About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

A promising, attractive thriller that fails to deliver the goods.



Pros

• Good cast
• Solid direction
• Strong gore

Cons

• Overly ambiguous
• Familiar genre conventions
• Forced emotion

Description

• Starring Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, Clea DuVall, Peter Stormare, James Rebhorn, Amy Carlson, Don Harvey
• Directed by Henry Miller
• Rated R
• DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008

Guide Review - 'Anamorph' DVD Review

In Anamorph, Willem Dafoe stars as Stan, a Hollywood-standard burnt-out homicide cop who's brought back onto the force when a serial killer with an M.O.

similar a case that he worked on terrorizes the city. The case drove him to retire when the killer, dubbed Uncle Eddie, killed a girl he felt responsible for.

Since we're not privy to details of Uncle Eddie's crimes, we have to take the movie's word that the new murders -- in which the killer positions victims as elaborate works of art -- are of a copycat variety. As the new killer sends messages to Stan, he starts to wonder if he and his colleagues shot and killed the wrong suspect in the Uncle Eddie case, further compounding his guilt. Can he figure out who the culprit is and stop him before he creates another work of art?

Anamorph follows unapologetically in the vein of Seven, its main draw being the grisly, meticulously constructed murder scenes. However, the art angle feels a bit contrived, as if writer/director Henry Miller was searching for a way to put a spin on this now-standard serial killer thriller formula, a way to conceal clues that allows for a big "a ha" moment -- which never amounts to much.

That said, the concept of anamorphosis -- a painting technique that creates a hidden image within a picture -- could lend itself to some intriguing moments. However, the film never takes advantage of the potential, delivering a product that's either too simplistic or too ambiguous, depending on your interpretation. I think (and hope) that there's deeper meaning to the film, one that embodies the symbolism of anamorphosis, but although I can envision where it's trying to go, the concept isn't delineated clearly enough -- as if Miller revels in knowing something that the audience doesn't.

The DVD

Special features include a five-minute featurette and one deleted scene.

Movie: D+
DVD: D