The Life of David Gale (2003)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Excellent adaptation.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This movie was a good concept, and from a technical standpoint, it was filmed well. The story follows the story of a man who was sent to death row for a crime he didn't commit. He requires the help of a reporter to clear his name post-mortem, so that his son doesn't think poorly of him. However, the ending flaws the entire logic of his statement. It is revealed that he was working with the woman's suicide to make it look as if he had committed the murder. It shows that he cares more about abolishing the death sentence than his family. It doesn't fit with the character that was established throughout the entire movie. It felt forced into the plot. The movie was filled with plot conveniences, like when her car broke down whilst trying to get the tape to the police to prove the man's innocence. It built a false sense of tension, but the outcome was predictable. The acting was sub-par. I normally love Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet. They felt uncharacteristically tired and emotionless throughout the entire movie. Even the scenes where Kate Winslet was crying felt forced. I couldn't help but laugh at some of the more emotional scenes. The movie was fun to watch, and it was well shot and well produced, but it was lacking in areas that could've made the movie great.

The Life Of David Gale is a very interesting and entertaining movie to watch. The story-line is a thing manhood will debate over forever. Should we execute some people for the crimes they committed? Is the death penalty humane and is it flawless? My own opinion is no because you can't be sure about every crime committed and so even if there is only 0.1% chance that the jury or/and judge had it wrong it's still 0.1% too much. There are enough innocent people executed by mistake and that makes us not better then any other murderer. About the movie itself the story is very well written and is a delight to watch. The two main actors Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet are perfect for this movie. I thought Kevin Spacey was outstanding in his role. The rest of the cast is also quality. there is nothing bad to say about The Life Of David Gale. It's an emotional movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat during the entire movie. A must watch!

Having read many of the reviews, I fail to understand how so many can view this as a bad movie. I thought this was a thought provoking movie and certainly a lot better than what a lot of people are saying about it. Outstanding performances by Kate Winlset and Kevin Spacey. The story revolves around a Professor who is on death row for the rape and murder of a colleague. Kevin Spacey plays this role excellently. Kate Winslet is a reporter who is given the chance by Spacey to tell his story. I do not wish to spoil the ending for anyone who decides to watch this movie so suffice to say, to get this movie will need to watch it from the beginning and keep track of what is happening. Some things will happen early in the movie that don't seem to be important yet the end up being critical.

You look at the cast. An award-winning cast in front of and behind the camera. You look at the genre. Crime drama. Sounds promising? You look at the length. At over 2 hours running time, you possibly have some doubts, since so few films in the history of the medium have managed to sustain interest at that length, but, you tell yourself, with such credentials, how can you go wrong? Well, the answer is, it is easier than it looks, for this is a very flawed film, with major timing, casting, and writing problems, that succeeds (ie, remains reasonably entertaining and suspenseful) in spite of itself. And painfully so. Interestingly, the film itself is a throwback to an era a few decades earlier (the 80s) when "trick endings" or "messing with the audience's head" was more popular. There is a reason that kind of film died. Ironically, for a story which itself is about opposing capital punishment, the production of this specific film is proof that these sorts of twisty-turny stories really should be euthanized before film is ever loaded in the camera. The first 20 minutes of the film (literally) is one movie by itself, full of great acting, dialog, and promise. Then, at the 20 min mark, Kevin Spacey's character comes onboard and immediately there are issues. It is not so much that he does a bad job, as it is the casting. The role is the antithesis of the type of role Spacey usually plays (meek and innocent as opposed to powerful and evil) and this creates a "disconnect" with the viewer that becomes progressively more uncomfortable as the film winds down the overlong road it has chosen. The killer (of the film, not of the script) is the last 20 minutes, where (effectively) a third movie starts, completely different from the first two. By this stage the audience feels on a subliminal level like a chicken being plucked and headed for the pot. Clearly, there is something going on here, the dialog and action reveals, but you won't know what until the very end, until the Big Reveal.In past reviews, this reviewer has been very critical of films that attempt to succeed based almost entirely because of their ability to mess with the audience. This film is no exception to that stance. Overlong, and structurally very damaged, the end result I believe is but a shadow of what the director originally intended. In other words, an experiment gone bad. With hindsight, it is astounding that the film holds interest at all.