Gossip

LondonOnMyMind wrote on IMDB:

"Gossip" barely got noticed when it was released. This reception was possibly due to the generally slow box office of April 2000, but also to the fact that, at times, the film's style compensates for its lack of substance. Still, the film is a fun way to spend a few hours and the screenplay provides a unique story.

The acting is pretty good, especially from the three leads - Lena Headey (Cathy), James Marsden (Derrick) and Norman Reedus (Travis). I saw Headey in some other films after this one, namely "Face" and "Ripley's Game", and was impressed not only by her emotional range, but also by her mastery of accents. Both Marsden and Reedus are better actors than they are given credit for.   [ show more ]

The film's style and locales epitomize what I would personally call 'twenty-first century chic'. The loft is ultra cool, and so is the club. In fact, the film is worth seeing for its locales alone.

Overall, a nice little thriller. I give it a 7/10. [ show less ]

Oreolove wrote on IMDB:

Well, not totally. But it definitely left something to be desired. The plot starts out well and is very intriguing. However, the story takes some twists and turns that make it confusing and unbelievable.

The plot begins with three college friends, Cathy (Lena Headey, "The Devil's Advocate,") Derek (James Marsden, "Disturbing Behavior,") and Travis (Norman Reedus, "Deuces Wild,") who find they are very good at starting rumors. They decide to use this talent to do an experiment for a class in which they begin a rumor, track it around campus, and see how it changes and spreads. The poor subjects of their experiment are Beau (Joshua Jackson, TV's "Dawson's Creek") and Naomi (Kate Hudson, "Almost Famous.") While at a party, Derek discovers a situation between Beau and Naomi that soon becomes the rumor. However, when the rumor takes a drastic turn and students start accusing Beau of rape, Cathy and Travis must try and convince Derek that what they've started may lead to something worse. And when Naomi is found dead, the three roomates must fight among themselves and their consciences to fix a rumor that gave them more than what they bargained for.   [ show more ]

James Marsden gives an excellent, evil performance. Norman Reedus puts a lot into his character that excels in the end. And Joshua Jackson gives a wonderful performance as a wrongly accused man. I found Lena Headey and Kate Hudson's acting somewhat bland and boring. The movie seems to try too hard when trying to surprise you. In fact, it tries so hard that it creates way too many "I have an ulterior motive" and "I'm not what you think I am" side stories. If it just went down to the basic facts and left a little of the confusion out, it would have been much better. Possibly a 10 star movie. However, because I got hopelessly lost by the end, it only earned ******/10. [ show less ]

Dave (dcampaig@gasou.edu) wrote on IMDB:

I viewed Gossip in a classroom setting with 26 college freshmen as a unit in a class devoted to transition to college. I was pleasantly surprised at the discussion engendered by viewing the film in a classroom setting. The students responded enthusiastically and thoughtfully to the many ethical issues presented. I recommend the film for this purpose.

The first 80 minutes or so of this 90 minute suspense thriller reminded me of some of the earlier films of Brian DePalma. It is nicely shot at an urban university (NYU?), and the colors and angles add to the introduction of the main plot device - an "innocent" rumor started as a group project for a communications arts class. Notice how many right angles and sharp points are present in the party and residential settings. The students felt this contributed to the intended feeling of edginess engendered by the first 20 minutes.   [ show more ]

The first 80 minutes are well-conceived and intricately-plotted. The plot reveals itself at an excruciatingly pleasurable pace, and a nice twist is that the character of Derek appears to know no more than we, the audience, do.

The ending is abrupt and somewhat derivative, but, in post-viewing discussion, we were able to identify a number of clues to the ending which the director has sprinkled throughout.

A dark, cine noir feeling to the production results in a film a bit out of step with the 21st century, but one that should be satisfying to fans of the genre. [ show less ]