The pace of the movie is slow yet intriguing. The dialogue is realistic and clever. The plot is unpredictable. And the ending is fantastic. All things that I hunger for in good movies but so rarely find. Thank god for independent film makers.
From the outset, Jack's world draws us in. He considers himself a man destined for greatness, but he's a complete nothing. He is a failed writer staring at a blank page forced to watch people walking by the window of his girlfriend's basement apartment, people he looks down upon but who seem to be moving with such purpose. And it's this juxtaposition - between his stagnant life and the fluidity and success of all those around him (seemingly even his lying father) - that forces him back behind the table and begins the story.
Part philosopher, part misanthrope, Jack is irresistibly human. And this is what makes him so much more appealing than the myriad of other stone-faced leading men, namely James Bond. Of course Jack is cool, but he doesn't live in the glamorous, predictable world of good versus evil. Much of Jack is cynical and selfish even before he takes on the role of his novel's leading man, Jake. We get the feeling that he's never totally in control, and that's what sets us up for the ending when we find out that, in fact, he never was in control. His deep, calming voice provides the viewer with a false sense of calm, and in the end, we're left wondering how reliable of a narrator he really was. For me, it is Jack and the confusing role that gambling plays in his fate that makes the film.
The movie ends in a bit of a flurry. It took me several hours after to piece it all together, but for me that was delightful. I would have to go back to The Usual Suspects to find another movie that threw me for such a twist. It's no Usual Suspects, but it's a definite winner and a refreshing break from the typical Hollywood trash.
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