MOVIE: Auto Focus
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Willem Dafoe,
Maria Bello, Rita Wilson, Ron Liebman
Directed by Paul Schrader
Written by Michael Gerbosi and Paul Schrader
Propaganda Films Distributed by Sony
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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All movie goers are voyeurs and I am no exception; I'm certainly interested in sex enough to be attracted to Auto Focus, a sordid tale of sexual addiction based on the true story of Bob Crane, the late star of Hogan's Heroes. I expected lots of nudity and got it, but this film really isn't an exercise in soft porn. Sex just happens to be there in the story because it's the vehicle by which Crane fell.

Lots of coverage on the film was circulating before I saw it, so the plot itself actually held no surprises for me. The story of Crane's slide from a normal loving-wife-and-two-kids kind of life to his bludgeoning death in a cheap motel is told matter-of-factly, sometimes in first person by Greg Kinnear, almost like Sunset Boulevard. Actually it's more like Sunset Boulevard crossed with Boogie Nights, and heavy on the Boogie Nights.

Greg Kinnear's portrayal of Bob Crane is compelling in that you can't look away, but your mind keeps screaming for him to right himself and he never does. Kinnear will certainly join the upper ranks of stars for his work. Equally compelling is Willem Dafoe as Carpenter, the video technician who becomes Crane's enabling partner in a quest for a steady supply of one-night stands. Dafoe hasn't been this good since Shadow Of The Vampire. This is the kind of story The Academy loves so both Kinnear and Dafoe could easily get Oscar nominations, but somehow I don't think either will get the nod. Hollywood loves a story of a fall but doesn't like looking into the mirror that much.

Paul Schrader's great direction and writing makes sure Auto Focus commands your attention, but ultimately the story isn't really entertaining. There isn't much of an attempt to play a scene comically to endear you to Crane. Sure there are lots of beautiful women in the film, but the context doesn't really let you enjoy their beauty much. So what is the film trying to say? Is this really an insight into a dark world of sexual addiction, warning us to keep away from consensual sex lest we suffer Crane's fate? In the end Auto Focus left me rather cold and depressed and with those questions unanswered.

The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the film? Yes, I think.
Would I go to see it again? Probably not.


© 2002 - Rusty Pipes