All Good Things

Audiences traditionally go wild for crime stories. There is a certain thrill to allowing yourself to vicariously enter the dark, seedy world of crime from the comfort and safety of your living room. If the story happens to relate to a real crime than the entire better, true crime has always increased the population of TV show, film or piece of literature. This is not a recent fad, interest in criminal activity can be found in myths and folk lore that contributed to the foundation of our culture. Over a century ago the people of London flocked to purchase ‘Penny Dreadful’ pulp publication to follow the bloody and heinous exploits of the man called ‘Jack the Ripper’. On cable millions of fans watch ‘True Hollywood stories’ or ‘Court TV’ in a voyeuristic feast pertaining to the crimes of the rich, famous and infamous. If the case remains unsolved or surrounded by a shroud of controversy then it’s all the better for the media. On case that is more recent than the Ripper and much closer to home are the mysterious circumstances of Robert Durst. Heirs to a huge real restate fortune in New York City. Son of one of the wealthiest men in the city Durst found himself caught in s web of circumstantial evidence connecting him to the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack and the murder of his long standing friend, Susan Berman. Although not formerly charged with either incident he was charged and stood trial for the murder of a neighbor, Morris Black. A much abbreviated version of the story became the basis of an Episode of ‘Law & Order’ and now the film account, ‘All Good Things’ is released on DVD and Blu-ray. It must be noted that anything ‘Based on True Events’ is going too deviated from the events that are part of the public record. People, events and situations are interpreted under the alleviating banner of dramatic license. Supposedly this telling of the story incorporates newly uncovered information but I have not seen a breakdown of this information or a comparison to what actually occurred. It is best to keep this in mind; the goal here is primarily entertainment not a realistic account of the incidents. A lot is conjecture but that has always been a large part of the appeal with true crime stories.

Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling are relatively new as screenplay writers. This is the first time out for Hinchey and second opus for Smerling although he had some prior work in other areas of film production. They construct the story in such a fashion that initially it presents as a typical romantic tale that gradually morphs into an intriguing murder mystery. As is the case with most true stories the names have been changed even though anyone who has kept up with the news over the last couple of decades knows exactly who each of the characters in the film are supposed to be. The story was a natural for the tabloid press driven as they are by sensationalism. There is deceit, sexual proclivities, drug use and an ultra rich, dysfunctional family. Regular people just love watching the rich and privileged getting into trouble. If you require proof consider what Lindsay Lohan’s legal problems do for hits on TMZ. This does lead us to the consideration of one salient point; when it comes to the legal system it is much better to stand in the courtroom wealthy than poor. If the person suspected of these crimes was a factory worker instead of owning a considerable chunk of mid-town Manhattan I sincerely doubt the story would progress as it did or posses an appeal that could span decades.

New York City in the eighties was at the height of caste differences. The workers took the subway to work hoping just to make ends meet while the rich partied through the nights in drug fuel binges. David Marks (Ryan Gosling) belong to the top of the elite. His father Stanford (Frank Langella) was worth several hundred millions including owning some blocks in Times Square rented out tom strip clubs and the like. David is very much the black sheep of this powerful family. No stranger to drugs, particularly pot. In an act of rebellion David marries Katie (Kirsten Dunst) and escapes the confines of New York City in search of a simpler life in Vermont. Once there the open a high end organic health food shop called ‘All Good Things’. Sanford did not achieve his success by letting other have their own way so the tycoon pressures his son to forsake his low key life and return to New York. Even with the luxuries that his family position affords David is quite unhappy with his situation. Katie discovery that a significant portion of the rents in family owned properties comes from tenants into pornography, prostitution and strip joints. The Marks family may move in the right social circles but they are into some shady cash businesses.

What makes this movie work as well as it does have a lot to do with the stylistic direction by Andrew Jarecki. He spent a lot of time composing musical scores for shows like ‘Felicity’. I have noticed that directors with a musical background tend to have excellent perception and a real feel for how to construct and maintain a strong narrative. This is the case here as Jarecki moves the focus of the story to a character driven movie. By push away from the crime the story gains a human face; and emotional center that is easier to identify with instead of the usual vicarious voyeurism. Gosling expertly handles the role of Mark creating a full picture of a disturbed man with a lot of issues revolving around resentment of his father and subsequently focused inward as he drifts closer to his father’s world. This is one of the best performances provided by Ms Dunst. Apparently this was her first part after facing some issues of her own but it must have allowed her to get in touch with the right emotions since she gives a powerful performance. This also serves to broaden the appeal beyond crime drama fans to anyone who appreciates a well told story.

Posted 03/21/11