Tangled (2002)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Jeffrey Lieber
Starring Rachael Leigh cook, Shawn Hatosy, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Directed by Jay Lowi

Rating: R

Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Rent it.

When a young man is discovered beaten and wearing a pair of handcuffs, wandering a wilderness road, the film begins to unravel a web of manipulation, dangerous attraction, and suspense. David is Our Hero, now recovering in a hospital, and has loved his friend Jenny for years. But Jenny is more interested in David’s bad boy friend Alan, who promises to reform for Jenny. When Alan inevitably fails to stay true to Jenny and his obsession with her seems to take a darker turn, someone rats on him to the police for drug possession, landing Alan in jail. But when Alan is released from jail, he has a plan for revenge involving David and Jenny both.

The plot is a bit predictable in places, but there are enough surprises to keep you guessing. The way in which the film was filmed, a mixture of flashbacks and “as I remember it” variations on truth, is also interesting and a new-old take on narrative that can work very well if you have the plot and actors to pull if off.

The acting is much better than you might expect from a teen angst film. Given that the entire movie is basically these three young actors, they are able to keep it from being dull and dead. Rhys-Meyers is nicely creepy as the mad, bad, and dangerous to know Alan, and Cook’s luminous beauty is perfect for the fragile, fickle, and ultimately a bit unlikable Jenny. Hatosy is solid as the “good friend” David, and pulls off the surprise ending with more skill than your average teen angst actor. It is interesting to see how Rhys-Meyers and the script work to keep his character likable; we finally see at least a little bit of why a girl would stay with him when he’s obviously unstable and not as reliable as David.

This film is not without shortcomings, however. There are a few scenes that drag on a bit longer than was really necessary, and it would have been nice had the three main characters been a bit more likable. David, the “nice guy,” feels just a wee bit too sorry for himself, and Jenny just needs to make up her mind and quit playing both boys. The inclusion of the police in David’s hospital room, interviewing him for the truth, are just throwaway characters who should either have been given more of a role or just done without. Now they serve as a transparent plot hook for David to tell his story; we don’t even get to see them relating to Jenny, nor do we get to see Jenny telling her story—we only hear that it matches David’s.

If you like Akutagawa’s short story “In a Grove,” then you might be interested in this film as it discusses point of view, criminal intent, and covering crimes with selective editing. Just be aware that this film is no Rashomon. Basically, the moral of the story seems to be “don’t mess with English majors because they’re smarter than you,” which is something I can live with. I just wish that the acting had been a little bit better, the plot a little bit tighter, and the filming a little bit more special. As it is though, it’s a good popcorn rental and an interesting look at how to kill your friends and get away with it.