A film of insanity, cruelty and living life when the thrill is gone, “Adam Resurrected” tells a powerful story---for viewers tough enough to take it. One of Jeff Goldblum’s best performances and stand-up supporting work by Willem Dafoe
Director Paul Schrader sums up one of the crowning achievements of his exceptional film career with, “At the time I wrote “Taxi Driver,” I was in a rather low and bad place. I had broken with Pauline Kael, I had broken with my wife, I had broken with the woman I left my wife for, I had broken with the American Film Institute and I was in debt.” He apparently found that being in a bad way was good for him, at least when it came to seven figure paychecks, because his latest film “Adam Resurrected” is right up this alley.
Known for writing and directing films about men driven to beyond the breaking point by sheer, squashing, inhuman persecution and humiliation (“Affliction”,”Raging Bull”) he has found a perfect subject in both characters of this film.
Jeff Goldblum, the eccentric, socially challenged scientist from “Jurassic Park” (1993) and “Independence Day” (1996) plays one of the choicest lead roles of 2008 as madman Adam Stein. Stein was not born mad; he was driven mad at a Nazi concentration camp as his wife and daughter were marched to the ovens. In the plot department that is straightforward and believable but not exceptionally creative. But whether you like the plot or not, Goldblum pulls off the character with one of the best acting performances of the year. He thoroughly enjoys himself and works with every muscle in his body to be the best, and nicest, crazy man you ever knew.
If casting Goldblum is a work of genius, placing Willem Dafoe as Nazi Commandant Klein approaches the spiritual. Admittedly, some people like Dafoe and, possibly, some don’t. But in this film he combines his very evil Green Goblin character from the “Spider-Man” series with his just doing my job “Inside Man” character Captain John Darius (or maybe his “American Dreamz” just following orders Chief of Staff) and the result is hilarious.
Admittedly, it is not clear that outright hilarity was what director Paul Schrader or writers Yoram Kaniuk and Noah Stollman were looking for; but that’s the way it turned out. And lucky for them, too, as the film comes close to exploiting a much worn out stereotype of the bloodthirsty Nazi psycho-pervert-pimp before the plot thickens and Dafoe shows us a side we didn’t imagine.
“Adam Resurrected” is a very good film but a very hard film to watch. It is square in the middle of Schrader’s tortured turf and it treats its subjects, and the audience, with just about as much hard luck as either could stand. Oh, not to forget the third main character in the film: the boy who was raised as a dog and at about ten years old is incapable of behaving in any manner but that of a dog. When the traumatized boy, the madman Stein and Commandant Klein collide, their strengths, and weaknesses, add up to more, and less, than the sum of their parts.
The sound track by thrice Oscar nominated Gabriel Yared (“Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “The English Patient”) is super. Yared follows the mental conditions of the characters like Spiderman on a wall, weaving the music into the actions of Stein and his violin with a dramatic effect that is moving and heart rending. Cinematographer Sebastian Edschmid combines color and black and white, hand-held and static and grainy and smooth filmic techniques to emphasize flashbacks and moments of severe mental stress (of which there are many). The overall feel of the film is that of dream-like fantasy, or perhaps a nightmare from which the characters may or may not awaken.
Great supporting work by young Romanian actor Tudor Rapiteanu as the boy who as a dog joins with Adam Stein to become man’s best friends. Last but not least, an eye-poppingly sexy performance by Israeli Film Academy award winner Ayelet Zurer as Nurse Ratchet Gina Grey who turns the role on its head.
A very good film for very mature audiences. Will not be appreciated by any but aficionados seasoned in film noir and tragedy and content with endings that are at best bitter sweet.
Release: December 12, 2008
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