Dahmer (2002)

Written and directed by David Jacobson

While Dahmer is not technically bad in any way, it is still rather overwhelmingly pointless. Without exception, every person to whom I have mentioned seeing this movie has asked me "Why?"

And I don't have an answer. I guess I wanted to see some grisly murders or something. But Dahmer concentrates on presenting the serial killer as a character, trying to offer a broad analysis of the blank soul who was, while almost irritatingly benign in so many respects, capable of so much killin' and flesheatin'.

It's well-acted, though Jeremy Renner's Dahmer, in "normal" mode, could be a sidekick in a Bob & Doug MacKenzie movie (and should, come to think of it). And Bruce Davison, as Dahmer's father, struggles to make a lot more of the role than is really called for. Though I'm sure it was some kind of coup for the director to get BRUCE DAVISON into his low-budget indie flick. Perhaps Davison owed him money.

Wait a minute, I got a little wrapped up there in the notion that Bruce Davison is extremely famous. I think I'm just looking for things to talk about. Really, I am disappointed in the lack of vivisection and flesheatin', as I am with most films.

Review by Polly Tarnish