The Canyons Review

The Canyons

3.5 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

A porn star, a pretty boy, and Lindsay Lohan walk into a bar... wait a minute... that's not right. Hmm it sounds like the set up for a pretty good joke. But actually, it's the cast of The Canyons, the most controversial and talked-about movie of 2013. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this partially Kickstarter-funded $250,000 indie. I'm sure you've heard the rumors of the on-set horror stories. How Lindsay was fired for being late and missing rehearsals, and then was rehired after desperate pleading. How director Paul Schrader had to strip down to nothing on set, so that Lindsay would do the same on camera. How this film would not get picked up by festivals despite being written by the acclaimed Bret Easton Ellis. And these are just some of the crazy stories, which may be true or may be falsified but scandalized to build more anticipation for the film. Critics everywhere are trashing it. Cinephiles are angry that it isn't the "so bad, it's good" train wreck that they were expecting. (It's not trying to be a campy "bad" movie). The Canyons was one of the films that I had been dying to see this year. I didn't really care about the bad reviews or the controversy. I just wanted to see it for myself. And now that I've seen it, I am absolutely stunned. The Canyons is one of the most thought-provoking, piercing, and unforgettable movies of the year.

Meet Tara (Lindsay Lohan), a young Los Angeleno who lives a lavish life in Hollywood. She lounges at trendy cafes at Sunset Plaza, shops at designer stores in Santa Monica, and sunbathes by her beautiful pool while smoking cigarettes. Sounds like the life, right? But it isn't. Tara is a broken, empty, and unhappy woman who doesn't really have a purpose other than to spend money and keep her boyfriend, Christian (James Deen), satisfied. Now, meet Christian. He's a rich kid who lives off of his parents' wealth. That's why he can afford to live in a beautiful Hollywood Hills mansion and shower his girlfriend with cash. What's more is that he's also a "movie producer," which gives him a purpose in life. He's currently funding and working on a slasher project. Sure, he's not passionate about it and hardly gives it any attention, but who cares? As long as his daddy thinks that he's working and keeping busy, then he and his girlfriend will still be getting money and living the glamorous life.

On the outside, everything seems perfect, right? I mean, these people have the things that so many others desire. But we know better than that. Tara and Christian have a host of dark secrets. Christian is a little bit sick and depraved. He always talks to a therapist, but Tara doesn't know why. Christian is constantly on a mobile app called "Amore," through which he sets up hook-ups for Tara. Then, he films all the dirty deeds to feed his inner kinky side. And most interesting of all, Christian can't shake the feeling that Tara is seeing someone else on the side. Forget that he constantly hooks up with a yoga teacher named Cynthia (Tenille Houston). If Tara is actually seeing someone else, he will make Tara and her fling's lives sheer hell.

And finally, that brings us to Ryan (Nolan Funk), a handsome aspiring actor who hasn't had much luck after moving from the midwest to Los Angeles. He works at a hotel on Melrose during the day, but only part-time so that he can still go to auditions too. Ryan is stoked that he actually managed to get a part in Christian's slasher flick. But of course, this was with the help of Tara, who sat in on casting and insisted that he get the part. Turns out that (surprise!) Ryan has a past with Tara. Of course, nothing can happen now because Ryan has a faithful girlfriend named Gina (Amanda Brooks). And this girlfriend also happens to be Christian's assistant. 

Sounds complicated? You don't even know the half of it. So is the set-up for a twisted story of treachery and deceit, adultery and passion, manipulation and chaos. In The Canyons, if you don't screw over someone else, you'll get screwed. And watch your back because you never know when you'll get stabbed.

Does the plot sound a little ridiculous to you? Well, it should. The Canyons is half complicated melodrama and half psychosexual thriller. And even though it seems as if the script would be too soapy for its own good, it isn't. Bret Easton Ellis has written a superb screenplay that is surprisingly affecting. I found the film to be absolutely gripping because it's so unpredictable. I never knew where it was going and found myself enjoying the crazy, twisty ride. I was also surprised with how complex the characters and themes are. I imagine that most moviegoers will not like or identify with many of these characters. But even if you don't care for them, you will care about what happens to them. You'll wonder how these characters' lives will pan out, and you'll definitely be interested in how these complicated storylines resolve. Ellis has made characters void of many feelings and emotions. They are driven by the desire to manipulate, but we often don't understand them. Ultimately, these shallow and empty characters help accentuate the film's themes of the difficulties of Hollywood, the misguidance of twenty-somethings, the isolation in modern society, and the ennui of the glamorous life. In the characters' emptiness lies complexity, and from this complexity comes a movie that makes you think and then feel.

