Alan Parker's "The Life of David Gale" ( IMDb listing) is equal parts investigative thriller and political sermon on the evils of capital punishment, with the former working almost flawlessly, and the latter belly flopping into a sea of embarrassment. This narrative terrain is hackneyed, and "David Gale" doesn't bring anything new to the genre. It is only in the energy of the story, and its surprisingly ambiguous characterizations, that the film can find success. As Gale begins to recall his turbulent past, Parker has no trouble setting up the palpable tension in Gale's life, complete with unseemly sexual escapades, and his descent into alcoholism. Gale is set up as an unbridled liberal, holding so steadfastly to ideals of justice and the abolishment of cruel and usual punishment that, honestly, it makes him an easy target.
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