Al Pacino stars
as veteran PR man Eli Wurman, a man with a failing career and
health who needs pills to sleep. During Eli’s fevered attempts to
mount a charity benefit that will put him back on top, his movie
star client (Ryan O’Neal) gives him the job of picking up his
drug-addled, starlet girlfriend (Leoni). This leads him to witness
something he shouldn’t have.
CRITIQUE
People I Know
is
marketed as a thriller but this may be a bit misleading. The
moments that really make your pulse pound only come twice, and
there are other elements that make it an unusual thriller. The
film qualifies as drama but again exceeds those traits. People
I Know is an interesting, but not great, viewing experience
with a powerhouse central performance from Al Pacino.
There is a bit of a
problem with the script. It would do well to strive for a bit more
coherence and it’s full of seeming contradictions that in the end
don’t combine perfectly. Eli sees the starlet’s murder but is out of
it because of opium and she’s on ecstasy. It’s hard to sympathize with
the characters due to the drugs. The murder’s motivation seems to be
the retrieval of a toy of the actress that can take pictures but we’re
not shown what. Maybe I got distracted and missed something.
Also, Eli spends a
lot of time convincing a couple of important people to attend his
benefit, but the fact that they show up feels anticlimactic. It’s
almost as if there are two plotlines and they don’t intersect. The
pacing is leisurely and doesn’t pick up even after the murder. It
feels refreshing in a thriller but works with drama, too. It’s almost
as if the film can’t decide if it’s a dramatic character study or
suspense. The characterization of Eli, though, is exceptional. He is
good at what he does; world-weary and cynical but has shades of
idealism, too. The entire tone of the film is bleak, offering no
really pleasant moments, and this is reflected in the look of the
movie. The ending in particular is a downer but fits the rest of the
story.
Director Dan
Algrant is competent enough. At certain points, he’ll use a camera
angle that stands out or he punches the big final moment with slow
motion. Also, once or twice the cinematography will catch the eye,
such as the way the camera captures the murder from Eli’s point of
view through a mirror. The editing has an even rhythm and the film’s
costumes are seamless, though the music feels obtrusive at the end.
Al Pacino, one of
acting’s living legends is perfectly cast and his acting ability
almost doesn’t need a mention, it’s just so reliable. He is utterly
believable and lived in. The rest of the cast is solid and I
especially like Mark Webber as Eli’s assistant. He looks quite grown
up from Snow Day.
THE VIDEO
This one-disc
package is presented in anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for 16x9
television sets). No fullscreen version is available. The
qualities of the print and cinematography are preserved seemingly
adequately by the presentation.
THE AUDIO
Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound is used for this disc but to me the track was
a bit murky, especially in scenes using television broadcasts. A
French language track and Spanish subtitles are available.
THE EXTRAS
Deleted
Scenes—There
are only two here and they both are really extended versions of
scenes that appear in the final cut of the film. They both also
involve shots of the World Trade Center towers. It is obvious
why they were cut. This feature comes with an optional
director’s commentary.
Commentary—Director
Algrant and a man named Gregory Mosher, who as far as I can see had
nothing to do with the film, offer a track. There is enough to
interest here to merit a listen. They address things like character,
not just behind-the-scenes tidbits, as they talk.
FINAL THOUGHTS
People I Know
is worth a look, mostly for Pacino’s performance. The DVD is a bit
ill-served by scant supplemental material. The inclusion of trailers
and similar material might have added more to the DVD watching
experience.