Paul Schrader was the perfect director for The Canyons because he totally understands what Ellis was going for. Schrader makes the picture stylish and aesthetically engaging -- he makes the most of his tight budget. At times, this movie looks cheap. But here, that isn't a bad thing. It helps hammer-in the ugliness and reality of life in Hollywood -- how it's contrary to so many people's image of it. I appreciated Schrader's careful use of uninterrupted tracking shots, which are quite impressive, and I also loved his use of the perfectly chosen Los Angeles locations, which inject the film with personality and vibrance. These striking images in conjunction with the awesome electronic score are brilliant. Schrader is a master of tone. He knows when to build the tension and suspense, and he also knows when to let the drama shine through. A lot of the dramatic moments could've been unintentionally funny, but they aren't, or at least, I didn't think so (even though I'm sure many people will, especially if they go into this movie expecting it to be trash). But what's most impressive about the tone is that there is a pervading sense of emptiness and melancholy throughout. I found The Canyons to be incredibly sad. There's something about these blank characters living in this amoral, challenging world that really got to me -- something that I can't quite pinpoint but that I found very powerful.

The most talked about and controversial scene in the movie involves Tara and Christian in a four-way orgy with two random strangers. I found it to be nothing short of masterful. This scene acts as a sort of microcosm for the whole film. It starts off intentionally sexy and titillating (without being as explicit as you would expect) but soon turns incredibly tense and even dangerous. There's a palpable sense of dread, as a disco ball flickers ugly green light over the couples while they engage in foreplay. Eerie dissonant sounds swell as the sex becomes less about pleasure than it does about power, control, and manipulation. We watch these flawed, messed-up characters trying to one-up each other and inevitably hurt each other. We observe the scene with a mixture of fascination and dread, excitement and sadness. Just as the scene becomes nerve-wracking and almost unbearably uncomfortable, it cuts to a new day. And even though it's a new bright and sunny morning in Hollywood, we can't shake that bitter feeling. We're shocked and possibly repulsed. But mesmerized and enthralled, we continue to watch simply because we are so fascinated with what had just happened in the past and what might happen in the dire future.

What helps us engage with these characters and their complex world are the actors. What a smartly casted film this is. Lindsay Lohan is nothing short of phenomenal. There's been so many negative words thrown at her. Many can't shake whatever's going on in her personal life, and they say that she's a terrible actress. Watch The Canyons and see just how good Lohan is. This movie reminded me of why she was -- and still is -- considered a movie star. Lohan understands Tara's distanced heart. Therefore, Lohan plays this character with a resolute emptiness and sadness. And then when things get crazy, Lohan gives it her all. She becomes an emotional wreck, with tears that are heartbreakingly genuine. She expresses "damage" and hardship so well that it's hard not to feel bad for Tara, even when she does stupid things. The Canyons blurs the lines of Lohan's on-screen and off-screen personas to massive effect. How much of Tara is in Lohan, and how much of Lohan is in Tara? When we watch this film, we are reminded of the paparazzi shots in the tabloids, and the stories that proliferate the Internet. This melding of fiction and reality causes us to watch the movie carefully, and engages both our curiosity and emotion. Lohan gives a brave and fearless performance that is stunningly riveting.

James Deen is rather surprising. Although he occasionally stumbles with some of the material by over-acting and trying a little bit too hard, he shows promise. Deen plays Christian with an icy remove. He, too, understands distance and coldness. He digs deep by inhabiting chilling, despicable immorality. I found Christian to be a brilliantly evil villain. I hated him, and that's the sign of good acting. So what does all of this mean? Deen isn't just a regular porn star. Although his fame from porn will undoubtedly draw audiences to The Canyons, his acting is what will reel them in. With more training and experience, he might become a movie star.

By far the most underrated performance in the film comes from Nolan Funk. So many people keep talking about Lohan and Deen that they overlook this marvelous feat of acting from an incredibly talented newcomer. Thanks to Funk, Ryan becomes the most sympathetic character in the film. Funk begins by playing Ryan with a wholesome charm and gentleness. Maybe it's his good looks or maybe it's his soft radiating warmth. I don't know, but he sure has a hypnotic on-screen presence. As the film develops, Ryan grows more complex as his "good boy" image becomes distorted. And yet, we still like Ryan and care for him. Funk grounds his character in naturalism. He is rather understated, even when the drama goes sky high and the darkness becomes hopelessly bleak. This calm, quiet approach to the character is so effective. I truly hope that moviegoers don't ignore Funk's performance. Like the film itself, it is magnetic, mesmerizing, and so well-done.

I imagine that some (or maybe most) of you are gawking at this review. Make fun of me all you want, but I will continue to praise this film. I might be one of the few moviegoers to actually give The Canyons a positive review, and I am completely fine with that. For me, this was a powerful cinematic experience that I will never forget. From the film's opening, with the shots of old and abandoned movie theaters setting the tone for the sadness to come, to the film's quiet closing, which is so haunting because of its surprising restraint, The Canyons left me with feelings of sadness and astonishment. After finishing it, I couldn't shake these characters and their stories. I kept thinking about them throughout the day. Then, I decided to watch the film a second time. It left me cold, hopeless, and stunned again. I already know that so many people are going to pass on this movie, or see it simply to trash it. I beg that they actually go into this movie with an open mind and give it a chance. Whether you love it or hate it, The Canyons is a cult classic in the making that will forever be seared into your memory.