The Doors, a review by Rich
The Doors
Oliver Stone might have considered his film a tribute to the enduring power of the Doors' music, but he seems to have also intended it as a cautionary tale on the perils of both celebrity and substance abuse. Starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, the film focuses on the Lizard King from his days as a UCLA film student in the early 1960s to his death in a Paris hotel in 1971. In the early days of the group's formation, Morrison is at his most benign; he's just a guy hanging out at the beach writing poetry. But as the Doors' fame begins to spread--with Morrison as the focus of attention--his drug consumption and erratic behavior increase exponentially. The rest of the band--Ray Manzarek (Kyle McLachalan), John Densmore (Kevin Dillon), and Robby Krieger (Frank Whaley)--begins to grow tired of his late arrivals, the increasing number of cancellations, and the drunken recording sessions requiring infinite retakes. But no one can help Morrison as he spirals downward into an inferno of drugs, alcohol, public obscenity, and depression. Kilmer gives an excellent performance, including a frighteningly accurate imitation of Morrison's singing. Stone's intimate familiarity with SoCal in the 1960s also provides the film with a high degree of surface verisimilitude. Despite the title, this is another 60's Stone biopic of lead singer Jim Morrison, excellently played by Val Kilmer. Morrison comes across as a vain drug-addled jeckyll and hyde bufoon, and very rarely does the film highlight his poetic prowess and front man ground-breaking performances. Perhaps this was a slightly unbalanced portrayal, it is difficult to contemplate any human being taking the drug and alcohol abuse on a daily basis as is shown here.
I was amazed by Kilmers voice, it is eerily Morrison and I had to check the credits to ensure it wasn't dubbed by another performer. Meg Ryan was totally miscast as Jims wife, and fails as the weird heroin addict.
Too disjointed, badly directed, and obsesses on matters outside of the main narrative that I was soon bored watching this.
(From Riches Random Reviews on March 9th, 2009)
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