Live!

LIVE! (2007) - July 11, 2011
A really well made faux-documentary about an ambitious programming director who decides to air a game show in which six people play an actual game of Russian roulette.  The film is obviously satirizing the anything-for-ratings reality show culture in network television these days; however, the movie always plays it straight.  Though there is dark humour here, the film never winks at the audience or tries to hit you over the head with over-the-top satire.  Despite the outlandish premise (this is obviously a show that could never, ever happen in the real world), by the time the show begins to air, it feels plausible in the slightly tweaked version of reality in which the film exists.  The movie features an impressive central performance from Eva Mendes, who definitely turns what had the potential to be a one-note character into someone really interesting.  The supporting performances (from people like Andre Braugher, David Krumholtz and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are quite good as well, and by the time the actual show rolls around, it's surprisingly tense.  ***1/2