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Zig Zag
Columbia/Tri-Star // R // July 9, 2002
List Price: $24.99 [Buy now and save at Dvdempire]
Zig Zag is screenwriter David S. Goyer's (Blade I, Blade II) directorial debut and although it suffers in a few aspects, it shows a promising visual style and a talent for pulling great performances from his actors. In his book "On Directing Film" David Mamet states that he believes that every shot should be necessary in order to move the narrative ahead. While I do not totally agree, such a method would have smoothed over the few problems in this otherwise good film.
Zig Zag (played by newcomer Sam Jones III) is an autistic boy with an abusive father (Wesley Snipes) and a verbally abusive boss (Oliver Platt). His penchant for remembering numbers comes in handy when his father demands $200 for rent and Zig Zag takes from the safe at work, where he happened to see his boss dial the combination. When his assigned Big Brother-Singer (John Leguizamo)-learns of his crime, he plots to help him return the money before the police discover who took it.
Singer discovers that Zig Zag's father has used the money to repay a loan shark and now they must find a way to repay the money. As the duo works their way to repaying the money Singer falls ill with cancer. As he lies in the hospital Zig Zag befriends a young prostitute named Jenna (Natasha Lyonne). With her help, they devise a way to return the money and pay off the loan shark in the process.
There are enough interesting ideas in the film to make a great story but so many of them are sidetracked or never really resolved that most of the actions seem like coincidences. Scenes that are unnecessary, but amusing, as played just as that and the plot point that allows the group to pay off the loan shark practically contradicts the main plot of the film.
Despite the many plot holes and contrived ideas I still found myself engrossed in the film. Full of wonderful performances, it's a testament to the acting in the film that I still cared about these characters. Platt turns in a hilariously over-the-top performance as a racist restaurant owner and Leguizamo's role as Singer perfectly compliments the part of Zig Zag.
Goyer should have restrained himself in the scripting department and streamlined the story. As it is, he made a beautiful looking picture full of great performances. The film is full of color and interesting lighting and angles. As it is, it's a strong directorial debut from screenwriter David Goyer and the film would have only been stronger with a little streamlining of the script.
The Video: Presented in a 1.85:1 ratio, the 16:9 anamorphic video looks good. There is a slight bit of pixelation and grain present in the transfer when you look closely but the color and contrast are presented perfectly. It's a competent transfer that's not outstanding but works perfectly well.
The Audio: The Dolby Digital soundtrack is crisp with audible vocals and no complaints. There is little use of the surrounds except in the many instances of music in the film. A wonderful mix of instrumental music highlights just the right moments and fills the speakers wonderfully.
Extras: There are no extras on the disc except for a theatrical trailer and a few extra trailers. There is a commentary track with Goyer that is practically hidden on the disc. It can be accessed from the setup menu as an audio option. I only found this while writing the review and noticed that a commentary was listed as an extra. It's an interesting commentary that has a few silences and many little tidbits of information. An interesting enough commentary, it's never really engaging. Goyer presents plenty of information and is never dull but just doesn't engage the viewer with a great personality and humor like other commentaries do.
Overall: Zig Zag is filled with a strong cast and strong performances. The story is compelling and interesting enough but too many attempts have been made to make it over melodramatic. A few scenes and unnecessary moments could have been omitted and made a stronger overall film.
Zig Zag (played by newcomer Sam Jones III) is an autistic boy with an abusive father (Wesley Snipes) and a verbally abusive boss (Oliver Platt). His penchant for remembering numbers comes in handy when his father demands $200 for rent and Zig Zag takes from the safe at work, where he happened to see his boss dial the combination. When his assigned Big Brother-Singer (John Leguizamo)-learns of his crime, he plots to help him return the money before the police discover who took it.
Singer discovers that Zig Zag's father has used the money to repay a loan shark and now they must find a way to repay the money. As the duo works their way to repaying the money Singer falls ill with cancer. As he lies in the hospital Zig Zag befriends a young prostitute named Jenna (Natasha Lyonne). With her help, they devise a way to return the money and pay off the loan shark in the process.
There are enough interesting ideas in the film to make a great story but so many of them are sidetracked or never really resolved that most of the actions seem like coincidences. Scenes that are unnecessary, but amusing, as played just as that and the plot point that allows the group to pay off the loan shark practically contradicts the main plot of the film.
Despite the many plot holes and contrived ideas I still found myself engrossed in the film. Full of wonderful performances, it's a testament to the acting in the film that I still cared about these characters. Platt turns in a hilariously over-the-top performance as a racist restaurant owner and Leguizamo's role as Singer perfectly compliments the part of Zig Zag.
Goyer should have restrained himself in the scripting department and streamlined the story. As it is, he made a beautiful looking picture full of great performances. The film is full of color and interesting lighting and angles. As it is, it's a strong directorial debut from screenwriter David Goyer and the film would have only been stronger with a little streamlining of the script.
The Video: Presented in a 1.85:1 ratio, the 16:9 anamorphic video looks good. There is a slight bit of pixelation and grain present in the transfer when you look closely but the color and contrast are presented perfectly. It's a competent transfer that's not outstanding but works perfectly well.
The Audio: The Dolby Digital soundtrack is crisp with audible vocals and no complaints. There is little use of the surrounds except in the many instances of music in the film. A wonderful mix of instrumental music highlights just the right moments and fills the speakers wonderfully.
Extras: There are no extras on the disc except for a theatrical trailer and a few extra trailers. There is a commentary track with Goyer that is practically hidden on the disc. It can be accessed from the setup menu as an audio option. I only found this while writing the review and noticed that a commentary was listed as an extra. It's an interesting commentary that has a few silences and many little tidbits of information. An interesting enough commentary, it's never really engaging. Goyer presents plenty of information and is never dull but just doesn't engage the viewer with a great personality and humor like other commentaries do.
Overall: Zig Zag is filled with a strong cast and strong performances. The story is compelling and interesting enough but too many attempts have been made to make it over melodramatic. A few scenes and unnecessary moments could have been omitted and made a stronger overall film.
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