Spun

(2002)
Spun is an affected look at a three-day binge trip taken by one Ross (Jason Schwartzmann) on speed; he continually imbibes, foregoing sleep, leading to a shambled, almost paranoid state known as being spun. Along the way he encounters his supplier Spider (John Leguizamo), fellow speed-freakers Nikki (Brittany Murphy), Cookie (Mena Suvari), and Frisbee (Patrick Fugit), as well as the chemist who mixes up the drug, The cook (Mickey Rourke), whom he ends up working for. The films not so much interested in a plot; it mostly meanders around the various characters, showing what a shambles their lives are, and how speed messes with their judgement and thinking. The crappy ratholes they all live in bear testament to their addiction, as well as their inattention to personal hygiene or anything, really, that does not involve scoring another fix. Director Jonas Akerlund likes to play tricks with the camera when people snort (or shoot, or what have you); hell drop in quick cuts of a car engine starting, or zoom focus or so on, an interesting if a bit heavy-handed approach to displaying the drugs effect; the users almost always appear disoriented after first getting high, and then they go off and proceed to do really stupid things (Nikki takes her dog to the vet because she thinks hes dying; Ross leaves a woman tied up to his bed for two days because he keeps forgetting to release her; etc). Only the Cook seems to be aware of what hes doing, and hes not exactly the model of self-restraint either, mostly being interested in booze, pro wrestling, and porn. Its nothing more or less than spending three days with some scummy, unsavory drug freaks, but for all that, the movie is strangely compelling. Theres no one to really like every character is a messed-up addict you wouldnt go near in real life, but the parts of the film add up to an interesting, if not always palatable, whole. My initial reaction was that I had wasted a hundred minutes of my time, but I kept reflecting back on the film over the course of the next day; I still couldnt say watching it was a pleasurable experience, but it stuck with me, and most movies dont do that. I cant outright recommend it the movies too indulgent for that but if youre looking for something a little different, a little challenging, this might be that movie. Or your tolerance for this sort of thing may be much lower than mine and you might turn it off in five minutes. March 12, 2013