Spread

In the sixties a peculiar genre of film became extremely popular; the sex farce. This odd variation of the romantic comedy was a compromise of sorts between the growing liberalization of sexual attitudes especially in the youth, and the growing concern over the moral content of film that would led to the MPAA film rating system. Mostly the films had to avoid anything too risqué so there was little if any overtly sexual material of nudity. In these films the preferred methodology was to employ double entendres that frequent were far from subtle. The actors participating in this trend frequently became matinee idols with stars such as Doris Day and Rock Hudson as two of the most memorable. They were considered excellent date movies for young adults and the genre dominated much of the cinematic style of the decade. Now, of course, what is permitted in films is radically different. The need for innuendo has all but been replaced by far more graphic images and situations in some cases doing away with simulation altogether. Still, the movie going audience enjoys going old school with a less explicit sex romp flick. Most times the over the top comedy has been supplanted by a touch of the dramatic to provide some legitimacy among the Indy film festival circuit. In any case the genre has degraded since its prime thirty years ago mostly through the loss of the charm and sense of naughty fun the classic movies of this type exhibited. A case in point would be the independent flick under consideration here; ‘Spread’. The movie is not completely without enjoyable elements but the bottom line is it could have been reworked to succeed more than it did. This is an odd little film that will struggle to find just the right audience beyond those film buffs willing to be a bit more adventurous in their viewing habits.

Credited for both the screenplay and the source story is Jason Dean Hall. This is his freshman work showing promise but not quit polished enough at this early point in his career. One aspect of the script that fails to work is a lesson that should have been learned from those earner flicks. The main character is so completely unlikeable I just could care enough about him to fully get into the movie. In the old farces the comedy may have tended to slapstick but it gave some variation to the proceedings. Here, the humors elements are present but much darker in their nature resulting in a complete shift in the presentation. Thirty years ago the sex was still a somewhat unspoken subject. The sex farce got away with more because it cloaked the subject matter in silly antics. Now with sexuality an openly discussed topic comedies revolving around sex have largely degraded to juvenile ‘R faire. This film attempted to break away from this lamentable trend with a serious core punctuated with dark humor. I see the point that the director David Mackenzie was trying to make about a specific type of sexual predator but much of it was lost by the sheer unlikable nature of all the characters, Mackenzie is a gifted director who will go far once he learns to balance the flow of his films. The protagonist, Nicki (Ashton Kutcher) is supposed to be detestable using his inherently affable nature to callously get whatever he wants from other people. His only marketable skill is his tantric like sexual prowess and boyish charm. While he enjoys a dalliance with a young woman they are hardly in the financial position to provide his desired life style. His latest targeted ‘cougar’ is Samantha (Anne Heche). Much of the film chronicles Nikki’s methodology from stalking his prey to moving in. Nikki frequently speaks dire feigns sleeping giving a boyish grin so she leaves him with a note to order breakfast and a credit card. Every time Sam begins to get wise to his machinations he responds with mind blowing sex to distract her. Things are going as they usually do until Nikki sets his eyes on a new plaything, a young waitress named Heather (Margarita Levieva). She offers a little challenge for Nikki. There is just something about Heather that gets under Nikki’s skin and against his better judgment he begins to fall for her. The thing is she turns out to be the female version of him using older, established men to support her. There is a bitter sweet quality goes a long way to help the film but it is just too little too late. The point may be Nikki’s inability to change just comes across as unsatisfying. The film is beautifully filmed and the high definition Blu-ray edition is absolutely stunning. The colors are vibrant and alive showcasing the visual experience offered by the format. This is a movie that makes an honest attempt and may not reach its potential but remains a very interesting experience.

Posted 11/13/09