There are very few great women directors in the realm of Hollywood… not because women can’t direct, but because like many things in society, Hollywood is largely a boys’ club. A majority of movies filmed by women are done from a woman’s viewpoint and usually concern women’s issues… meaning that most appeal to a very limited audience, while male directors can direct anything they want and reach everyone. It’s unfair and the idea of social construction and gender stereotypes is so complex that AI could probably talk about this issue all night. But thankfully, I have an actual positive development in the Hollywood battle of the sexes… the emergence of an actual good female director… who isn’t making some lesbian opus or relationship tripe.

There was a time not too long ago when most people thought the career of Jennifer Chambers Lynch was over with her controversial and floptastic flick Boxing Helena… some 16 years ago. It’s been awhile, but Lynch has climbed from under the weight of her cursed debut directorial effort to deliver a solid serial killer flick full of complexity, great characters, and all around awesomeness. It’s a Phoenix-like rise that will hopefully signal the rebirth of a great career… because despite all the flaws and the lawsuits, I’ve seen movies that were way worse than Boxing Helena. Hopefully, the next time I’m writing a review of a Jennifer Chambers Lynch flick, I won’t have to talk about all this background bullshit… and I’ll be able to say something like “the great director, Jennifer Chambers Lynch.”

For those of you who are tired of my unfocused babbling, Surveillance is a complex weaving of perspective and serial killers. The story is slowly parsed out through the perspective of three individuals, a crazy crooked cop, a coke snortin’ junkie, and a sweet-as-shit little girl. Two FBI Agents are sent in to rattle the cages and take down the telling. They must sort through all the bullshit and figure out the real story. It sounds simple… but there are the requisite twists and turns to be found. The great thing is that they actually work.

Most of this is owed to the great director Jennifer Chambers Lynch. Lynch dishes out a solid tale of debauchery that doesn’t waste it’s time misleading the viewer as much as it entertains them, and it does it so well that they fail to ask the obvious questions. Lynch’s film flows like beer at my place on a Friday afternoon…. meaning quickly and consistently. The story, the characters, and the writing are all done so well that the viewer becomes completely disarmed. It’s kind of like what happens when you go on a rollercoaster. While you’re slowly going up, you have time to ponder all the workings of the apparatus… but once you hit the crest of that rise and start flying downhill with your stomach in the back of your throat, all thoughts about pulleys, steelwork, and hydraulics leave your brain. Lynch creates a downhill explosion of a flick that never hits bottom and, consequently, never has to slow down to reach the top, freeing the viewer from the responsibility of trying to put all the pieces together. I’m not saying you can’t figure out the twist… because you can, all I’m saying is that if you overly concern yourself with the workings of the plot, you’re going to miss out on the best part of the flick… which is the ride itself.

The cast of the movie is awesome, from no-name actors and actresses to the big-name ones, everyone is wonderful in this film. Bill Pullman hits the notes of the film just right, and his performance is awesome. Julia Ormond is intriguing as the female F.B.I. agent. But Kent Harper and French Stewart steal the show as two fun-loving dickhead cops who get their kicks out of fucking with innocent travelers. Toss in the first good Michael Ironside appearance since The Machinist, and a couple of pivotal performances from Pell James and Ryan Simpkins, and you’ve got yourself a stew.

Surveillance is a good time all around. It’s got some brutality, a narrative structure that plays really well, and some great performances. What’s not to like? Not much. Check out Surveillance when you get the chance.

Final Synopsis: Surveillance rocks. Bill Pullman is awesome in it… and French Stewart is actually a bonus. I think this one is worth a buy, but it’s a close call, so I’d rent it first.

Points Lost: -1 for being a little too heavy-handed on some of the clues, -1 for not showing some of the stuff that you’ll really want to see

Lesson Learned: Cops are all dicks.

Burning Question: Who doesn’t want to be a cop after seeing this movie?

Surveillance
8/10

Tags: 2008, Bill Pullman, crime thriller, french stewart, horror, jennifer chambers lynch, julia ormond, kent harper, latest movie reviews, Michael Ironside, pell james, recent3, ryan simpkins, serial killer, thriller