A film for adults

The Dying Gaul is one of those head-trip movies, a story that starts out one way, leading you to think it's going to be a particular sort of experience but then it takes a completely unexpected turn in an entirely surprising direction, leaving you gasping for air in the process. I like that.

This sort of thing has to be done well, of course, and it is, for the most part - it does feel a little stagy (it is based on a play) and some of the dialog gets a bit pretentious, but overall the 3 main characters - 4, if you count Malcolm, who is very much present - feel genuine (thanks to the superb casting), and the complex, audacious ways that they choose to deal with their (constantly shifting) situation is compelling to the very end. I watched nearly the entire film with my jaw dropped, and this is a very high recommendation indeed.