Rating of
2/4
Interesting, Somewhat Too Slow
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/22/08
This is an interesting movie because I didn’t like it but I’m somewhat recommending it. There’s a big sense of realism in this picture that made it that much more haunting. Jared Leto as Mark David Chapman, infamously known as John Lennon’s assassin, gives a borderline great performance not only because he gained about sixty pounds for the role; Leto really embodied Chapman’s twisted and fractured mind. The film gave possible reasons why Chapman did what he did, from J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye,” lack of genuine human connection, to alienation, but does not cross that line where the audiences are asked to feel for Chapman. Lindsay Lohan is pretty good here as Jude, who realizes that Chapman is more of stalker than a fanatic. Whenever she and Leto interact, the picture feels more alive. Thankfully, it’s a short film because I was beginning to feel uncomfortable watching Leto; usually he plays a pretty boy who’s damaged in some way but not as shocking as he is in this film. This movie is definitely not for everyone because it feels more like a broadway play than anything (one of the main reasons why I didn’t like it). I’m recommending “Chapter 27″ for the sheer power of Leto’s acting and a nice reminder that Lohan still has star power because she can genuinely act.
