Steal Me
(2005/Westlake)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C+ Film: C+
Melissa
Painter’s Steal Me (2005) is an
ambitious independent production about a young lost man named Jake (Danny
Alexander) who is traveling alone cross country and stealing things along the
way. He is in pain and crosses into
Montana when he meets Tucker (Hunter Parrish from Freedom Writers and the hit TV show Weeds, both reviewed elsewhere on this site) who he is stealing a
radio from. After a chase, they become
friends, much to our shock.
His
father (John Terry, from David Fincher’s Zodiac
and Felix Leiter from the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights) decides to give Jake a chance, though his
wife (Cara Seymour) is not so certain.
Jake continues to thieve as if a kleptomaniac; though it may be much
more as he seems to be interested in older women and that has a sad link to an
absent mother. Running 99 minutes, it is
an interesting film, but Painter’s screenplay may have one turn too many for
its own good. However, it is worth
seeing for yourself and the acting is better than many big releases we have
suffered through lately.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is soft with odd color throughout, but
it is hard to tell if this is because of the digital internegative or shooting in
Super 16mm film. Director of Photography
Paul Ryan, A.S.C., is ambitious here with the camera and I bet this looks
better on film. The Dolby Digital 2.0
sound is weaker than expected, though the combination makes me wonder if this was
just a second-generation transfer.
Extras include stills and two audio commentary tracks with Painter. One is with cinematographer Ryan, the other
with actor Alexander.
- Nicholas Sheffo
