The Life of David Gale (2003)

Great movie. Had me gripped from beginning to unsuspecting end. I do love Kate Winslet and she is great in this. This movie gives you a lot to think about. Well worth watching.

Really good. Full of plot twists and turns, right until the end.

fabulous movie. Amazing. Great work from Kate Winslett and Kevin Spacey. Definitely worth a watch.

Excellent movie from the director of Evita with top performances by Winslet, Spacey and Linney. Keep your mind on this one and you will be very rewarded by the end. Very intriguing political and moral issue in the film as the characters challenge the death penalty while a thrilling murder mystery unfolds.

Fantastic movie. really opened my eyes to the stupidity and the archaic nature of the death penalty. If you love a film that proves a point, especially a political one then this is a good choice.

This movie keeps you wondering if the end is what seems impossible and yet possible.

Great movie with excellent performances from Spacey and Winslet and a nice little twist in the end.

How far would you go for your principles? David Gale (Spacey), a brilliant academic and staunch vocal opponent of Capital Punishment is on Death Row when we meet him. An unfortunate sequence of events has led him there; and it's up to Bitsie Bloom (Winslett), investigative journalist with an acute understanding of the ethics of her profession, to lead us through the journey of both overcoming her own prejudices (four legs good, two legs bad) and to critically think through what might REALLY be at the bottom of what has led David Gale to be so "falsely" accused. Whatever your views on capital punishment, this movie will make you angry, sad, but ultimately proud of the story of a man who has the passion and intellect to take his cause to the nth degree. Shocking at times, his story makes more sense after the final credits have rolled... When faced with a system that is flawed (one of Gale's arguments against Capital punishment) we can either jump up and down and carry on about it, or use the system itself to expose the flaws inherent within. Such takes time, strategy, and courage. This reviewer cried that indeed, stories like this do exist - sometimes, they make the news, but more often than not when it's too late. Prevention better than cure? Such too is a principle raised in this story. Just watch which preventions work, and be mindful that some claim to be preventative but ultimately?? - such emotive thinking can lead to tragedy. This is an incredible story of intelligent passion carefully constructed and executed (no pun intended) when it seems all hope is lost. It is not to be missed. Vale people like David Gale.

Wonderful film, really makes you think about the validity of corporal punishment given how many innocent people there could be in the system.

As you can see a lot of members liked this movie, actually what you would expect from Alan Parker's direction, something a bit different, nice twist. I agree, compelling, clever intelligent screenplay supported by 3 quality actors. Contraversial movie about the 'death penalty' good night's entertainment.

Excellent Movie with a very thought provoking ending. Must see viewing.

Extremely depressing.

Watched 3/4 hour and turned it off. Couldn't get with the storyline at all.

I had to put down my sewing - though the accents were at times a little indistinct to an Australian ear which is reasonably attuned to USA accents, this movie moved along very quickly and although some have said the ending was predictable, I didn't find it so. The storylines (capital punishment plus the activist's rocky personal road) were gripping and provoked much discussion in our home. NOT a light story.

interesting, not a bad night in at all!

Excellent movie

Such a clever storyline, you change your view every 5 minutes as you learn more. Beatifully acted by Spacey (who plays a superb drunk) and Linney. Winslet over acts as ever but it doesn't detract from the overall brilliance if it. Alan Parker directed it so well, the music (by his sons) is evocative of Texas, a state slightly trigger happy with more prisons and murderers than Starbucks!!

Dark and intense - couldn't stop watching! I found this to be a very thought provoking drama which certainly challenged some of my preconceived idea's on capital punishment. The end was definately a kicker and made for some serious thinking. Would recommend this one but not if you are after a little light viewing. Kevin Spacey as usual was superb

A powerful drama that keeps you intrigued and guessing what will happen next. Not to be missed. Raises some importaint issues about the death penalty and also the legal system. Makes you think, which is also a plus when watching films.

I have never felt inspired to write a review before, but this movie is worth the time. I have since looked up all of Allan Parkers' (director) movies and added another 3 to my list. This is a briliantly written, acted and directed movie that I wanted to keep and watch again, but I knew I was delaying someone else from getting the pleasure out of it that I did. P.S. My husband worked it out - see if you can!!

Clearly the best movie I've seen all year.

Held my interest for the whole movie.

Fantastic film! Original, great acting & brilliant script. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed the movie as it kept you wondering about the plot right until the end. It wasn't slow although it switched time frames it wasnt difficult to follow.

I loved this film with its fantastic acting and thoroughly absorbing plot.

It was a good film with a twist but not as good as I expected the film to be.

Loved it...captivating

Really well written and especially good portrayal by Kevin Spacey.

One of the most thought-provoking and gripping films I've seen in a long time!

Ironic

Thought provoking

Not quiet believeable but some interesting twists

A powerful movie which held my interest right to the end. Well worth watching.

Another supurb performance by Kevin Spacey, edgy, story telling allowing Kate Winslett performance to shine. Recomended viewing totally absorbing. Brilliantly disguised you'll still be guessing what's the truth until the very end, you don't even know there's a secret until it overwhelms you. Top drawer stuff.

Brilliant suspense and thriller. You'll never guess the ending.

Best movie I have seen in the longest time. Definately don't miss it.

Compelling story which kept us in suspense to the end

Great

Very interesting, I really enjoyed it.

An intelligent script superbly acted by a great cast. A first class thriller

Beautifully acted. Filming was very good. We really enjoyed this film.

Well constructed thriller with unexpected ending.

Intriguing film which holds your interest to the end.

Ok, but definitely not a feel-good flick!

A little hard to follow at the end but suspenseful and worth watching

Taut thriller -- quite demanding of its audience --

Interesting concept but very confusing, Spacey looked out of his depth in the intimate scenes

Loved the twist

This film held my interest to the end. The performances were powerful and the story thought provoking. If you look beyond the capital punishment message you'll appreciate Spacey's performance as the tragic victim of circumstance, especially if you enjoyed American Beauty.

Fantastic! Twists and turns like a roller coaster!

Enjoyable evening's entertainment

This is a movie full of twists and fantastic performances. I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it to others.

A top movie that was recommended to me by another person. I enjoyed the story all the way through.

Keeps you watching from start to finish, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing!

Great movie. Better than I expected!

In typical Hollywood fashion, the end is predictable but the acting makes it worth while.