FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A HOLE IN ONE
Like Todd Haynes's Far From Heaven, A Hole in One handsomely
recreates the 1950s, as well as harshly criticizes the prejudices
and societal norms of the era. But director Richard Ledes' debut feature
film is not quite as polished.
Contemporary viewers will not blame Anna (Michelle Williams) for being
depressed. Not only is she dating a psychotic and abusive mobster, Billy
(Meat Loaf Aday), her younger brother has returned from World War II as a
shell-shocked wreck. Anna reads an article in Life Magazine
concerning lobotomies, which have been said to cure just about any mental
ailment imaginable. Enter Dr. Harold Ashton (Bill Raymond), an economically-minded neurosurgeon who has pioneered the transorbital lobotomy, which can
be performed by a single person (the mechanics of this procedure are
depicted in graphic detail).
This role gives Michelle Williams a chance to show a range that
was never necessary for TV's Dawson's Creek. Meat Loaf, however,
is totally over the top, although it looks like he's having a good time. His
loud overacting frequently takes the audience out of the somber mood the
director has worked so hard to fashion. Bill Raymond is a foreboding evil
presence, and Louis Zorich gives a great, but brief, performance as a Greek
nightclub owner whose innocent gesture of affection towards Anna gets him in
trouble with the fanatically jealous Billy.
With a whole lot of ideas and not much of an actual plot, A Hole in
One is a bit of a mess. Thanks to the cinematography of Stephen
Kazmierski, it is a frequently beautiful mess. The gorgeous shots of beaches
and other landscape will provide something to look at if the audience finds
the story tiresome. Although A Hole in One falls short, Richard Ledes
is a director to keep an eye on. Rob Glidden
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