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"Locked
'Gate'"
by Scott Mantz
"The Ninth Gate"
Johnny Depp, Frank Langella
Directed by Roman Polanski
Few Hollywood
directors have had their careers mired in controversy quite like
Roman Polanski. While reaping critical praise for revolutionary
classics like "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown", Polanski had to
deal with the grisly murder of his wife Sharon Tate at the hands
of Charles Manson's followers. Then, in the mid 70's, he fled the
country rather than face statutory rape charges. From his exile
in France, he continued to dabble in his craft, but he never quite
delivered on the promise of his early work. In recent years, he's
flirted with the prospect of moving back to the United States, but
if "The Ninth Gate" is any indication of what we can expect should
he return, maybe he should just stay put. While "Gate" is full of
lavish detail, impressive production values, and supernatural intrigue,
it mirrors the track record of its director by failing to live up
to the promise of its setup.
Dean Corso (Johnny
Depp) is a shady rare book dealer hired by relentlessly wealthy
Manhattanite Boris Balkann (Frank Langella) to track down the last
two known copies of the book "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows".
He is already in possession of one copy, but obtaining the other
two will unlock its supernatural secrets and give him unlimited
demonic powers. In his travels to Portugal and Paris, Dean is followed
by a beautifully mysterious woman (Emmanuelle Seigner) and by shady
characters who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the book
that Dean's possesses. To make matters worse, the owners of the
last two copies end up dead. Just what is it that Dean has stumbled
upon, and can he get out before it's too late?
"The Ninth Gate"
bears a striking resemblance to, of all things, "Eyes Wide Shut".
Both were shot entirely overseas and had New York City sets meticulously
recreated in fine detail. Both films are adapted from European literary
works, and both have a dreamlike quality that becomes more nightmarish
as it progresses. Each character goes about his journey only to
find himself in a situation that 's even more bizarre than the last.
Finally, both films contain an elaborate cult-like scene involving
incredibly wealthy, but scantily clad, industrialites taking part
in a cult-like mass.
Where "Eyes
Wide Shut's" brilliance was in its subtext and dreamlike quality,
"The Ninth Gate" doesn't sustain the intrigue brought about in its
setup. In fact, after an intense start, it almost feels like it
can't decide where to go. We're pulled along, wondering what the
book really represents and why everyone's obsessed with it, but
the film lapses into a ridiculous case of overacting and buffoonery
that destroys what it set out to do. Corso is obviously intelligent
enough to make his living out of his craft, but in light of his
bizarre and life-threatening circumstances, he doesn't even think
to ask what the girl's name is.
Johnny Depp
continues his mission to veer as far from commercial roles as possible,
and once again, he succeeds. He may dabble in mainstream fair like
"Sleepy Hollow" once in a while to keep his recognition factor high,
but otherwise, "Dead Man" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is
more his cup of tea. In "The Ninth Gate", he exudes the slimy and
greedy coolness that dives his ambitions, and he's not the type
of hero that you'd normally root for. Frank Langella is the one
to watch, as his towering and intimidating demeanor saves him when
the film begins to come apart at the seams. Emmanuelle Seigner (Mrs.
Roman Polanski) is mildly compelling as the guardian angel with
no name, but Leena Olin is unintentionally hilarious as the vixen
who is willing to do anything to get the book back from Depp.
Part of the
reason Polanski hasn't had a hit in years is because he's literally
not around to see the best material. By living in France, he's cut
off from the daily grind of working in Tinseltown, and like the
saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind". Who knows. Maybe Polanski
will indeed return to the United States and reclaim his place as
a director to be reckoned with. Maybe then, we can forget that movies
like "The Ninth Gate" ever happened.
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