Addiction

Another day, another Brain Damage film. This time, Not only was I surprised to find a film that doesn't suck all the way, but I was also alerted when a faint trace of effort lingered from the final cut of this film. While I'm on the topic concerning cuts and edits of a certain film, This is another in the long line of films that brandishes a bloody logo reading "UNRATED" in an attempt to draw up controversy or to spark an illusion for something that simply isn't there.

Addiction isn't bloody in the slightest. There is more blood in the ever popular Halo franchise then there is in the entirety of this film. An abnormally normal office worker stabs a filthy homeless negro and becomes obsessed with the rush of killing and stabbing. Taking cues from the ending of Nekromantik, films these days always try to elaborate some deep psycho-fetish for death, but never pay up its inspirations. Largely a character portrait, I didn't appreciate how this film was a direct copy/paste from Mamet's Edmond (stage play).

Similarities:

Both involve a normal man with a normal marriage
Both get fed up and somehow get separated
Both acquire a knife and begin stabbing people using rage
Both kill negroes who try and rob them
Both have a psychosis effect
Both have a huge falling out
Both get disheveled and pick up prostitutes in an effort to smooth out.

Regardless of James Tucker's original intentions, his subconscious played a huge role on the film by making the majority of his killings racially charged. First he kills a rough Dave Chappelle looking man who attempts to rob him. The tables are turned when Whitey returns the blow and leaves the black man whimpering in a corner. Then he encounters a vagabond who wants to die. Our anti-hero acquiesce half-heartedly to a homeless man's request. All around the world, fans of the Cosby Show cried.

Brain Damage Films has released a decent film which is ripe with unfinished side stories and rips off an amazing stage play which was transformed into a film in 2005 starring William H. Macy. That comes highly recommended, more so than this low budget soap opera. While being an "alright" film, It doesn't meet hardly any requirements to make it a must see. Barely being worthy of a rental, it sure was nice to see some acting that wasn't too horrible.

-mAQ