Will you kill for a good story? If you are James Cooper, a 28 year old copy editor with dreams of literary stardom, you will. After all, your girlfriend was just crowned the voice of a new America by the New York literati,... more » and you waste your days editing third-rate textbooks in a dreary Chicago basement. Your first book got panned. Your agent just dumped you. You have no future. But when your girlfriend's corpse ends up sprawled beneath your bedroom window, you finally know what to write about. Crime Fiction is the story of murder, betrayal and outrageous artistic fortune.« less
Strong Narrative Work Told Through Sharp Noir Lens
randemsefowt | Brooklyn, New York | 03/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Checked out Crime Fiction this weekend. Top notch. I'm rough
on film, particularly indie cinema -- which of course, is the
only hope for eventually making a buck while maintaining some
semblance of soul, sanity & dignity for the American
filmmaker. Love the scene with Cooper's disembodied voice
insisting upon his identity to the radio jock from the
frontier cloud cover. Hell of a closing, that Cooper-jock rant,
seems to make the culminating point with haunting clarity.
Hilarious. The reality refracted into infinity bit via the
pursuit of fictional fortune -- well-done. The denouement:
perfectly mad-cap (what the hell is the Lauren character
muttering while deconstructing "Marilyn" on the porch? I've
watched the scene four times now, & can only make out what
sounds like "pi intitum." Her turn away from the camera
doesn't help). About three-quarters of the way through the
film, my wife says this: "he's good." I think she was talking
about Eliotâ(tm)s acting, as the flick wasn't exactly her cup of
decorous tea."
Interesting witty journey between art and reality
Mark S. Davis | Honolulu, Hawaii | 03/24/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Crime Fiction" is an interesting and tricky exploration of the blurred distinction between art and reality. A little "Momento" a little "Coen Brothers" all results in an intriguing story that leaves the viewer seeking the equilibrium of trying to grasp whether the horrifying story was being unveiled in the literary imagination of the would-be author or motivated by the same author to create fodder for his next work. It was like looking into a double mirror with endless reflections. Most impressive was the tight direction of Will Slocombe who has an eye and imagination that keeps the film flowing. The angles, the view points and the work of this promising director comfortably holds the hand of the audience through this perverse journey."
Crime Fiction
blindmonk | Chicago | 02/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I loved this film. It's really smart and even though it is shot on a low budget, you can hardly tell. Really clever script, kept me watching the whole way. You don't need bucks to make a great thriller!!!
"
Crime & Creation
Bayo Ojikutu | Chicago | 03/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This film is Tarrantino after reading Derrida, Kaufman under the Gargoyle's loom, Jarmuch tripping on that middle city ice. Paglia in a hot red dress? A trippy, witty cinematic romp, the work is entertaining as all get-out, even while leaving one with varied wild fodder to ponder at its closing. There's certainly a good deal to dig in this Crime Fiction."
Dark & funny
E. Mackenzie | Omaha, NE United States | 02/23/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I found this film to be highly amusing, though some of the more off color remarks had me a little perplexed, especially those which referred to strange sexuality or critiqued America, a country that made the Canadian writer's idea into a reality (Jonathan Eliot's script). Nevertheless, quite brilliant in moments. It certainly kept me watching. The direction by Slocombe was great. I would highly recommend this for those who want to look at the dark side of life. I am a writer and I understand the evil of which Eliot writes. This film is disturbing: beware. It will sneak up on you unawares. I will not say anything else, for fear of spoiling it. A great indie."