Spider

Review by Clint Morris

Like a rucksack of unblemished potatoes, from the outset there's nothing very appealing about David Cronenberg's latest Spider.

Look a little closer and you might find otherwise - but even that's like applauding a non-specific potato for having an atypical larva on its facade.

The mildly compelling worm would be a great performance from Ralph Fiennes, the rest of the bag's contents would be whatever's left over of the film after that...

A sluggish, meekly distressing film, Spider stars Fiennes as the disturbed Dennis/Spider, an incoherent mess of a man released from a mental institution to a boarding house in his old neighbourhood.

As he spots the places of his past, he starts to lose grip on reality - constantly flashbacking - and even confusing his new landlady as the woman who replaced his mother.

David Cronenberg succeeds by serving up a cold, callous depiction of life unkind.

Everything from production designer Andrew Sander's backdrop - tanks, terraced streets, allotments, canals - looks the part, and Howard Shore provides a disheartening, slightly disorienting score.

Ralph Fiennes - though a little hard to understand for the most part of the film - is immersive as Dennis. It's yet another stellar performance from the thespian that is sure not to go unnoticed. Miranda Richardson, in dual roles, also provides cumbersome support, as does the unyielding Gabriel Byrne as the baleful father.

But as good as the performances are, and as wonderful as the production design may be, Spider is a mere shadow of Cronenberg's past movies.

It seems the best of Cronenberg is behind him - and now he's left to salvage whatever's left of his once-promising career with tales of indifference, no matter how entertaining, or how dull they may be for viewers.

Unfortunately Cronenberg's unobtrusive direction and dawdling pace will only leave most viewers looking for their caffeine hit come end credits, with only a mere memory of a good performance or two. It's definitely one for fans of the illustrious director and no one else.

2.5 out of 5

Spider
Australian release: Thursday May 8th
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne, Lynne Redgrave, John Neville.
Director: David Cronenberg.
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