John Waters has brought us many definitive cult classics such as "Pink Flamingos," "Hairspray" and "Polyester" -- films guaranteed to be extremely campy. While his latest, "Cecil B. DeMented," is unmistakably a John Waters film, it will likely be considered by most as an interesting failure made during the infamous auteur's transitional period.
Cecil B. DeMented - R
Starring:
Stephen Dorff, Melanie Griffith and Alicia Witt
Directed by:
John Waters
Now playing:
Showplace 12 West
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Beginning with his sweet-natured 1998 film "Pecker," Waters has become increasingly concerned about making artistic statements. While keeping the familiar ludicrous cult elements in place, Waters struggles to package his movies with serious statements and messages about society. His attempts are certainly admirable, but often they end up leaving moviegoers unsatisfied.
"DeMented" follows the theme of "Pecker" to examine society's obsession with fame and celebrity. This time, Waters comes up with a satirical exposé about the Hollywood film industry. Stephen Dorff plays Waters' alter ego, who leads a group of Baltimore-based guerrilla filmmakers. These rebels kidnap pompous Hollywood diva Honey Whitlock, played by Melanie Griffith, and force her to act in the "outlaw cinema" that aims to destroy the mainstream Hollywood.
The film has many tongue-in-cheek moments about Hollywood that are absolutely hilarious, but there are also many disappointing moments when the film does not fully realize its comedic potentials. If life imitates art imitates life, many parallels can certainly be drawn between "DeMented" and Waters.
While the attempt of DeMented's troop is praiseworthy, their courageous "outlaw" film project certainly fails to justify their high-minded mission. Most scenes that revolve around DeMented's filmmaking process are misguided and messy, further venturing the film away from what Waters ultimately hopes to accomplish.
The premise of "Cecil B. DeMented" is a brilliant one, but Waters' inability to fully integrate or reconcile the comedic elements with the serious messages presents a huge problem. Despite a somewhat compelling end, the film is a few rewrites short from being one of Waters' most memorable works.
