Film Review - Auto Focus

Bob Crane was a complicated man. He was a comedian, actor, drummer, family man, sex maniac. His death was as interesting as his life. Auto Focus is a complicated movie about this complicated man.

The film begins at a period before most knew Crane (Greg Kinnear), during his stint as a popular Los Angeles Disk Jockey. As his career progresses, Crane meets John Carpenter (Willem Dafoe), the local video and Hi-Fi salesman. This friendship would lead Crane to strip clubs, and swinging. Crane would produce his own pornography to feed his addiction for sex.

The film becomes quite graphic. In fact, there's a shot which was obscured in post-production, presumably to prevent the film from receiving an NC-17 rating. As Crane fell further into his debauchery, his family and even his career began to fall away.

Crane is a very well defined individual. The only question you are left with is, since Crane's career was over because of his addiction, why didn't he just go into the porn business?

This film really is a dead-on depiction of Crane's life. The re-production of the times along with Kinnear and Dafoe's acting make Auto Focus an Oscar contender. The question is will the Academy ignore the subject matter?

Slight Suction!

Film Facts

Directed by Paul Schrader

Released in 2002

MPAA Rating: R

Reviewed by Mongo