The Life of David Gale

The Life of David Gale did not do a lot of business when it opened back in 2003 and quickly disappeared from theatres before I had a chance to see the film. I was disappointed by this, as the movie stars two of my favorite actors: Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet. After finally viewing the film, I feel that disappointment was justified - more people should have seen this film! Though certainly not the best film I have seen either actor in, the movie was very engrossing and the performances were very good. Kevin Spacey especially shone in his role as David, a former death-penalty protester who is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Kate Winslet is also quite good, but I had a bit of a hard time with the fact that her character was supposed to me so well established as a journalist that David sought her out to tell his story; Winslet was all of 28 or so when the film was made and certainly does not look any older. That is a minor criticism however. The pacing of the movie is swift and keeps the viewer very engaged. The story is interesting and though I figured out the final twist fairly early on (way too many years of reading mystery novels), I'd be willing to say it would remain a surprise for most casual viewers. Even having figured it out, I found the twist be interesting. My bottom line is: this is a movie that deserves a viewing if you are a fan of mystery dramas.