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G21 FILM
THE AISLE SEAT 200 Cigarettes The '80s Through A Cloudy Vision by Bryan Powers G21 Film Critic To receive this article in Deutsch, Francaise, Italiano, Portuguese, Francaise, cut and paste the complete URL("http://www.generator21.net/film13.html"), then click here.
The cast includes Christina Ricci, Martha Plimpton, Courtney Love, Ben Affleck, Paul Rudd, and Jay Mohr. Sounds like a sure bet, huh? With that premise and that cast, what could go wrong? Well, it's hard to say. "200 Cigarettes" isn't a bad film. As comedies go, it is pleasant. But where the belly laughs should be, there are only grins. It isn't painful to watch, but it leaves you feeling a little short-changed. Having been a teenager in the early eighties, I was eagerly awaiting the trip back that "200 Cigs" would provide. Unfortunately, the film doesn't supply much more than just that. A sweet little get-away, back to the days when AIDS was known only as that chocolate dietary candy and condoms were used only as birth control. The film's plot is too thin and the characters so one dimensional that "200 Cigs" becomes merely a picture book of Eighties fashion. The film does hit all the right notes as far as dress, attitudes, and music of '81. The soundtrack overflows with the music of Blondie, the Go-Goâs, and Elvis Costello (who also has a cameo in the film.) The costumes and set dressings are wacky and garish enough. And the hairstyles are embarrassing. What were we thinking? One could argue that a comedy need not be too deep or involving to be funny. That is true. Where "200 Cigs" fails is that it just isn't that funny.The film relies on an overabundance of sight-gags and physical comedy that are frequently contrived and forced. The spontaneity of these comic bits is missing. And way too many characters seem to share the same accident-prone trait. These are cheap laughs, and not very well executed ones at that. The argument can be made that if the characters were fully developed and their actions believable, then the humor would be stronger. "200 Cigs" goes for the obvious joke every time, loosing points as regards cleverness.
Ben Affleck gets to use a couple of memorable pick-up lines. And Martha Plimpton's performance as the party's host leaves you wishing she had more screen time. She is a joy to watch. Keep at it, Martha. There's bound to be better work out there for you.The surprise in the acting department comes from Courtney Love. Having blown us away with her powerhouse performance in "The People Vs. Larry Flynt," Courtney underwhelms here. There isn't much spark between her and Paul Rudd. And for the most part she appears to be waiting for someone to tell her what to do. In "Larry Flynt" she became her character. In "200 Cigs" she comes off as Courtney Love acting in a movie. Still love her, but a little disappointed. So, where should the blame fall for "200 Cigarettes" being less than memorable? Two places. The screenwriter and the director. Shana Larsen's screenplay is amiable but forced. The characters vary from caricature to two dimensional and the dialogue is uneven and sometimes predictable. Risa Bramon Garcia directs this MTV production with a timid hand. The focus and through-line of the film never seem to surface, giving the film a loose and disconnected feel. Watch Scorsese's "After Hours" or Lucasâ "American Graffiti" and you might get an idea of how "200 Cigarettes" could be improved. Those films were crafted with a strong focus. The director's vision here is a cloudy one. +++ The Previous AISLE SEAT +++ 
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