DRAGONFLY (2002) *** Three distinct films, each lasting approximately half an hour, though it's all supposed to be one. In the opening film Kevin Costner throws us entirely off balance by making us wonder how he ever managed to get Hollywood by the ass. His dialogues are conducted at a bored pre- pre- pre-production level, with the exception of those with Kathy Bates, who is crewcut excellence incarnate as a lesbian law professor, and manages to reign Kevin in, or jive him up-whatever he needed. In the second film Kevin doesn't have to talk to anyone much, and brilliantly conveys the sense of a man going insane, or having visions, or whatever to the point that he doesn't even care. Costner effects a great deal of emotion through guarded facial shots, and Tom Shadyac starts gently lobbing in change-ups of angle and perspective that are all the more concerning for their simplicity. In a similar vein, Linda Hunt gently spits out lines of subtle substance and illumination. Once we're drawn in and respectful, the final film makes a mad dash for neon Hollywood emotional superglory as it careens down the home stretch of returning Costner to matinee idol status. This is made more bearable by the fact that they've left open several obvious possible conclusions to the dénoument, only one of which is taken (and, even better, one that I hadn't even thought of). The final scenes, which could have been painfully bad, are also somewhat saved by the true fact that Susanna Thompson has played towards real life in her integral but undemanding role as a good yuppie, and that Jacob Vargas is also mildly amusing. It's all too calculated for my tastes-I like either more going on in my horror, or less-but it engages serious issues and actually says something.
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