Duncan Roy's fact-based film, about a lower-class British youth who briefly enjoys the high life after assuming the identity of an aristocrat and bamboozling members of the upper crust into accepting (and supporting) him, AKA is a Ripley-esque story that boasts none of the sharpness of Patricia Highsmith's novels or the films based on them. Matthew Leitch plays protagonist Dean Page pretty much as a cipher; blandly handsome, the young man is such a colorless, uncommunicative sort that it's difficult to swallow that he could ingratiate himself so easily, let alone finagle his way into high society. Further straining credulity, the aristocratic types are all depicted as utter snobs--crude caricatures instead of real people--in a blunt and obvious assault on the British class system. Still, the picture would be only mildly irritating were it not for Roy's decision to stage it in perpetual split screen, with three side-by-side shots spread across every widescreen frame--a visually fatiguing mode of presentation that doesn't add any depth or dramatic resonance to the narrative (especially since the various images merely show the same actions from slightly altered angles with a few mini-second time differences). Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both the original theatrical “triptych” (a three-split-screen) unrated version and a single-frame "R" rated version, audio commentary by director Roy, and a trailer. Bottom line: the opportunity to view the film in a single frame version solves one of AKA's problems, but that's not enough to recommend it.] (F. Swietek)
AKA
Sundance, 107 min., avail. in R & unrated versions, VHS: $79.99, DVD: $26.99, Sept. 14 Volume 19, Issue 5
AKA
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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