Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The sweetest taste in Savannah is revenge. Starring Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Jude Law, Alison Eastwood, and The Lady Chablis
The extraordinary talent of Clint Eastwood graces the screen with his
director honors in the adaptation of John Berendt's novel based on actual
events. A sultry mix of eccentric Southern charm and a delicious concoction
of personalities mask themselves under a veil of bewitching oddities, while
guzzling drink after drink as if it were the fountain of youth. Add a
scorned love affair and a dose of mayhem, deception, and a curious murder
to titillate the mind and the mystery unfolds before us.
The Christmas season has approached and the most lavish, anticipated party
of them all will be celebrated at the prestigious home of Jim Williams
(Kevin Spacey) who, single-handedly, picks the cream of the crop to attend
the big event. John Kelso (John Cusack), a journalist who conned his way
into covering the party, gets more of a story than he bargained for when
the host himself shoots his own lover, Billy Hanson (Jude Law), in what was
described as an act of self defense. Spacey delivers an impeccable
performance as the smooth-talking, devilishly appealing, smugly intelligent
and collected socialite who charms the pants off the ladies, but prefers a
gentleman's touch. Cusack, in one of his finest roles, gets lured into the
steamy turmoil of Jim's court case and with a couple of residents in town.
Mandy Nicholls (Alison Eastwood) is a local gal with a lovely voice, soft
heart and confident persona. Chablis Deveau (The Lady Chablis) has a saucy,
bitterly honest, and funky attitude and actually keeps him on steady
ground. Jude Law gives a chilling performance as the Flavor of the Month
with an appetite for booze, drugs, secrets, and a variety of sexual
partners and, ultimately, meets his ending with a bizarre death.
Savannah sizzles with an intoxicating blend of stunning sunshine-filled
days and hot, wild, carefree partying nights. Ornate mansions and wispy
flowering trees line the streets of Savannah, but above all, are the
watchful eyes and ears where voodoo lies. A stylish and puzzling movie,
this slowly takes you into the soul of Savannah and releases you at just
the right moment to clear the dust from your senses and cure the mystery
that allows you to see what truly happened. After all that, you find
yourself still standing, wanting to stay just a little bit longer, maybe
even forever. It also features a great soundtrack with classic songs by
Johnny Mercer, and a haunting version of "Skylark" by Alison Eastwood.
Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean
Reviewers Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 6.00
Reader's Votes: 5
Added: 8-Oct-2002
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