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Review by Dustin Putman
3 stars out of 4
Imagine my surprise to find that "Valentine," directed by Jamie Blanks
(1998's "Urban Legend"), has more in common with the slasher films of the
late-'70s/early-'80s, than those of the "oh-so-clever," jokey, post-"Scream"
era of the late-'90s. With everything from "Scream" and its sequels, to "I
Know What You Did Last Summer" and its sequel, to "Urban Legend" and its
sequel, following the same pattern of a mystery killer offing teenage
characters until their identity is exposed and they explain their motive to
the remaining cast members, it was a genuine pleasure to sit back and watch a
group of non-teen actors getting dispatched of in a grisly way, with the
motive of the killer determined within the opening five minutes. Sure, there
is still a whodunit quality to the proceedings, but the payoff is quite
different and surprisingly refreshing from the recent slew of, as Roger Ebert
calls them, Mad Slasher Movies.
"Valentine" also follows in the footsteps of the nostalgic holiday-set
slashers, such as 1978's "Halloween," 1974's "Black Christmas," 1980's "New
Year's Evil," and even 1981's "My Bloody Valentine." The movie makes no bones
about its old-fashioned,
"let-me-go-bathe-in-the-hot-tub-as-a-killer-lurks-in-the-house" horror
conventions, but that is part of the fun. The impressive production values,
however, are very much of a decidedly 2001 nature, as is its healthy budget
that afforded such rising young stars as Denise Richards (1999's "The World
is Not Enough"), David Boreanaz (WB's "Angel"), Katherine Heigl (WB's
"Roswell"), and Marley Shelton (2000's "Sugar & Spice").
In a prologue set at a junior high school dance in 1988, a nerdy,
bespectacled boy is severely traumatized when he asks five classmates to
dance, all of which turn him down except one--a heavyset girl who later
accused him of attacking her in front of other classmates. Switch forward 13
years, four of the now-grown girls reunite at the funeral of the fifth,
Shelley (Katherine Heigl), who is brutally murdered while studying for her
pre-med final. Immediately afterwards, sweet-natured Kate (Marley Shelton),
sexy Paige (Denise Richards), bitchy Lily (Jessica Cauffiel), and the
now-pretty, poor-little-rich-girl Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw), begin receiving
grisly, threatening Valentine cards as the holiday approaches. Could their
former middle school classmate, whom they haven't seen in years, be out to
seek revenge on those that did him wrong? And if so, might he be someone that
is already in their lives?
Loosely based on the acclaimed novel by Tom Savage, "Valentine" stands out
from the recent spate of slasher films because of its simple throwback to the
setup and payoff of the horror movies of old. Aside from natural humor that
surfaces from some of the dialogue, the film takes itself very seriously, and
divulges several good scary moments and more than a couple thrilling,
suspenseful setpieces. While many of the older, lesser slasher flicks relied
on nothing more than gore and exploitative violence, "Valentine" manages to
keep the tension level high, and is actually pretty tame as far as
blood-and-guts goes. There's a bit of that, to be sure, but talented director
Jamie Blanks, whose first film, "Urban Legend," was the best of the
post-"Scream" knockoffs, is more interested in stylish camera movements,
tight editing, and genuinely unsettling sequences of mayhem to create a
distinct atmosphere of dread.
One of the biggest stars of "Valentine" is its gorgeously sleek, threatening
production design by Stephen Geaghan, which becomes a character all its own,
particularly in the climax set at a Valentine's Day party at Dorothy's
family's wooded mansion. The cinematography, by Rick Bota, is also top-notch,
particularly its truly eerie use of red to not only cleverly foreshadow the
holiday, but also the threat of death that grows around the characters as the
story progresses. The makers of "Valentine" have succeeded awesomely in their
challenge to make the title holiday palpably felt, and potentially dangerous.
The characters are a grab-bag of both the likable and spiteful variety, which
actually aids the film more than it hurts it, because, in some strange way,
we are supposed to feel sympathy for the killer. The jury is still out if
director Blanks is successful on this count, but he does allow you to at
least grow to care about three of the characters--Kate; her boyfriend Adam
(David Boreanaz), who is struggling with his alcoholism; and Dorothy, who has
now lost a lot of weight but feels remorse for the way she treated her junior
high classmate when she was really in the same boat as he at the time.
Marley Shelton ably provides the honest center for the film, and is better
here than she was in the recent "Sugar & Spice." Getting to play a more
adult, mature character, Shelton is a beautiful face, and just the sight of
her smile creates an overwhelming feeling of warmth and realism. More
importantly, she is very good as the put-upon Kate, and hopefully this will
be her breakthrough role.
The biggest name in the cast is Denise Richards, whose performances have
ranged from trashily great (1998's "Wild Things") to middling (1999's "Drop
Dead Gorgeous") to downright bad ("The World Is Not Enough"). As the sexually
powerful Paige, who takes almost everything in her life for granted,
including her own attractiveness, Richards respectably creates a well-rounded
character with the material provided, and even gets a few chances to test out
her comedic skills.
In his first feature film since he hit it big on TV's "Buffy, the Vampire
Slayer" and currently its spinoff, "Angel," David Boreanaz does fine work in
a mostly superfluous supporting role, while Kate Capshaw, as Dorothy, turns
in a poignant portrayal of someone who is so insecure with herself that she
doesn't yet know where she fits into the world. Finally, Katherine Heigl is
memorable with only ten minutes of screen time as the first victim of the
creepy Cherub mask-wearing killer.
The purpose of a slasher film is two-fold: it should be entertaining, yet
scary, fun, yet nail-biting. It's fairly safe to say director Blanks and
screenwriters Donna Powers, Wayne Powers, Gretchen J. Berg, and Aaron
Harberts were not attempting to recreate the wheel when they made
"Valentine," so there is no use in even expecting a masterpiece. However,
thanks to Blanks' numerous inspired Hitchcockian elements that he subtly pays
tribute to, as well as the surprising twist ending that, for once, does make
sense, "Valentine" ends up being the next best thing: a modern-day slasher
pic that is a step above most.
Copyright © 2001 Dustin Putman
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