Although entirely fictional, “The Life of David Gale” manages to bring real-life issues to the screen in an entirely innovative and creative way. British director Alan Parker (“Midnight Express,” “The Commitments”) does get a bit over the top at times, but still retains the cleverness of Charles Randolph’s script.
The title character (Kevin Spacey, “The Usual Suspects”) is a popular college professor of philosophy and respected death penalty opponent at the University of Austin.
Through a bizarre twist of fate, he finds himself on Death Row for the rape and murder of fellow death penalty activist and university colleague Constance Harraway (Laura Linney).
Three days before Gale’s execution date; he invites the hard-nose, source-protecting magazine reporter Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet) to interview him.
Through vivid flashbacks, Gale shares his case in three two-hour interviews with Bloom (like every other inmate on Death Row, he swears up and down he is innocent).
Although Bloom comes in pretty sure of Gale’s guilt, she reluctantly changes her mind as she hears the torrid details of Gale’s story. Soon she puts her own safety (not to mention her journalistic integrity) in peril and attempts to piece the true story together before it’s too late.
“The Life of David Gale” is exactly the kind of hard-hitting drama Spacey is drawn too and his performance is reminiscent of his “Pay it Forward” and “K-Pax” characters.
Some of his best scenes are after Gale’s initial fall from grace – when he’s walking the streets of Austin deep in the throngs of a drunken binge, spouting philosophical tidbits to disinterested passersby.
Winslet’s performance is more standoffish than usual, although some of that may be due to the character she’s portraying. After all, any woman who introduces herself as “Bitsey” has a hard time being taken completely seriously.
It’s Linney’s smaller role as the soon-to-be murdered death penalty advocate and feminist college professor that really shines.
Playing a woman so passionate about her cause and career there’s not much life left she makes a fireside confession to Gale “I worked so hard to not be seen as a sex object…. pretty soon you’re not seen at all.”
While it’s not quite the edge-of-your-seat thriller toted in the previews, “The Life of David Gale” does leave clues to the mysterious puzzle at its center scattered throughout the film and you will probably be kept guessing till the end scene.
“The Life of David Gale” is rated R, for violent images, nudity, language and sexuality and opened last Friday.
