To accent the interesting ideas in the script, Romero stacks the cast with a group of excellent performances. It's really hard to dislike Jason Flemyng as Henry; he makes the character an extremely likable and sympathetic one. Romero has created a character that I believe anyone can identify with. Flemyng puts a lot of life into the role and as a result, the audience is right along with him. As the villain of the piece, Peter Stormare's Milo is hilariously over the top. The intended shallowness of the character is blatant allowing for Storemare to run wild with the part. It's damn near impossible not to laugh when you see him arguing with detectives out on a sidewalk after a murder wearing a pair of thong underwear! Some have said Storemare to grate on the nerves as the film wears on but I couldn't disagree more. He connects with the material and steals a great number of scenes he's in. As Milo's unhappy wife, Leslie Hope is a sympathetic heroine even though her character isn't the major focus of the story. Genre fans will certainly be pleased to see the presence of Tom Atkins in this film. While Atkins has the role of (what else?) a grizzled detective searching for the 'faceless' killer, it turns out to be a memorable role in what would've surely been a thankless part in the hands of almost any other actor.
The supporting cast does a good job of backing up the leads and there's even a great appearance by the punk band The Misfits (Romero directed an excellent music video for their song 'Scream' around the time this film was made; the video is available on the DVD) towards the end of the film. Set at a grotesque costume ball (which was originally intended to be an isolated island in the original script according to Romero's DVD commentary track), the Misfits seems right at home amongst the freakish party goers and really add to the atmosphere.
This film also serves as an example of the state in which the film industry is currently in. When such a complex and fascinating piece such as this can not only be denied a theatrical release but receive an overwhelming plethora of scathing reviews and go largely ignored by not only the horror genre, but mover goers in general it's hard to not be repulsed. What's refreshing and admirable about Romero though is to see that he's maintained his integrity throughout the years. He's never changed his underlying style for the benefit of making a film more 'accessible'. He's made films as consistently interesting as any talented filmmaker working today and it's a crime that his latest offering goes squeaking by without fanfare. Anyone looking for a film that requires and rewards multiple viewings should give this picture a fighting chance. It doesn't necessarily demand repeat viewings, but I can't help but enjoy the film more with each watch. While I don't want to compare it with his previous works such as Night of the Living Dead, Martin or Knightriders, I don't have any trouble saying that Bruiser easily holds its own against anything the director has done. A work as thoughtful and interesting as any in George's cannon, it's not the example of the director's fleeting abilities as some have proclaimed but rather the opposite. It's a showcase for Romero's surviving abilities. They've survived intact and with any luck, we won't have to wait another eight years for Romero's next film, in this market saturated with thoughtless garbage, Romero is still making films as he was back in 1968, ones that will be appreciated and studied for years to come. |
