thecanyons

When a writer and a director known for their takes on the dark side of life get together for a film, the chances are that it is not going to be a happy, cheerful film. The Canyons, written by novelist Bret Easton Ellis and directed by Paul Schrader (Hardcore, Auto Focus), very much treads the same line as their previous work, presenting an Ellis eye view on the young, rich and horrible.

The story is something you have seen a thousand times before in its setup: Christian (James Deen), an LA trust-fund kid with casual ties to Hollywood, goes about his life in a very sociopathic manner, not seeming to care about anyone but himself. When he learns of a secret affair between his girlfriend Tara (Lindsay Lohan) and the lead of his film project, Ryan (Nolan Funk), he starts a chain of events that lead to some very dark places. Ellis’ script borders on melodrama, sometimes tipping over into it, and yet it manages to provide some very good moments in an uneven film. The characters aren’t that well-developed, however, that doesn’t seem to matter a whole lot as you have seen or read these characters many times previously. Ellis’ script is very reminiscent of his novels Less Than Zero and Imperial Bedrooms, where the main players all have secrets and, for all of them, life is a game to be manipulated into their favour. His favourite characters to write must be douche bags, as there are a lot of them in The Canyons. In fact, it’s hard to think of a male character that wasn’t.

The Canyons opens up with shots of deserted theatres and run down cinema complexes. It’s an amazing credit sequence that doesn’t quite match up to the rest of the film’s themes, except for one discussion about the last time the characters went to the cinemas. Schrader keeps the direction of the film very natural, allowing the action to unfold in front of him. Only rarely does he embellish with angles or long tracking shots. Given that the production budget was only $250,000, it is not really hard to see why the film is shot the way it is. It is a little off-putting at first, but after about five minutes, you barely notice it. Thecanyons1

Due the fact this film was: A) the first mainstream film for adult star James Deen and B) a comeback film of sorts for Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls), the acting is and will be under more scrutiny than if this was a straight indie production with unknowns. However, and possibly against the odds, both Deen and Lohan do some pretty good work in The Canyons. Deen’s Christian is just about the biggest jerk you could ever meet, but Deen plays him with a slight touch of panic, giving off the feeling that he is certainly worried about what everyone thinks about him, but it is Lohan that steals the show. As Tara, she is nothing short of electric. Possibly drawing on her own fears and life experiences, Lohan gives Tara some real grunt. Her flinty voice, her almost faded starlet look match the desperation in her voice. Without Lohan, the film would have fallen totally flat. Newcomer Nolan Funk also plays his part quite well as the struggling actor that has a few secrets of his own.

Whilst The Canyons isn’t quite the masterpiece that fans of Ellis and Schrader were expecting it to be, it certainly isn’t a bad film and definitely isn’t deserving of the vitriol thrown at it by other reviews. The Canyons is a film that is worth watching. Just not one that would be considered for repeat viewings.

 

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