Spun review

Spun begins as it means to go on with a protracted pre-credits sequels featuring a tawdry drugs deal that never comes off in John Leguizamo's dirt-infested LA squat. A bunch of notable young actors play the assorted buyers, all freaking out for their next hit of crystal meths: Lequizamo is Spider Mike, the man who can, while Mena Suvari plays his strung out girlfriend, Jason Schwartzman a regular Joe who has come to score, Brittany Murphy is the girlfriend of the local supplier and Patrick Fugit an acne-faced junkie named Frisbee.

Director Jonas Akerlund is renowned for his works in music videos, most notably the controversial Smack My Bitch Up for The Prodigy and if you have seen that you will be familiar with his hyperactive shooting and editing style. While scenes may last a good while, Akerlund chooses to cut almost every second in an attempt to educate us into the feeling obtained by a hit of the white stuff. If one hundred minutes of this sounds like your thing then you have come to the right place, but if not you may leave the theatre with images still flashing awkwardly in your brain. Spider Mike's is just one of the settings which ultimately shows that drugs make you forget all about the hoovering and washing up. All of the characters live in horrendous conditions, and are aware of nothing except their latest high. The film takes a look at an episodic four-day trip in the life of Ross (Schwartzmann), who begins as a pretty much ordinary guy who likes the occasional high but pines after his ex-girlfriend who has now moved to the city.

Once he discovers that Spider Mike isn't holding, Ross goes to meet the Cook (Mickey Rourke), whose girlfriend Nikki has promised that they will sort him out provided he does a little driving work for him. Ross agrees and soon finds himself high enough to tie a causal girlfriend naked to his bed and forget about her for twelve hours, while running around on messy errands for an increasingly demanding Cook.

All of this is played with a huge amount of vigour by a spirited cast who look hugely convincing as continually hyper druggies. Leguizamo is threatening and delicate as the petty dealer and Schwarzmann is unrecognisable from his role as the preppy schoolboy in Rushmore. The two lead girls are equally committed but it is Rourke, in something of a comeback role, who steals the show. He seems to be playing the tough talking Harley riding hardman image he tried to cultivate in real life and he does it very convincingly.

In the end, however, the style far outweighs the substance, and most of the scenes are too pointless or go on far too long. There is also plenty to offend nearly everyone, and with a huge amount of borrowing from films such as Requiem For A Dream, Trainspotting, Chopper and Boogie Nights, it's hardly the most original film about drugs. Perhaps the lack of focus is down to the fact that there are twenty names credited as producer or co-producer.