- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,067
I really like Samuel L. Jackson. Most people I've met do. Yet there's one particular film on his resume that no one ever seems to talk about, and it makes me wonder, "Why?" That film is called "The Caveman's Valentine," a unique and engaging thriller that takes your head for a spin in more ways than one, but by far the most standout thing about the film is Samuel L. Jackson and his portrayal of the schizophrenic and deeply troubled Romulus Ledbetter. Jackson makes Rom's character come alive and seem really believable, and there were times that I even forgot it was just an actor. This is easily his second most memorable role, the first of course being Pulp Fiction. 
The film itself takes on a classic genre: The murder mystery, and while even if you strip away the parable on insanity and jealousy, its a fairly interesting story so all the stuff that coats it could truly be considered a bonus. The story is about a man named Romulus Ledbetter, a man who used to attend Julliard and was once considered a brilliant Pianist. However, Romulus is a severe schizophrenic, and was driven off by Stuvysent, a faceless man who supposedly lives in the Chrysler Building and is intent on taking over the world with his "Y-Rays." Romulus left his family, his wife and his newborn daughter Lulu and hid in a cave. For the most part he was all alone except for a group of "Moth-Seraphs" that flutter inside his head and are vexed by lies.
The story is set in motion on Valentines day, when Romulus gets a "Vision" from Stuvysent on his television, telling him that his Valentine was outside the cave. Romulus goes out and finds the dead body of a young man in the tree, supposedly frozen to death. He believes though that Stuvysent killed him, and while he may be wrong, he is on to something assuming that it was a murder because later that night, one of his few friends, Matthew a gay teen, comes to Romulus' cave claiming that the dead boy was his boyfriend and that he was murdered by a photographer named David Leppenraub, known for his "Victim Art," depicting angels in various visages of pain. Romulus goes out and tries to prove that David killed the young man, but like any good murder mystery, there are several twists and other key characters that I won't reveal here because they might spoil the movie.
The movie has some tight direction, and the various schizophrenic and psychotic episodes tie into the story very well. They never feel forced or shoehorned in. They also add an extra layer of mystery over the film, making you question which things are real and which are just one of Romulus' episodes. The pacing is brisk and the characters are well fleshed out, even the minor ones are instantly recognizable from their introduction. As far as the way the film is made, the only thing I really dislike is the music, which can sometimes be repetitious and annoying although the few scenes where Romulus plays the piano are memorable.
When I recorded this film onto my DVR, I didn't expect much, (In fact, the way they described it, it sounded like a rip off of "Shine," and truly their description of the film was very poor) I was just drawn in by the name in the Credits. I'm very glad that I discovered this film though, as it was a unique and well made film with an excellent performance from Samuel L. Jackson and a well written mystery. I highly recommend this film, it deserves so much more recognition than it gets.
8.5/10
The film itself takes on a classic genre: The murder mystery, and while even if you strip away the parable on insanity and jealousy, its a fairly interesting story so all the stuff that coats it could truly be considered a bonus. The story is about a man named Romulus Ledbetter, a man who used to attend Julliard and was once considered a brilliant Pianist. However, Romulus is a severe schizophrenic, and was driven off by Stuvysent, a faceless man who supposedly lives in the Chrysler Building and is intent on taking over the world with his "Y-Rays." Romulus left his family, his wife and his newborn daughter Lulu and hid in a cave. For the most part he was all alone except for a group of "Moth-Seraphs" that flutter inside his head and are vexed by lies.
The story is set in motion on Valentines day, when Romulus gets a "Vision" from Stuvysent on his television, telling him that his Valentine was outside the cave. Romulus goes out and finds the dead body of a young man in the tree, supposedly frozen to death. He believes though that Stuvysent killed him, and while he may be wrong, he is on to something assuming that it was a murder because later that night, one of his few friends, Matthew a gay teen, comes to Romulus' cave claiming that the dead boy was his boyfriend and that he was murdered by a photographer named David Leppenraub, known for his "Victim Art," depicting angels in various visages of pain. Romulus goes out and tries to prove that David killed the young man, but like any good murder mystery, there are several twists and other key characters that I won't reveal here because they might spoil the movie.
The movie has some tight direction, and the various schizophrenic and psychotic episodes tie into the story very well. They never feel forced or shoehorned in. They also add an extra layer of mystery over the film, making you question which things are real and which are just one of Romulus' episodes. The pacing is brisk and the characters are well fleshed out, even the minor ones are instantly recognizable from their introduction. As far as the way the film is made, the only thing I really dislike is the music, which can sometimes be repetitious and annoying although the few scenes where Romulus plays the piano are memorable.
When I recorded this film onto my DVR, I didn't expect much, (In fact, the way they described it, it sounded like a rip off of "Shine," and truly their description of the film was very poor) I was just drawn in by the name in the Credits. I'm very glad that I discovered this film though, as it was a unique and well made film with an excellent performance from Samuel L. Jackson and a well written mystery. I highly recommend this film, it deserves so much more recognition than it gets.
8.5/10
