Auto Focus Movie Review:


Obsession is defined as the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image or desire. This is the thematic element of the new film Auto Focus.

The story is based on the life of Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane's rise to stardom, fall to sexual obsession, and unexpected murder. Crane (Kinnear) was a TV icon when he hit it big on Hogan's Heroes in the 1960s. Previously, he was a popular radio personality that was an established and caring family man until his obsessions took over his life. Crane was fascinated with photography and quickly became friends with electronic and photo equipment genius John Carpenter (Dafoe). Carpenter is a sex-guru that joins forces with Crane to have sexual relations with many different partners while taking pictures of it. Next comes along the invention of video recorders and the two begin creating sexual home movies. The pictures, movies, and the sex all become a deep obsession for Crane, who loses two wives, his children, and pretty much his career because of it. Carpenter's obsession is distinctly with Crane himself; it is almost like has separation anxiety from him. The film looks into the dark world of a Hollywood celebrity and shows his disturbing downfall from it.

Auto Focus is a film that has some good things in it, but falls way short of being stellar. First, Greg Kinnear brings down the house as Bob Crane; he really nails the role. I just really questioned a lot of the reasoning behind the story. It is a bio-picture and the obsession theme is there, but the character's relationships and impact of the film seemed to have walked on a tight rope. The film is really filthy as well; Auto Focus is definitely not for everyone. The area of sexual content is in full effect, which is part of the obsession of Bob Crane. I actually thought that this film would be closer to receiving an NC-17 rating when I first read about its plot.

Director Paul Schrader does a good job of showing Crane's downfall. The first part of the film is shot very substantially with bright patterns and colors. Through the downward years of Crane's life, Schrader uses more and more handheld shots, tracking shots, and murky bleach colors. The director captures the obsession of Crane and Carpenter quickly, but he doesn't totally catch the depth of all the characters relationships. Examples are why is Crane all of a son going out with Carpenter to strip joints and then slobbering all over his co-star Patricia (Bello), when Schrader takes the first act of the film show how good a person Crane is. It is almost like his change is introduced, but not met. I just believe that Schrader misses at moments of the relationships, instead of just having the actions giving the actors lines.

Some of the lack in the relationship development can also be pointed towards the script by Michael Gerbosi. The writer based his script off of the book The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith. The script quickly flies through Crane's life, with the last act being his final days. In relation to the characters, the script lacks definition as to why they did this? Why did they do that? Many questions are also left open as to the real contents of what happened to Bob Crane. All the fingers are pointed at Carpenter as his murderer, but I would have like to have known whom the other suspects involved were.

Like I said previously, Greg Kinnear is really great in this film. It was a big risk from him to take on the role of Bob Crane, and he doesn't disappoint. Due to the material of the film, I don't know if Kinnear will receive an Oscar nomination, but he will definitely generate some buzz. His counterpart, Willem Dafoe delivers another sick and disgusting performance as the video-sex guru John Carpenter. The supporting cast for the film is overall efficient as well, which includes Maria Bello and Rita Wilson as Crane's two wives, and the great Ron Leibman as Crane's agent.

Auto Focus is a character study of a truly different television icon. The film lacks some development qualities and the overall concept of importance. This is a dark film that will leave you distasteful. Greg Kinnear is fabulous, and deserves a lot of praise for his courage with this character. I think that this movie will come across like many other bio-pictures have in recent years like Man on the Moon (1999) and Ali (2001), which is either you love it, question it, or hate it.
Report Card Grade: C

Joseph C. Tucker

What goes through the mind of your average TV star? Well Bob Crane, star of the successful 1960s TV series "Hogan’s Heroes", wasn’t quite your average guy.

Bob Crane (Greg Kinnear) was thrust into the public eye with the help of his successful comedy series. One day after work, Bob meets an audio video salesman named John Carpenter (Willem Dafoe) who has sold units to Bob’s co-star Richard Dawson and other well known stars like Dick Smothers and even Elvis.

Once Crane sees the new video equipment he seems to salivate at the mouth with admiration. Before long he is hanging out with Carpenter and becoming even more curious. Crane maintains his public image and keeps his marriage intact until Carpenter unleashes the seedier side of video. Carpenter introduces Crane to videotaping sexual encounters. Before long the uptight and reserved Crane is having sex with multiple partners and diving deeper and deeper into pornography.

Carpenter relishes in the emergence of his new friend’s addiction and becomes his official videographer. The two friends begin to videotape and photograph hundreds of women.
Eventually Crane loses two wives, children and worst of all, himself. It’s a downfall that leads to Crane’s murder in a Scottsdale, Arizona motel room.

Greg Kinnear does a wonderful job as not only the innocent straight-laced Crane but also as the perverted and eventually disturbed Crane. I have always liked Kinnear as an actor and this film really allows him to flourish as an actor. Kinnear has definitely come along way from being a talk show host.

I also really enjoyed Willem Dafoe in perhaps a scarier performance than he played in the mega-blockbuster "Spiderman". This performance is subtler but you can see the character’s hidden love for Crane and his pain about to burst forth. Dafoe uses just the right amount of restraint to make his performance a showcase of the film.

What happened to Bob Crane is tragic and his sexual addiction disturbing. But if you look at it from a sickness side, you can see what it truly is. It is just that a sickness. The most common comparison might be to the likes of alcoholism or drug addiction. Crane let his addiction control him. What’s beautiful about the film is that Kinnear’s performance follows that path. He slowly allows himself to be addicted.

Sexual addiction has never been given this much exposure on film. The sad thing about the film is that we don’t know how sick Bob actually became because the filmmakers always photographed the pornography from the TV’s perspective as we would see Crane react. I know that due to ratings and everything we couldn’t see the material but how does one know the beast if one can’t see it.

I do know that this film does a good job in trying to pave the foundation in understanding the mystery of Bob Crane but it doesn’t uncover all the secrets. It does deliver a theory on who killed him. The debate might be what was more a tragedy Bob’s life or his death. "Auto Focus" is a fascinating train-wreck of a movie.

(3.5 of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

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