Every year, there are a few films that get non-stop press for months, and seemingly every major reviewer falls in love with. Last year, these distinctions went overwhelmingly to two films: “The People vs. Larry Flynt” and “The Crucible.”
Both were extremely difficult projects on extremely complex and controversial subjects, and this is exactly the type of film that usually cleans up at the Oscars and gets remembered as a ground breaking work of art.
In my opinion, neither of them were really all that good.
Now, don’t get me wrong: these films are a definite step up from “Jerry Maguire” and “Michael,” but they aren’t the movies that should go down as master works in the annals of film history.
Let’s look at “The Crucible” first. Based on Arthur Miller’s famous play, “The Crucible” deals with the hysteria surrounding the Salem witch trials, a topic that one might think would have to make for an exciting movie. Unfortunately, it does no such thing.
While Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Rider give the performances of their lives, this is simply not enough to make up for the striking lack of power and excitement in this film. Despite the best efforts of the actors, no real sympathy is ever developed for their characters, and since the movie is based on that, it is devastating.
Frankly, “The Crucible” tells like a soap opera, and not a very good one.
“The People vs. Larry Flynt” is a little better. It tells the rags to riches story of porn magnate Larry Flynt and his constant run-ins with the law and the first amendment.
Flynt is best known for his “Hustler” magazine, and the Supreme Court case that won him the right to print just about whatever he wanted about anyone. This story is told well in the biographical film, but the movie doesn’t stop there.
“Larry Flynt” takes it upon itself to examine nearly every aspect of Flynt’s life, some important to the story, some utterly meaningless. For instance, fifteen minutes of the film are spent on Flynt’s flirtation with Christianity, but after he reverts to his old ways, this distraction simply doesn’t matter.
As with “The Crucible,” the lead roles here are played magnificently. Woody Harrelson, whose versatility seems to know no bounds, and Courtney Love, whose charisma seems to know no bounds, both give Oscar-worthy performances, but fail to save the film. As with “The Crucible,” the movie never really gives the viewer anything to care about, or enough entertainment value to get away with it.
If you like haughty art films that don’t seem to care whether you like them or not, “Larry Flynt” and “The Crucible” might just be for you. But as far as I’m concerned, “Beavis and Butt-head” and “Scream” are a pair more worthy of your money.
“The Crucible” - Grade: C-
“The People vs. Larry Flynt” - Grade: B-