TITLE: THE ROOMMATE
DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN E. CHRISTIANSEN
WRITER: SONNY MALLHI
STARRING: LEIGHTON MEESTER
RUNTIME: 94 MINUTES
This movie could have been summarized in the following sentence: "A feature length commercial for the CW." "The Roommate is the latest addition into the "Single White Female" pantheon. Honestly speaking, even if you didn't see the spoiler heavy trailer, one could predict the plot to a fault, right down to the progression of said plot, and the outcome.
Despite this, the film does have its own surprises up its sleeves. First off, the casting. I must admit that the actors played their parts perfectly. Minka Kelly played the part of Sara Matthews perfectly. She captures the spirit of a young woman, eager and determined to prove herself. She captures the perfect balance of warmth, naivete and tenacity that it reminds me of Naomi Watts's performance as Diane Selwyn in Mulholland Drive.
Cam Gigandet plays Stephen. Sara's muse. Gigandet's performance is serviceable. He captured the sassy yet kind hearted complex of the character. He's funny, charming and just bastardly enough that it didn't come off as blood boilingly awful.
Leighton Meester undoubtedly steals the show as the psychotic Rebecca Evans. So much so that she receives top billing even though she's not the main character. Her performance is energetic and manic. Almost like the character herself. Her smile, inviting yet menacing. Her presence, miniscule yet overwhelming.
The cinematography and camerawork are also astounding. There are times in the movie where the lighting sets up a scene as creepy only to have it botched up by some of the most awful executions I have ever seen. Which is truly a shame.
The film is riddled with problems, which can be traced to the film's script. The characters are pretty standard, and the dialogue consists mainly of meaningless drivel and exposition heavy tripe. Though the film had some unintentionally hilarious moments, they are too few and far in between. It tried to aim for a dramatic tone and it couldn't even manage get it right.
In conclusion, the movie is slow, droning and not even intriguing. There are moments in the film that I like, but that alone could not save the movie. It's too hilarious to be taken seriously and not nearly credible enough to be viewed in a serious light.
THUMBS UP: The performances and cinematography for adding a thin layer of class into a clunky, clumsy production.
THUMBS DOWN: Virtually everything else about the movie.
