Everybody's a critic - 'Life of David Gale'

Four stars

"The Life of David Gale" is a remarkable film. There are several scenes in the movie with violence, nudity and sexual content. Providing you can bear with those scenes, the core of the production is intensely incredible. I found the wheels spinning in my mind, piecing together the clues placed before me during Gale's flashbacks. The twists in the plot gave me spine-tingling thoughts of how cleverly the plan was conceived and orchestrated.

Gale is a strong opponent of capital punishment. He appears on a talk show with a politician who favors the death penalty. The two debate, and Gale seems to have the upper hand until the final question is posed: "Has there ever been an innocent person sentenced to death?" Shortly afterward, Gale finds himself on death row for the brutal rape and murder of his friend and co-worker. A journalist seeks to find the truth a few days before his execution is to be carried out. Will she discover the secret in time? This is a must-see movie.

- Stephanie Williams, baker

Three and a half stars

"The Life of David Gale" is unique, absorbing, suspenseful, mesmerizing, fast-paced, exciting and intellectually stimulating.

Four days prior to his execution, David Gale (Kevin Spacey) agrees to three interviews with a major national newspaper's journalist. He wants the public to learn the truth of his innocence or guilt. The primary focus of the movie is the debate over capital punishment. Gale has been actively advocating the abolition of all capital punishment.

The second important focus is the realization of the hideous consequences of one dreadful mistake. To the end the viewer is suspended between whether Gale will be spared or whether he will achieve in death what he could not achieve in life.

Correctly rated R for moments of sexuality, nudity and shocking brutality, this is a significant film. I shall take a second look for a better understanding of the complex plot.

- Joan Slaughter, retiree

Three and a half stars

"The Life of David Gale" is an excellent movie. I would recommend it to people who feel strongly about any political issue and particularly capital punishment, whether they are on the side of supporting it or not.

David Gale lived his life trying to make a difference, and after being wrongly accused of rape, losing his teaching job and losing his family he used his own life to prove that the system is not always just, that mistakes can be made and that innocent people are on death row.

The strong supporting cast of Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven, Leon Rippy and Rhona Mitra helps make "The Life of David Gale" suspenseful and unpredictable.

The ending has a twist that one would not expect and a strong message regarding death row and how mistakes are made.

- Barb Gleason, nurse