Adapted from a novel by film critic Gilbert Adair, this bittersweet comedy re-imagines Thomas Mann's classic tale of unrequited adoration, Death in Venice, as an experience with which almost everybody is familiar: the movie-star crush. John Hurt plays a stuffy English writer, Giles De'Ath, who mistakenly stumbles into a screening of Hotpants College 2 at a nearby multiplex and is immediately smitten by a young actor named Ronnie Bostock (Jason Priestley). The first half of the film, which details Giles' growing obsession with all things Bostock, is sensational; in addition to the incongruity of a middle-aged literary man furtively purchasing copies of the English equivalent of Tiger Beat, there's also a flurry of genuinely funny fish-out-of-water gags, with Giles clearly adrift in the late 20th century (purchasing a VCR, for example, without realizing that another major purchase is an important prerequisite). The film takes a more poignant and somewhat less successful turn at about the midpoint. As a showcase for Hurt, however, the entire movie is indispensable. Few other actors could have prevented Giles De'Ath from appearing either pathetic or psychotic, but Hurt's performance remains beautifully dignified no matter how ridiculous his character's behavior. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)
Love and Death on Long Island
(Universal, 93 min., PG-13, avail. Jan. 19) Vol. 14, Issue 1
Love and Death on Long Island
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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