Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

A couple of weeks ago, I saw "The Spirit" (on a strong recommendation from a trusted co-worker, whose husband and step-son are big fans of the graphic novels) and found it mildly amusing, though surprisingly light-weight even on a first viewing.

Beyond the graphic novel style (which the filmmakers had lovingly conveyed to the screen), there just wasn't much THERE. I mean, a very pretty hero in a retro costume (even one who loses his trousers in an interesting way) monologuing about his very intimate relationship with his beloved lady, the City, only goes so far, if I can't identify and care about even one person on the screen whom I recognize as in any sense real to me.

All in all, "The Spirit" reminded me a bit too much of a darker, even more stylized, and slightly more grown-up version of Warren Beatty's 1990 big-budget trifle "Dick Tracy". It's one of those, "I've seen it once and really never need to watch any of it ever again," experiences.

In contrast, the 1994 film of "The Shadow" managed to combine quite a lot of retro style and wit with a hero and heroine I actually found recognizable enough to care about. THAT film, I've watched several more times on cable without feeling the slightest temptation to look at my watch or revise my grocery list, as I'm afraid I found myself starting to do at several points during "The Spirit", when it exceeded my tolerance for the amount of time I can spend looking AT a film on the big screen rather than being caught up IN a story.