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Photo © Sony Pictures Classics
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Auto Focus
Drama
1 hr. 47 min.
October 18, 2002
R for strong sexuality, nudity, language, some drug use and violence
Sony Pictures Classics
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Starring: Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe
Directed By: Paul Schrader
Produced By: Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Screenplay By: Michael Gerbosi
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Reviewed
By: Wellington Lee
Rated 2.91/5
Unsolved or questionable murders of famous people have intrigued us from Cleopatra
to
the O.J. Simpson saga. How do you go from the star of a No 1 Friday night T.V.
show(60’s) to being bludgeoned to death in a Scottsdale Ariz. Motel in
1978? Maiden
Directorial effort by renowned screenplay writer Paul Schrader(Affliction ’97;
70’sTaxi
Driver). “..Focus” is a biopic film that explores the career drive
and American pie life of
Crane and his descent into his shadow side of compulsive, self destructive behaviors.
Adapted by M. Gerbosi from Robert Graysmith’s book:”The Murder of
Bob Crane”.
Crane(Greg Kinnear) is initially portrayed as an ambitious Radio disc jockey
with a
popular talk and music L.A. show. It is 1965. He is a church going devoted husband
and
Dad, pressing his agent for more film(not T.V.) parts. Agent Lenny(Ron Liebman)
shows
him a script for the pilot “Hogan’s Heroes”, and implores him
to at least read it. Once
wife Ann gets on board and tells him to do the lead, Crane’s life will
never be the same.
He meets seedy hustler John Carpenter(later acquitted for Crane’s murder)on
the set,
who wires stereos and b.s.’s his way into prototypes for the emerging Helical
Video
camera systems(precursors to our VHS). Willem Dafoe plays yet another bad guy
brilliantly, steering Crane into a Playboyesque, ‘swinging lifestyle’.
Drummer Crane
starts sitting in with the bands of strip joints, and from there, parties at
Carpenter’s pad.
Kinnear portrays this slide to hedonism and sexual addiction without evoking
empathy
or showing any real guilt. Dir. Schrader and cinematographer Murphy tweak the
colors
and lighting from glossy ‘All American ‘to murky, darker colors for
the philandering and
partying.
Wife Anne senses and brings up his odd hours and lack of interest in her. His
real life son
Robert David cameos as an interviewer, querying him on the’secret’ of
his Hollywood
long(16 years) marriage:Crane:”Three words. Don’t make waves”.
And he does not. At least for a while. Col. Klink’s comely assistant is
replaced by
“Hilda”, Patti Olson. Crane and Olson strike a rapport and chemistry
laden friendship.
Patti to Crane over dinner:”What are your dreams”? Crane: “Besides
drumming with
Buddy Rich. I dream about finding somebody who gets me. Who I am.”
This real life drama is well known: Crane divorces Anne and marries Patti. Patti
tolerates
his ‘open sex marriage’, but becomes more and more bitter and wants
a child. Crane’s
sordid reputation, forces him to do dinner theater, with self appointed manager
Carpenter
in tow. The carousing and orgies continue, as he discovers the Midwestern womens’
naivete and appreciation of a rerun T.V. star.
Although the sexual situations could be disturbing to many, Autofocus chronicles
a
man’s slide with the emphasis on the behavior and Crane’s lack of
self examination or
personal responsibility. Dafoe gives one of his best sinister performances as
the smiley,
alluring sidekick filming everything to Crane’s kinky fascination. |
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