On # List of Movie Reviews
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8MM (1999)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
6/04, 8/13
8/13:
8MM isn't a bad film overall.
Having Nicolas Cage on board largely helps. Believe it or not, 8MM would be almost the last good role of his career; he
hit the final high point in Adaptation. The rest of his oeuvre from there on has been a series of bombs that's
mostly through direct-to-video DVDs.
Henceforth, we're left with the all-important question: "What the hell happened to Nicolas Cage? He used to be a
fine actor." Well, the simple answer is: he's flat broke, owing back taxes after blowing his $150 million fortune due to his
insane buying habits which include:
*ahem* Drum roll, if you will please.
A 67-million-year-old Tarbosaurus skull, shrunken Pymgy heads, a pyramid tombstone, fifty highly priced works of art, two
albino king cobras (that's for his sexual activities, and please don't ask me why or how), a crocodile, a shark, and an octopus.
Wait...I'm not done yet. I just need a glass of water before I continue again. This is such an exhausting list...
A 40-acre island in the south of Nassau, fifteen estates around the world, two European castles, four yachts, a private
Gulfstream jet, thirty motorcycles, and fifty cars including a rare Lamborghini Miura SV, nine Rolls Royces, and a Ferrari Enzo.
It raises a question I've been long dying to know: when the hell does he have the time to enjoy all of them? Anyway, back to
reality and, more importantly, my analysis of 8MM. Joaquin Phoenix is surpisingly effective in his supporting role, but
everybody else is more or less a wannabe. Easily the worst performance comes from Catherine Keener. She's like: "Look at me! Look
at me! I'm important, dammit!" Please cancel the bitch.
The plot is good and easy to follow, but there are many simplified generalizations which make the film more ridiculous
than it appears. Of course, Nicolas Cage's character gets his man, and the world is all good and happy. At the same time, he commits
several murders along the way because he's the judge, jury, and executioner. That's just fantastic, Mr. Joel
Schumacher, but I'm yawning intensely.
All in all, 8MM, despite the running time of 123 minutes, is a watchable picture with certain neo-noir traits.