Conspiracy Theory

Featuring a seriously impressive performance from Mel Gibson, Conspiracy Theory follows paranoid cab driver Jerry Fletcher (Gibson) as he becomes increasingly convinced that there’s a kernel of truth to one of his crackpot theories – which ultimately necessitates the involvement of a skeptical yet sympathetic FBI agent (Julia Roberts’ Alice Sutton). There’s little doubt that Conspiracy Theory works best in its opening hour, as director Richard Donner effectively draws the viewer into the proceedings by emphasizing Jerry’s less-than-savory existence – with the character’s cluttered, booby-trapped apartment certainly mirroring his skewed perspective on reality. It’s only as the low-key character-study vibe is replaced by a more conventional (and downright convoluted) atmosphere that one’s interest begins to dwindle, with the egregiously overlong running time effectively exacerbating the meandering nature of Helgeland’s screenplay. Stripped of about 45 minutes worth of screen time, Conspiracy Theory probably would’ve succeeded as a tight little B-movie – as the strength of the film’s premise, coupled with Gibson’s stirring turn as the protagonist, is almost enough to allow the viewer to overlook its various deficiencies. The end result, however, is a marginally engrossing thriller that ultimately comes off as something of a disappointment, although – to be fair – the movie generally remains watchable from start to finish (with Patrick Stewart’s work as the surprisingly smug villain easily justifying a viewing in itself).

**1/2 out of ****