Film Scouts Reviews: Clay Pigeons

"Clay Pigeons"

by Jason Gorber

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I hate films that rest upon one mistake that could readily be
rectified. In the first five minutes, with a little bit of forensic
investigation, the whole downfall-into-chaos could be averted.  Once
things get rolling, however, CLAY PIGEONS does pick up a bit of
speed. In the end, however, I'm afraid that it just rests on too
improbable a beginning.

The three main performers - Janeanne Garofalo, Vince Vaughn and Joaquin
Phoenix, are all quite good in the film. I found that Georgina
Cates was far too over the top as the psycho girlfriend. The story
tries to hard to break from the clichés of the psychopath genre, only to
find itself relying upon these clichés for much of the film.  When
Dobkin tries to step away and create something interesting, he is drawn
back into a form of happy ending that is quite unpalatable.

If it was less directed at a wide audience, CLAY PIGEONS would be a much
better film.  As it stands, it is a fairly enjoyable romp with a
bunch of yokels, complete with their inevitable screw ups and
misunderstandings. I expect more from this director in the future,
as he obviously has a keen eye and good skill. I just would have
hoped for more from this potentially good film.

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