Crime + Punishment in Suburbia

While Jacob the Liar was made before Life is Beautiful, it was theatrically released after, and the surface similarities doomed its chances of success. Ditto for this stylistically pretentious adaptation of Dostoyefsky's classic novel of guilt and redemption, which was made before, but released after American Beauty. Comparisons may be unfair, but they are unavoidable, as suburbia comes in for another trashing when a cheerleader daughter (Monica Keena) plots the murder of her alcoholic and abusive stepfather (Michael Ironside), and then lets mom (a haggard-looking Ellen Barkin) take the fall. Vincent Kartheiser will give you the creeps as a geek voyeur who stalks her with his camera. Ultimately, the real crime here is what has been done to Dostoyefsky's book, while the real punishment is having to watch the results. Not recommended. (K. Lee Benson)