I came to this HBO production with some trepidation being aware that representatives of both the victim and the convicted had poured scorn on this production, but with a top cast and being written and directed by David Mamet, I had to watch.
"Hard to watch" more like, probably sums up my feelings about the movie. Spector to my mind was undoubtedly a production genius who had made some of the best records of the 60's - "Be My Baby", "You've Lost That Lovin Feeling" and "River Deep Mountain High" to name but three, not to mention his production duties for the Beatles, group and solo, but there's little doubt that he seemed to possess at the very least an eccentric and at worst a control-freak mentality which, given his predilection for guns, ended up with the tragic death of a woman named Lana Clarkson at his mansion retreat by a gunshot through the mouth.
I remember when the story broke and reading about the circumstances of her death thinking that Spector had to be guilty but when his replacement defence attorney Linda Kersey (Helen Mirren) picks up the case she finds aspects of the evidence which when skilfully presented at trial, at least seem to bring in some doubt over his guilt. The film takes us up to the end of the inconclusive first trial at which point Kersey finally surrenders to the pneumonia assailing her all through the movie and we learn through a closing credit sub-title that in her enforced absence, Spector, as we know of course, was convicted and sentenced accordingly.
However, the film is less concerned about the drama of the traditionally climactic courtroom scene than it is about examining the fragile state of mind of the crazed Spector and the efforts of Kersey to get through to him and find a way to defend him. That this seems to detract from considerations of the poor victim is a valid criticism, but as film entertainment, it's the scenes between Pacino and Mirren which undoubtedly work best.
For once, Pacino's acting, which has been in over-the-top self-caricature mode since "Scent Of A Woman", is actually suited to the mass of eccentricity that is Spector and he gives a compelling performance of this undoubtedly gifted but strange man with his sense of self-importance, mood-swings and frankly bizarre choice of wigs depending on his mood. Subtle it isn't but I was ultimately convinced by his performance as I gradually witnessed less Pacino and more Spector in his characterisation.
Mirren has to convey dogged determination combined with a legal lucidity as she tries to prise out a defence for her client, all the time struggling against her advancing illness and all this she does excellently. Arguably the skill of her acting steals some of Pacino's limelight but for me helps to ground the film more in reality, ultimately to its benefit.
The movie is however mis-titled, as viewers might be misled into thinking this was a bio-pic of some kind, rather than focusing purely on his murder trial. That carp apart, I was thoroughly engrossed by this well-acted, written and directed study of madness of a musical great and to a lesser degree, of the American legal system at work.
"Hard to watch" more like, probably sums up my feelings about the movie. Spector to my mind was undoubtedly a production genius who had made some of the best records of the 60's - "Be My Baby", "You've Lost That Lovin Feeling" and "River Deep Mountain High" to name but three, not to mention his production duties for the Beatles, group and solo, but there's little doubt that he seemed to possess at the very least an eccentric and at worst a control-freak mentality which, given his predilection for guns, ended up with the tragic death of a woman named Lana Clarkson at his mansion retreat by a gunshot through the mouth.
I remember when the story broke and reading about the circumstances of her death thinking that Spector had to be guilty but when his replacement defence attorney Linda Kersey (Helen Mirren) picks up the case she finds aspects of the evidence which when skilfully presented at trial, at least seem to bring in some doubt over his guilt. The film takes us up to the end of the inconclusive first trial at which point Kersey finally surrenders to the pneumonia assailing her all through the movie and we learn through a closing credit sub-title that in her enforced absence, Spector, as we know of course, was convicted and sentenced accordingly.
However, the film is less concerned about the drama of the traditionally climactic courtroom scene than it is about examining the fragile state of mind of the crazed Spector and the efforts of Kersey to get through to him and find a way to defend him. That this seems to detract from considerations of the poor victim is a valid criticism, but as film entertainment, it's the scenes between Pacino and Mirren which undoubtedly work best.
For once, Pacino's acting, which has been in over-the-top self-caricature mode since "Scent Of A Woman", is actually suited to the mass of eccentricity that is Spector and he gives a compelling performance of this undoubtedly gifted but strange man with his sense of self-importance, mood-swings and frankly bizarre choice of wigs depending on his mood. Subtle it isn't but I was ultimately convinced by his performance as I gradually witnessed less Pacino and more Spector in his characterisation.
Mirren has to convey dogged determination combined with a legal lucidity as she tries to prise out a defence for her client, all the time struggling against her advancing illness and all this she does excellently. Arguably the skill of her acting steals some of Pacino's limelight but for me helps to ground the film more in reality, ultimately to its benefit.
The movie is however mis-titled, as viewers might be misled into thinking this was a bio-pic of some kind, rather than focusing purely on his murder trial. That carp apart, I was thoroughly engrossed by this well-acted, written and directed study of madness of a musical great and to a lesser degree, of the American legal system at work.