction of Spacey's Gale, now facing death on death row. Laura Linney is most credible as a driven anti-death penalty activist for reasons we discover are beyond the range of civil rights reponsibilty. The third part of this triangle is the reporter brought in to investigate Gale's claim to innocence in the last four days of his wait on death row. Kate Winslet captures all the parameters of this contemporary woman with seamless detail. To tell more of the story would be injurious to the unfolding of this worthwhile drama. For a 2 hour plus movie THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE manages to hold our interest, encouraging us as viewers to keep our invetigatory eyes and ears open and struggle along with Winslet and her cohort to finally put together all the pieces of the puzzle. Others have complained that the clues are in every scene: isn't that true of most crime investigations? I see no fault in placing all the information in front of the audience to test the observation of the viewer as much as the skill of the screenwriter in resolving a case with the important message of this film. Alan Parker uses a lot of visual tricks in addressing the facts of the crime and even makes interesting parallels in the background music (the fairly obvious metaphor of TURANDOT arias by the presuicidal Liu appear repeatedly). In the end this story is on a par with DEAD MAN WALKING as far as a significant plea for anti-Capital Punishment voices. See it for yourself. The skills of actors like Kevin Spacey, Laura Linney, and Kate Winslet pledging belief in this script can't be ignored."

All who are for capital punishment ought to be hanged!

Shawna Ride | E. Essenne, Tennessee | 04/09/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"My review title is a joke I once heard, but it is a much less convoluted oxymoron than this movie! I give it three stars for its suspense through most of the plot, which makes it never boring, and for some compelling acting. But through twists that repeatedly undermine the story you thought you were buying into, the film ultimately becomes self-destructive. I've seen it said in various reviews that this movie promotes an anti- death penalty agenda. Well, it sure does seem to much of the way through. But in the end I found myself seriously asking if this film might really be a joke that those reviewers never caught on to. I can really see supporters of capital punishment getting the last laugh here, having a field day in the end, however much they might have been put out with what they perceived along the way as propoganda. After mulling over this movie for a while, I grew to feel a little pride in my never having been a strong zealot one way or another on the capital punishment issue. For the film certainly shows how zealots for a cause can become fanatics who contradict the very principles that attracted them to the cause in the first place. And that amply happens to death penalty opponents in this case. If death penalty advocates want to make a case that opponents are not morally grounded and will sell out their very principles in an effort to promote them, the opponents of the death penalty in this movie have played right into the hands of such criticism. The supposed heroes of this movie think they've won a definitive victory that can't be turned against them. But instead they have done the ultimate in turning of their own cause on its head, and give the other side more ammunition than ever. I'll get no more specific, to avoid spoilers. There is suspense enough here to keep your interest. Just don't expect it to make coherent sense in the end."

Wow, totally blown away. Thankyou Alan Parker*

doppelganger | Chicago | 02/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Under-The-Radar film that I put off watching for awhile, and finally, almost grudgingly watched. You think it's a journey into the mind of a seriel-killer or something, no. It's actually a brilliant movie as well as a 'taut' thriller.

Not what I expected at ALL. And it's just a Blow-you-away (with a brain) movie. We're lucky that solid people like Alan Parker don't care about political crap and just do what they love to do, make a good effing movie that makes you think a little. And even though it's totally gone by un-noticed, I'm glad he did it. And thankyou to the writer who gave a special gift in the writing.

Extremely well written by Charles Randolph (?-I think that's his last name) who brought a realistic acedemia feel to the Professor and brilliance to The Life of David Gale.

I don't want to give anything away, seriously just go rent it, buy it, or whatever, just see it. You won't be disappointed.

"

Good Enough

Wyatt G | Boulder, CO | 02/14/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This movie may not have been a masterpiece but it was definately entertainining and had a cool ending. Former professor, David Gale (Kevin Spacey), is facing the death penalty for murder. After speaking with him several times, journalist Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet) is convinced that Gale is innocent, and tries to stop his execution. I don't want to give much else away because the way the story unfolds is suprising and fun. Some of the plot elements were kind of unrealistic, but this really wasn't a bad movie."

Not as predictable or flawed as many seem to think

doppelganger | 04/18/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"scanning the negative reviews posted here, the nay-sayers seem to be divided into two camps: those who say the movie was too predictable; and those who say they can't believe the ending. presumably, one reason the latter group is incredulous is because they didn't see it coming. funny how you get completely opposite views.me, i didn't see the ending coming, but i do think it made perfect sense. many objected that spacey and linney undermined their own cause by their "stunt". i don't agree. first, the full story wasn't meant to be disclosed to the public, only to the reporter. second, and more important, the ending was not done solely to prove a point, as many have suggested. in fact, linney was already terminally ill and spacey's fortunes had fallen to the point where he had little to live for. the so-called "stunt" was really a way to make their lives - and their inevitable deaths - more meaningful. making a point about capital punishment was only one part of it, the public dimension. there were very real private considerations as well.many also commented that the ending didn't make sense. i think it does. spacey knows that he's used winslet to convey his public AND private message (to his son). it's to assuage his guilt that he sends the tape at the end. how does he know that winslet won't tell all? because she's proven that she can be trusted to respect the confidentiality of her sources: if she won't betray "kiddy porn scum", why would she betray an innocent man?but even if the public doesn't know the whole truth, won't spacey still be an "anti-captial punishment nuthead" (to paraphrase one reviewer) in winslet's eyes? maybe. and only she would know. but judging from her reaction at the end, i'd say, if anything, she felt great compassion and understanding for spacey. compassion for his suffering. understanding of his actions. and i don't know what the reviewer was watching who said spacey had a "dull" look in his eyes when he gazed in the camera in the last scene, but i can't recall the last time i saw a look of such profound sadness. it was a very moving moment.there are many other objections that don't stand up under scrutiny. for example, one reviewer commented that the linchpin of the story was the tv confrontation between spacey and the governor of texas where spacey supposedly wasn't able to name a single innocent man who had been mistakenly killed. the reviewer couldn't believe spacey didn't have a comeback since there apparently have been cases where just such a travesty has happened. leaving aside the question of whether this is the "linchpin", if you listen closely to this scene, the question wasn't "name one man who has been mistakenly killed?"; it was "name one man OUT OF THE 131 WHO HAVE BEEN PUT TO DEATH IN TEXAS DURING MY TENURE who was innocent?". there's a big difference between these two questions. the gov was answering for his state's record, under his watch. he's saying "show me where I'VE made a mistake. if you can do that, then maybe i'll reconsider MY STATE'S policy." this makes sense. why should the gov of texas answer for other jurisdictions or administrations? he should, and only can, answer for his own actions. which is exactly what he does.another reviewer objected that it was obvious what spacey was up to when he hired an "incompetent" lawyer to defend him. "the film is too predictable", he cried. actually, the lawyer wasn't incompetent at all. if he wasn't effective, it was BY DESIGN: he was in on the scheme from the very start. this is revealed near the end when we see the relation between the cowboy and the lawyer, especially the transfer of money. counsel "botched" the defense because that's what spacey wanted.so maybe the plot wasn't so "predictable" after all? there are other objections like these that also fall apart on closer examination. i could go through them one by one, but i don't have the time or space to do that. MY only objection is that the film does occasionally go over-the-top in making its points. it does get a little preachy. this is more an aesthetic and artistic flaw, however, than an ideological or polemical one - more how the message is conveyed than what the message is. good film. definitely worth a rental, and maybe even a purchase if you're a big spacey fan. to the naysayers i'll just say: watch the film again, and then tell me if you still think it's "too predictable" or flawed."

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