| Lower Level (1991) Cast:David Bradley,Elizabeth Gracen,Jeff Yagher David Bradley gives that one decent performance as a disturbed security guard who traps the woman of his dreams in her office building where she works. While the production values are sharper and David Bradley is actually impressive as the psychopath, Lower Level fails by having two of the least appealing protagonists (and minor supporting chracters) ever. When it comes to Lower Level, the problem I had was just how unlikable the heroine is. In fact what is most disturbing about this movie is that, the villain is so sympathetic we feel his pain.Take the scene where she seduces Bradley only to stab him in the back, an irony that her character is quite used to talking all nice and manipulating people until she stabs them in the back. In fact Lower Level gets somewhat fascinating when you compare it to a modern day high school. You everything in place, the jock, the hot girl and the nerdy nice guy who everyone looks down on because of his lack of social standing. The hot girl of course hates superficial people but yet clings to it all and there's a sense of tragedy where you know that she won't go for David Bradley, not because of his psychopathic ways or for that matter her relationship with her "equal" but she herself thinks she's too good for him. Honestly, watching David Bradley give these type of people ("The Aristocrats") a dose of reality makes this alone worth a look. In fact the greatest part in this movie is when Bradley slaughters a snobbish executive, after she threatens to fire him. Basically this is a root for the bad guy movie, and while it's certainly watchable, it's a failure because it clearly wants the audience to find Bradley repugnant, when we find him the most human of the bunch. . D.Kristine Petersen ** |