"There are eight million stories in the naked city, and this is one of them..."      

SUMMER OF SAM (R)

Reviewed July 2, 1999 - Check out the Summer of Sam Website.

At first glance, Summer of Sam may appear to be a story about the events that transpired during the brutally hot summer of 1977 in New York, when serial killer David Berkowitz (a.k.a. the "Son of Sam") reigned terror on residents of the Bronx and its surrounding burroughs.  Walking up and shooting his victims with a .44 caliber pistol at point blank range, Berkowitz was a chilling figure in New York's recent history as he killed six people and injured six others over a one-year period.  Ah, the stuff of box office gold, right?

Well, perhaps, but for better or worse, this Spike Lee film is not about David Berkowitz, his victims, or the hunt to capture and arrest him.  Instead, it's about a small group of Italian-Americans living in the Bronx, and how their lives are impacted by the fear, anger and confusion caused by that chaotic summer.  Paranoia and mass hysteria reign as this disco generation deals with a psychotic killer in their midst, and it makes for an interesting world where friends become enemies, enemies become friends, and no one is sure who to trust.

The main characters, none of them even remotely connected with the murders, are given memorable personalities through rich performances by the likes of Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Esposito, Anthony LaPaglia, Bebe Neuwirth, Patti LuPone, and Ben Gazzara.  As this is a "Spike Lee joint," the film also has a fairly hard edge, with a raw, unblinking and often violent look at the worst parts of human nature.  No, this film is definitely not for the squeamish, with the sex and violence here given a very seedy rather than glamorous taint.  Still, the film itself offers an interesting (if often caricatured) look at the 70's, Italian-American, and Bronx cultures, and is extremely interesting from this respect.  Sometimes funny, sometimes gruesome and sometimes offensive, Summer of Sam is, if nothing else, a film with some definite personality, and one that has its share of intriguing characters.  Whether you'll want to spend nearly two and a half hours with these characters is a whole different question, and one that may determine your final verdict on this movie.  Personally, I found the whole dysfunctional bunch of them quite interesting, and though Summer of Sam doesn't quite pull everything together in the end, it is nevertheless a fascinating study in human interaction.  If you can stand the often dark and disturbing nature of this story, then Summer of Sam may be worth your while; otherwise, you may want to go somewhere else...

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

musicman gives this movie  star: "Good performances in a cr*p movie." (1/28/00)

bluenun@bellatlantic.net says: "The talking dog scene was priceless. Look out Mr.Ed!" (1/20/00)

jaimemay@execpc.com gives this movie  star. (12/29/99)