FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: The Life of David Gale [DVD] [2003]

The Life of David Gale [DVD] [2003]
enlarge	Director: Alan Parker Actor: Kevin Spacey\|Kate Winslet Studio: Uca Category: DVD List Price: ~~£9.99~~ Buy New: £3.06 as of 22/11/2009 01:43 GMT details You Save: £6.93 (69%) New (11) Used (12) from £2.19 Seller: selectcheaper Rating: 28 reviews Sales Rank: 3985 Format: PAL Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Subtitled) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 130 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5050582062571 ASIN: B000087JHM Theatrical Release Date: February 21, 2003 Release Date: October 6, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Kevin Spacey (iAmerican Beauty/i) plays David Gale, a brilliant but hard-drinking anti-death penalty crusader on death row for a rape and murder that he claims he didn't commit. The victim of the crime is Gale's close friend and anti-death penalty colleague (Laura Linney, iYou Can Count On Me/i), so Gale argues that he's been set up to discredit the cause. Committed journalist Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet, iTitanic/i) takes it upon herself to figure the whole thing out--and so we follow her through a ridiculous plot full of supposedly shocking twists that are telegraphed far in advance and make very little sense when they arrive. The overwritten script tries to cover too many hot-button issues and gives Spacey way too many showy scenes where he gets to be passionate and caring, which is creepier than his psychopath roles in iThe Usual Suspects/i and Seven. --iBret Fetzer/i

