I went into Entropy with an open and playful mind, trying not to impose my movie-snob sensibilities on it too quickly. After all, how bad could a movie be with U2 in it? (I mean, it worked for Blown Away...) Let me tell you. As the film wore on, I had no choice but to suddenly, violently hate it. Stephen Dorff's portrayal of a novice film director, "Crazy" Jake, is far from inspiring and quite un-likeable, and there is absolutely no hint of the "insane" or "crazy" nature (mentioned constantly) that he and his love interest, Stella (played by Judith Godreche), are supposed to possess. Both wander through their performances looking only slightly interested in each other. Their non-existent chemistry is the dull nougut center of the film (and Ms. Godreche's acting is the awful, unexpected bite of creme de menthe). Jake's self-declared decline into a "horrid" lifestyle of drinking and smoking (ooooh) brings no real change in his persona whatsoever. The character's downfall might have been interesting, had there been any remote change in his behavior and mannerisms besides constantly holding a beer bottle and cigarette. The director is obviously trying to add some hints of originality with film speed-ups, freeze-frames, and other surreal touches. But the pacing of these elements is horribly sporadic, at best, with long, boring interludes of "drama" in between. All and all, the film becomes everything it's trying to negate. At one point, Jake mockingly tells the audience he's a sucker for a cliche. This clearly was the filmmakers' view as well, as the movie is literally drowning in them (I immediately sensed something was wrong when early on Stella asks Jake quite seriously, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"). Even the movie's most interesting moment involving a talking cat seems blase, thanks to the worlds of Babe, Hocus Pocus, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, etc. Jake says his movie should be about characters, when all the producers want is tits. This, ironically, is a perfect summary of the depiction of Jake and Stella's relationship. Unfortunately, not even the sex or shower scenes rise any interest from the audience (or the actors, apparently). There are points where you can tell Entropy is trying to shine. There are interesting aspects of the story (Stella's abortion, Lauren Holly's mysterious cell-phone contacts, Jake's film...) but none of them are given much of a second glance. A script pops up from time to time with occasionally funny moments, only to sink back into an ocean of cliche. A world of illusion and hallucination tries to break through and is forced back by the blandness of the movie's reality. Ultimately, a stinker. Not even worth U2's small, funny appearance in it all. Then again, this was during their "PopMart" days. What's everybody else's excuse?
