The Roommate


2.5/4

Starring: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka

Rated PG-13 for Violence and Menace, Sexual Content, Some Language and Teen Partying

I suppose part of the reason why I’m giving this movie a lukewarm review as opposed to completely eviscerating it because I love these kinds of movies, and I fully expected this movie to end up on my Bottom 10 list for the year.  After all, it stars a cast of photogenic actors who made a name for themselves where good looks matter far more than acting talent (Meester in “Gossip Girl,” Gigandet in “The OC” and “Twilight”).  And it’s a PG-13 movie in a genre that demands an R rating.

The plot is virtually the same as “Single White Female” only transported to a college in LA (where else would a movie like this take place?).  Small town girl Sara Matthews (Kelly) has just moved into her new dorm, and has already made friends with the local party girl, Tracy (Michalka).  Her roommate only shows up when she comes home drunk from a party.  Her name is Rebecca (Meester), and she seems like the ideal roommate: sweet, good looking, and easy to like.  Apparently, Sara hasn’t seen “Single White Female,” or else she’d take Tracy more seriously after she claims that Rebecca was waiting outside her room all night for no reason.  Of course, Sara has other things on her mind, like her lecherous teacher (Billy Zane) and her new boyfriend, the sexy drummer named Stephen (Gigandet).  But when Sara mentions that she’s thinking about moving into her friend’s apartment, Rebecca takes it personally.  And that’s when things start getting ugly.

The “stranger within” formula works time and time again for a few reasons.  First, it takes time to develop the characters.  In slasher movies, the rule of thumb is the less you know about the killer/monster/evil villain, the scarier he is.  In the psychological thriller genre, it’s the exact opposite.  Second, it allows the tension to build slowly as the hero/heroine (usually the latter) is placed in harm’s way, but she’s too far in when she finally realizes it.  Again, high levels of tension can work from beginning to end, but it takes a master to pull it off, and most who attempt fail spectacularly.  Finally, actors are given the chance to act, rather than stand behind/in front of a mask and scream.  As long as the film succeeds in these four areas, it works.  Director Christian E. Christiansen manages to do this, albeit barely (he understands the rules a lot better than Curtis Hanson, who bungled other genre entries “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” and “Bad Influence”).

Surprisingly, the acting is effective.  Minka Kelly is good as nice girl Sara.  She’s like a big sister; sweet, loving and supportive.  Leighton Meester is less successful as Rebecca.  She’s good when she’s shy and introverted, but when she’s required to go loco, the role escapes her talents.  Cam Gigandet may never be known as a great actor, but he is good looking, which is all that’s really required here (surprisingly, he does not take off his shirt, which is something of a requirement for hot guys in movies like this.  He does constantly wear a skin-tight t-shirt, which is close enough, I guess).  He’s effective here, and generates a little heat with Kelly.

For a thriller, it’s surprising that the thriller elements are the least effective parts of the movie.  Actually, they’re often hilariously bad.  The film is on surer ground when it details what it’s like to be in college; this material rings true.

I can’t recommend the film; too much that’s supposed to work doesn’t, and the desperation of the screenwriter to follow the formula is evident in many scenes.  But for those in the target audience, at least you can be assured that there is other worthwhile stuff going on then ogling at your favorite TV stars.

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