Primetime
Review by Mark Woodring
You know what I don’t really care for?
People who make movies about compelling, real-life people and events which have already had a really good documentary made about them.
The recent film Christy comes to mind. As much as Sydney Sweeney put into it, that movie suffered from following a great documentary look at pioneering female boxer Christy Martin.
And don’t get me started on the idea that Hollywood is going to make a “dramatic” version of the story of Ibelin, because the documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin already did it all.
But hey, maybe Primetime can somehow manage to break that trend after last year’s great documentary on “To Catch A Predator”, Predators.
Maybe?
**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
110 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Luke Dittirch, Ajon Singh
Directed by Lance Oppenheim
Synopsis:
In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.
Short answer: No, it can’t.
And before you start trying to say I just don’t like Robert Pattinson or something, let me just say that he is not the problem with this film.
The script if the problem. It plays fast and loose with reality without acknowledging it’s variances. It’s a narrative mess, spending nearly as much time on “decoy actor” Dan Plumb as it does the nominal central figure of Chris Hansen.
Hell, he’s the better story here, anyway.
Yes, Pattinson plays this version of Hansen as an incredibly creepy dude with some serious mental and emotional issues, but one who can also manipulate those around him to get what he wants.
He’s a great character.
But is he Chris Hansen? Probably not. Not that Hansen is any kind of saint or anything, but come on; if you’re making a movie about a living person whose entire adult like has basically been in front of the camera, perhaps try to impose a little less of your own ideas about what may have been going on in his head, or imply motivations that serve your script, but little else.
So that’s it. The streak of lousy follow-ups to great documentary subjects is intact.
But if you can think of one, let me know. I’d love to see it.
As for Primetime? Cancelled.
Primetime slips into theaters this Friday, September 25, and stars Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Michael Chacher, Alex Winter, Tony Revolori, and Jonathan Lipnicki.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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