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next » STATE SPONSORED SUICIDE... November 30, 2003 Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) 38 out of 39 found this review helpful This is a terrific film. as are so many of the films in which Kevin Spacey stars. This film is about death penalty opponent fanatic, David Gayle (Kevin Spacey), whose life careens out of control once he has an unfortunate sexual interlude with a provocative student from the college in which he is a professor.pHaving lost his teaching career and family over the incident and seeing his high profile role in the politics of death penalty issues consequently disappear, he ends up accused of the rape and horrific murder of Constance Harraway (Laura Linney). Constance was David's fellow death penalty oppponent fanatic and best friend, the one who stood by him through thick and thin and helped him try to regain control of his life.pTried and convicted for her rape and murder, David is ironically now an inmate on death row. He grants an ambitious reporter, Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet), an interview just days before his execution. As his story unfolds, revealed in a series of flashbacks leading to the final denouement, Bitsey begins to believe that David might truly be innocent. She begins to investigate and put together the pieces of the enigma that is David Gayle.pAs a death penalty issues film, it fails, as the film paints both sides of this hot button issue in an unflattering light. It is definitely not a propaganda film and those looking for such will, inevitably, be disappointed. As a whodunit, it succeeds brilliantly, as the plot is complex and filled with enough twists and turns and red herrings to delight even the most jaded mystery aficionado. pThe film is really not about the death penalty. It is, instead, about an unhappy man, who has lost all that he holds most dear, and a decision that he makes about what to do with the rest of his life. Right or wrong, it is a decision that fuels the film and makes for some gripping cinematic moments.pKevin Spacey is terrific in the role of David Gayle, a man who went from being on top of the world to being at the bottom of the heap. He is a man who has lost all that he holds most dear, including a relationship his beloved young son, all because of a mistake in judgment that caused him to take the wrong fork in the road of life. It is the story of a man whose life has spiraled downward, and who has given in to despair. He uses his ideological commitment as succor, ultimately seeking absolution in martyrdom. pLaura Linney is excellent as David's devoted friend and fellow activist, who sticks by him through thick and thin. She infuses the role with a certain firmness of character and quiet dedication. Hers is an activism born of measured conviction in contrast to David's more flamboyant, confrontational stance on the issue for which they share a passion. Her own personal waterloo provides the film with some lovely bittersweet moments.pKate Winslet handles her role as the intrepid reporter with great aplomb, providing the role with a nice contemporary feel and infusing the character with a respectable American accent. Despite all this, however, she takes a back seat to Spacey and Linney in the film. Matt Craven is perfectly cast as the mysterious Dusty Wright, the cowboy whose dedication to the anti-death penalty cause goes above and beyond the call of duty.pThis is simply a film about a man and his life and the decisions that he makes, right or wrong, that drive it. This film now completes a magnificent triad of films about troubled men for gifted director Alan Parker (Angel Heart, Midnight Express). pDespite its being a whodunit, this is a film that one can certainly watch again and again due to its complexity. My twenty one year old daughter has watched it three times now and claims that it is one of her all-time favorite films. I myself would certainly watch it again and would add it to my personal collection. Bravo! Fantastic! October 5, 2003 ad_crumenam (United Kingdom) 10 out of 10 found this review helpful As a native Texan, I'm used to seeing my state and its institutions misrepresented in both the U.S. and the world media. This film, however, gets it exactly right. They actually filmed outside the real death house in Huntsville, and scenes that took place in Austin were actually filmed in Austin and at the University of Texas (my alma mater). So two thumbs high up there.pThe story itself is wonderful, though I can tell you as someone who lived in Austin for six years that protests on the scale of those in the film never took place, especially not in front of the capitol building...but that's about the only thing that the film got wrong. The story is compelling, with an anti-death penalty activist on death row, awaiting lethal injection (Texas does NOT use the electric chair) and the tough, ballsy reporter who initially judges Gale the way everyone else does. The way he brings her around is fascinating and the bare truth with which he bares his soul to her...his story is not romanticized one iota. It's a great film, and one of the only films to come out of Hollywood recently that has not portrayed Texans as gun-happy zealots. Wonderful. Suspiciously masterful February 28, 2005 22 out of 24 found this review helpful Graduating at Harvard and becoming a Professor in Philosophy at a relatively young age, you'd think that David Gale would have his life laid out nicely for him. In fact he only has 4 more days to live, having been sentenced to death for rape and murder. So what went wrong? Is there any truth behind his plea of innocence? Watch the film and follow the clues to the answers, but the puzzle cannot be completed until the very end. The movie is thrilling, horrific and sad at the same time. The cunning plot and excellent production places the film one above the rest. The story is so full of twists, it will get you jumping to all sorts of conclusions, and set your mind racing. But there is no pause for thought, the film moves at a rapid pace, relentlessly playing with the audience's emotions. A must-see for anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers. STATE SPONSORED SUICIDE... September 28, 2003 Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) 15 out of 17 found this review helpful This is a terrific film, as are so many of the films in which Kevin Spacey stars. This film is about death penalty opponent fanatic, David Gayle (Kevin Spacey), whose life careens out of control once he has an unfortunate sexual interlude with a provocative student from the college in which he is a professor.pHaving lost his teaching career and family over the incident and seeing his high profile role in the politics of death penalty issues consequently disappear, he ends up accused of the rape and horrific murder of Constance Harraway (Laura Linney). Constance was David's fellow death penalty opponent fanatic and best friend, the one who stood by him through thick and thin and helped him try to regain control of his life.pTried and convicted for her rape and murder, David is ironically now an inmate on death row. He grants an ambitious reporter, Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet), an interview just days before his execution. As his story unfolds, revealed in a series of flashbacks leading to the final denouement, Bitsey begins to believe that David might truly be innocent. She begins to investigate and put together the pieces of the enigma that is David Gayle.pKevin Spacey is terrific in the role of David Gayle, a man who went from being on top of the world to being at the bottom of the heap. He is a man who has lost all that he holds most dear, including a relationship with his beloved young son, all because of a mistake in judgment that caused him to take the wrong fork in the road of life. It is the story of a man whose life has spiraled downward, and who has given in to despair. He uses his ideological commitment as succor, ultimately seeking absolution in martyrdom. pLaura Linney is excellent as David's devoted friend and fellow activist, who sticks by him through thick and thin. She infuses the role with a certain firmness of character and quiet dedication. Hers is an activism born of measured conviction in contrast to David's more flamboyant, confrontational stance on the issue for which they share a passion. Her own personal waterloo provides the film with some lovely bittersweet moments.pKate Winslet handles her role as the intrepid reporter with great aplomb, providing the role with a nice contemporary feel and infusing the character with a respectable American accent. Despite all this, however, she takes a back seat to Spacey and Linney in the film. Matt Craven is perfectly cast as the mysterious Dusty Wright, the cowboy whose dedication to the anti-death penalty cause goes above and beyond the call of duty.pThis is not, however, a film about the death penalty. Consequently, as a death penalty issues film, it fails, as the film paints both sides of this hot button issue in an unflattering light. It is, therefore, not a propaganda film and those looking for such will, inevitably, be disappointed. As a whodunit, however, it succeeds brilliantly, as the plot is complex and filled with enough twists and turns and red herrings to delight even the most jaded mystery aficionado. pThis is a film that focuses on an unhappy man, who has lost all that he holds dear, and a decision that he makes about what to do with his life. Right or wrong, it is that decision that fuels the film and makes for some gripping cinematic moments. This film now completes a magnificent triad of films about troubled men for gifted director Alan Parker (Angel Heart, Midnight Express). pThis is a film that one can certainly watch again and again due to its complexity. My twenty one year old daughter has watched it three times now and claims that it is one of her all-time favorite films. I myself would certainly watch it again and intend to add it to my personal collection. Bravo! Another hurray for spacey, winslet and linney March 5, 2006 10 out of 11 found this review helpful It#x27;s been a while since i#x27;ve watched this film, but i shall try to do it some justice. Although the idea of someone being ironically accused for something may not be all that original, the way the film presents this is very compelling, exciting and actually original. If you like suspense and lots of twists and surprises, this is definitely one to watch. The parts are all excellently acted out and there are some sub-plots, i.e. you see more of Spacey#x27;s character#x27;s life and this gives the film more depth. It really is definitely worth watching because it#x27;s not your average happy ending and is so heart-wrenching and makes you feel angry at all the injustices in the world. I hope I#x27;ve made this film sound justly credible and persuaded you to buy it. Showing reviews 1-5 of 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next »

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