Crave (2012)

Genre : Drama/Misdaad
Country : USA

Cast :
Josh Lawson : Aiden
Emma Lung : Virginia
Ron Perlman : Pete

Director :
Charles de Lauzirika

Summary
A photographer who is haunted by the urban violence and decay around him, retreats into an inner world of dark fantasy. Those dangerous visions come to reality with deadly consequences when his intoxicating new relationship with a beautiful young woman goes wrong.

My opinion

No, Aiden. This is real

"Crave" is a pretty dark and gloomy movie. It's a precise characterization of the photographer Aiden (Josh Lawson). He makes pictures of victims at a crime scene, as a hobby or as a job (That wasn't entirely clear to me). As the film progresses, it's obvious that he has a kind of split personality and imagines himself to be a guardian angel in a society that is desolate, violent and ruthless. One time he sees himself as the protector of a girl on the subway who got hassled by two macho's. Another day he fantasizes that he uses a sledge hammer on some guy who is talking disturbingly loud to someone else at an AA meeting. Actually these are all situations everyone goes through once and a while and where we think about afterwards and wonder how it would be if we reacted in such a way like Aiden did. At a certain moment Aiden dares to protest against a pushy woman in a supermarket. Afterwards you see him driving home with a satisfied smile.

He always meets the same detective Pete (Ron Perlman) at a crime scene or an AA meeting. Both are converted alcoholics and I guess for a long time already non-drinkers. Perlman plays his character sober and restrained. He's not afraid to bury Aiden under a lot of advice and life skills.

Aiden meets his neighbor Virginia (Emma Lung) who has a complicated relationship with Ravi (Edward Furlong). The latter still has the youthful appearance since "Terminator 2". Aiden and Virginia start a turbulent relationship, although Virginia rather keeps a distance. They break up after attending an abstract play where Aiden couldn't help to make a remark about it (Actually I would make the same remark in such a situation). From that moment on it clearly goes the wrong way. The revolver, which he took after a robber left it behind, turns out to be a deadly weapon in his hands.

Josh Lawson plays his role beautifully. He's really a sad character who can be funny and witty sometimes , but at the same time leaves a melancholic and depressive impression. This would-be hero is ultimately a coward. Charles de Lauzerika manages to make an obscure dark movie. Until the end of the movie this was the overall atmosphere you felt about this movie : Dark,gloomy and depressing. Until the moment Furlong gets out his body-bag and gives a thumbs-up gesture. That changed the whole atmosphere of the movie and gave it at that time an absurdly sinister turn. There's a scene in the movie I thought was a brilliant masterpiece. When Aiden finally manages to conquer Virginia and ends up in bed with her, we go back to the moment where it all started, and we assume that it was a fantasy again. Then Aiden stares at the camera and says : "No, Aiden This is real.". Damn surprising and funny!

Many will see this as a boring slow movie without any action. I thought it was a strong effort to show the process of how someones fantasy world slowly becomes reality. Without the twist at the end and a less open ending, I would have appreciated it more. The thing I still need to mention is the fact that I didn't expect a chainsaw gore-element in this kind of movie. Nice though !