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| DIRECTED BY |
| Oliver Stone |
| STARRING |
| Eric Bogosian |
| Ellen Greene |
| Leslie Hope |
| John C. McGinley |
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I�ll call it a nice try, but there are just too many misfires here. The main problem isn�t that our protagonist is an abrasive, obnoxious, offensive, and belligerent jerk � the problem is that he�s portrayed as being an abrasive, obnoxious, offensive, and belligerent jerk who never really had anything valuable to say in the first place. What are his beliefs? We never really get to know them because � from his first day as a radio host � he simply gets his kicks out of telling people off and perhaps squeezing some sort of societal statement into the fray. The film would�ve been a lot more interesting had it developed the idea that this guy initially had a plan and wanted to say something of value but instead let nonsense (these incessantly idiotic callers) cloud his train of thought.
If interpreted as an examination of the radio lifestyle and not something like a proclamation on the state of contemporary North American society, this film is pretty effective. Barry�s callers are just too hyperbolically caricatured for this to be applied to everyday life � we never really get one normal, average caller. This simply shows us how crazy certain people can be when they have a lot of time on their hands. I guess all of the halfway-sane listeners never bother to call in. It�s a shame about that scene in the gymnasium where everyone suddenly turns against him � people simply cannot be this narrow-minded.
People had trouble accepting the character of Barry Champlain (Bogosian) as a lothario because he�s just such a detestable person. This wasn�t really the problem for me � history has proven that women seem to endear themselves to detestable men for whatever reason � but I just didn�t get the dynamics of the two relationships that we see (his current girlfriend and his ex-wife.) Each thing that we assume about these relationships turns out to be ostensible because of confusing contradictions that arise. And on a lighter note � couldn�t they have gotten someone who actually looks like a teenager to play the teenager role? (Not Michael Wincott.)
I have to acknowledge Stone�s always-interesting direction here � it�s a joy to watch his camera dexterously follow characters through the narrow hallways and small crevices of the radio station. There is also some amazing sound work in the film with overlapping dialogue that Altman would be proud of. But we ultimately get a film that says �watch what you say� when it had the potential to say �this is what happens when you try to say something of substance.�
