Jason KingChapter 27 - ($13.50)
July 16th 2009 10:57
:
Written by Sean
Category: No Category
Chapter 27 - ($13.50)
Jared Leto would not be considered a superstar. He's certainly not as famous as Brad Pitt, but he's certainly a better actor. He's probably best known for small roles in Oliver Stone's Alexander, Panic Room, and Lord of War. Or better known as Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for A Dream. But how many of you know him as Mark David Chapman?
I recently hired a film called Chapter 27, a 2007 flick by German director J.P. Schaefer. I was intrigued by this film, mainly from seeing Jared Leto's face and name on the DVD, so I grabbed it and headed home to check it out.
Not what I expected.
Chapter 27 tells the story of Mark David Chapman, and the three days leading up to the assassination of John Lennon outside his New York apartment, the Dakota. Whilst waiting outside the apartment, Chapman, a Texan who had immigrated to Hawaii with his wife a few years earlier. After divorcing his wife, he had become entranced by the novel, 'Catcher in the Rye', by J.D. Salinger. Chapman believed that he was the character in the novel, visiting Manhattan, having travelled from the country to see what it was like in the big smoke.
He arrives at the Dakota and meets Jude (Lindsey Lohan) and her friend. Jude recommends that Mark buys Lennon's new album and gets him to sign it. Chapman waits throughout most of the night, but Lennon never appears, so Chapman retreats to his dingy hotel.
Throughout the movie, we find out more about the apartment in which Lennon is living. In 1968, Roman Polanski shot the film Rosemary's Baby. Whilst there, his pregnant wife and the star of the film was murdered by Charles Manson and his gang, (her murder wasn't the only one) in the series he dubbed 'Helter Skelter" after the famous Beatles song.
As the story progresses, Chapman finds himself living out Holden Caulfield's (the character in the novel) life. He meets a nice girl and begins to befriend her. He even orders a prostitute to his hotel, but never has sex with her, instead talks, then asks her to leave, but still paying her for her time.
After the prostitute leaves, Chapman decides that he is going to kill John Lennon.
This film isn't about the biggest murder in music history. It's more about Chapman's pschye, his plunge into darkness and why he decides to kill Lennon. Chapman, throughout the film becomes increasingly plagued by a need to kill this man, yet at the same time, struggles to come to terms with why.
The book, "Catcher in the Rye", only features 26 chapters. Chapter 27 comes from Chapman writing his own ending to the novel. The opening lines to the film are, "I believe in Holden Caulfield. And in the book, and what he was saying, what he was saying to a lost generation of phoney people". This line sums up Chapman's belief that he was doing a good thing by killing Lennon. He solidly believed that his generation had been mislead and as such lost by Lennon's music. And he believed that by killing him, this would help fix his fellow man.
The irony, Chapman had always been a huge fan of The Beatles.
A great film with a perfect performance from Jared Leto, great writing and direction from Schaefer and some of the best editing in a long time from Andrew Hafitz (Ken Park) and Jim Makiej (Beyond the City Limits). This film unfortunately received next to no promotion or exposure - which it certainly deserved - and whilst is premiered at Sundance, it received no awards.
That said, well worth a watch.
Sean.
Jared Leto would not be considered a superstar. He's certainly not as famous as Brad Pitt, but he's certainly a better actor. He's probably best known for small roles in Oliver Stone's Alexander, Panic Room, and Lord of War. Or better known as Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for A Dream. But how many of you know him as Mark David Chapman?
I recently hired a film called Chapter 27, a 2007 flick by German director J.P. Schaefer. I was intrigued by this film, mainly from seeing Jared Leto's face and name on the DVD, so I grabbed it and headed home to check it out.
Not what I expected.
Chapter 27 tells the story of Mark David Chapman, and the three days leading up to the assassination of John Lennon outside his New York apartment, the Dakota. Whilst waiting outside the apartment, Chapman, a Texan who had immigrated to Hawaii with his wife a few years earlier. After divorcing his wife, he had become entranced by the novel, 'Catcher in the Rye', by J.D. Salinger. Chapman believed that he was the character in the novel, visiting Manhattan, having travelled from the country to see what it was like in the big smoke.
He arrives at the Dakota and meets Jude (Lindsey Lohan) and her friend. Jude recommends that Mark buys Lennon's new album and gets him to sign it. Chapman waits throughout most of the night, but Lennon never appears, so Chapman retreats to his dingy hotel.
Throughout the movie, we find out more about the apartment in which Lennon is living. In 1968, Roman Polanski shot the film Rosemary's Baby. Whilst there, his pregnant wife and the star of the film was murdered by Charles Manson and his gang, (her murder wasn't the only one) in the series he dubbed 'Helter Skelter" after the famous Beatles song.
As the story progresses, Chapman finds himself living out Holden Caulfield's (the character in the novel) life. He meets a nice girl and begins to befriend her. He even orders a prostitute to his hotel, but never has sex with her, instead talks, then asks her to leave, but still paying her for her time.
After the prostitute leaves, Chapman decides that he is going to kill John Lennon.
This film isn't about the biggest murder in music history. It's more about Chapman's pschye, his plunge into darkness and why he decides to kill Lennon. Chapman, throughout the film becomes increasingly plagued by a need to kill this man, yet at the same time, struggles to come to terms with why.
The book, "Catcher in the Rye", only features 26 chapters. Chapter 27 comes from Chapman writing his own ending to the novel. The opening lines to the film are, "I believe in Holden Caulfield. And in the book, and what he was saying, what he was saying to a lost generation of phoney people". This line sums up Chapman's belief that he was doing a good thing by killing Lennon. He solidly believed that his generation had been mislead and as such lost by Lennon's music. And he believed that by killing him, this would help fix his fellow man.
The irony, Chapman had always been a huge fan of The Beatles.
A great film with a perfect performance from Jared Leto, great writing and direction from Schaefer and some of the best editing in a long time from Andrew Hafitz (Ken Park) and Jim Makiej (Beyond the City Limits). This film unfortunately received next to no promotion or exposure - which it certainly deserved - and whilst is premiered at Sundance, it received no awards.
That said, well worth a watch.
Sean.
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Comment by Jason King
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Requiem is one of my all time fave films and he definately has some amazing acting talent.
Comment by Jake 5
Comment by Morgan Bell
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i liked him best in American Psycho, he plays smug quite well
Comment by Jason King
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Comment by Sean Lander
Morgan. In response to your comment. Jared Leto gained 67 pounds - a bit over 30 kilos - for Chapman. If you haven't already seen it. Then do. It's well worth it.
Jake. Fair point about the money. I would guess that he had been saving for years. And also it was 70's/80's so jobs were mch easier to come and paid better than say, Hoyts in 2009 (no offence boss).