Splendor (1999)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Gregg Araki

Writers:

Gregg Araki (writer)
Jill Cargerman (additional voice over)

Release Date:

12 May 2000 (Iceland)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An average, calm mid-20s girl named Veronica restarts her dead dating life all of the sudden, but with...

Plot Keywords:

Drummer | Threesome | Bisexuality | Love Triangle | Wedding

Cast

Kathleen Robertson	...	Veronica
Johnathon Schaech	...	Abel
Matt Keeslar	...	Zed
Kelly Macdonald	...	Mike
Eric Mabius	...	Ernest
Dan Gatto	...	Mutt
Linda Kim	...	Alison
Audrey Ruttan	...	The Gloved One
Nathan Bexton	...	Waiter
Amy Stevens	...	Nana Kitty Cat
Adam Carolla	...	Mike's Stupid Boss (as Adam Carola)
Julie Millett	...	Supermarket Cashier (as Julie Millette)
Jenica Bergere	...	Model #1
Paige Dunn	...	Model #2
Emile Hamaty	...	The Wizard Cashier

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual material, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | France:U | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Italy:T | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Desperate Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: During the whole conversation between Veronica, Abel and Zed after her return from Maui, the hands on the clock remain at 02:55.

Movie Connections:

References "Three's Company" (1977)

Soundtrack:

Sho Nuff

different but not necessarily great

Splendor is a much different film than you'd expect from writer/director Greg Arakki's previous work. It stays away from the stylistic and linguistic tendencies that plagued both "The Doom Generation" and "Nowhere". Visually, the film is also much more conventional, adding to a slightly strange, but by no means bizarre plot line. It's the story of Veronica, featuring a fine performance by Kathleen Robertson, who has fallen in love with two different men. She somehow manages to keep them apart, and then eventually, to get them to like each other. Together they form a triple, as opposed to a couple. It seems a bit of a stretch to assume that this complex relationship would work, that the two would be willing to share her as a girlfriend, and that they would all be able to live together in seeming harmony. The problem, is that the two different men soon become crude characterizations, rather than flesh and blood people that we could care about. They seem rather pathetic at times, and things get complicated when yet another man enters Veronica's life, offering stability and desiring a relationship with her. Despite the obvious nods to Three's Company, and the sometimes funny scenes that Arakki conjures up, the film is simply not exciting enough to hold our interest in these characters, the writing is not bold enough to grab out attention, and the film isn't nearly as erotic as its set up would suggest. All in all, it's an okay film from a director I usually don't like all that much, but it's definitely not what you're expecting from an Arakki film (which doesn't necessarily mean that it's any better for its difference)