Show J a t o a N j F d' d 01 0 c a 31 1 y If y k I 1 h A J j jf f f w c t r I i 7 I y 1 sad b 54 r. r x I Movie Review I Dead Ringers 1 2 l Mike Richan Though David career was marked in its early stages with a good deal of blood and gore it has been his nature of late lat to move Inove toward more Inore subdued visual effects Especially in his work since the viscerally viscerally viscerally vis- vis shocking moments come further and further apart leaving more room forthe for forthe forthe the intellectualizing of horror horror horror hor hor- achieved lately through excellent performances and sound scripts Dead Ringer based on the late novel Twins is Cronenberg at an odd balancing balancing balancing balanc balanc- ing point The film is horrific yet not horror It is a vis vis- intellectual ceral blend that is effective in its overall approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap and it is the lack of specific head explosion scenes such as in his 1980 j I Scanners or smaller moments moments mo mo- mo- mo j ments of the grotesque Jeff I 1 Goldblum dropping flesh in his 1986 The Fly that has garnered him recent critical i praise Restraint it would i seem is the magic elusive I catalyst Cronenberg has been t in need of to lift his films I i from the grimy world B-world of I Too many Effects to the serious world of filmmaking inhabited by serious tors As if only it were true Yes this is a fine piece of ing Jeremy Irons richly deserves deserves deserves deser deser- ves an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of twin gynecologists who degenerate from brilliance and success to insanity and death How However ver this film film lacks the sheer sensitivity sensitivity sensitivity sen sen- sen- sen of The Dead Zone the explicitness of The Fly and the outrageous unpredictability unpredictability unpredictability of And my didn't it at times even seem a What would be nice is a blend of Cronen Gronenberg's Cronenberg's bergs berg's talents not boring and disappointing disappointing disappointing pointing slide into the mainstream world We have no need for a carbon copy Cronenberg's talent lies in his extremes and his uncanny way of presenting them theIn the loss of which is a little sad While the catalyst propels him into the swelling ranks of human filmmakers we are left with a film simply not as entertaining as the Cronen Cronenberg berg stamp used to promise Having made this statement on Cronenberg Dead Ringers is still his best film Technically perfect and emotionally emotionally emo emo- exhaustive it is frightening and intense and even artistic something one can say about only at Horror Conventions It Itis is nevertheless a worthy film and a certain deliverer of the willys |