Review: Krystal

An 18-year-old young man with a heart condition who's never experienced much of life. An ex-hooker, ex-stripper, ex-heroin addict single mother of a wheelchair-bound 16-year-old. Certainly not your typical love story. In fact, Krystal not only struggles to be any sort of love story, it struggles to be much of anything. The third directorial feature from William H. Macy, Krystal is an odd undertaking that defies all reason and logic and that is unlikely to get better with time or with multiple viewings. From the jump, its serio-comic Southern tone is off-key and its ensuing narrative, if one can call it that, aimless and misbegotten.

Taylor Ogburn (Nick Robinson) is said 18-year-old, confiding in the opening voiceover how he's a polite, courteous child of the South whose heart condition prevents him from really living life. Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll are a death sentence and as for love... Well, apparently Taylor is highly susceptible to Cupid's arrow since he is instantly besotted with Krystal (Rosario Dawson), whom he meets on the beach. The sight of her in a wet t-shirt sends his heart a-palpitating and lands him in the emergency room, where she promptly passes out at the sight of him being attended to by the doctor (William Fichtner).

From this inauspicious beginning blooms an obsession. Taylor follows her to her weekly AA meeting and pretends to be a recovering addict. He also decides to make himself over as a motorcycle-riding, leather jacket-wearing bad boy since bad boys are what women want, right? He's obviously out of his depth, especially since Krystal is not only dealing with a paraplegic son (Jacob Latimore) but an ex-husband (Tip "T.I." Harris) intent on getting her back. Supposed shenanigans ensue.

It's difficult to muster any enthusiasm for a film that is essentially a series of everything-and-the-kitchen-sink contrivances and with nary a clue of what it's supposed to be. Tone is essentially a moving target, the performances are disjointed, the direction competent at best, and the whole thing feels like an overly deep-fried attempt at Tennessee Williams camp. Somehow Dawson emerges unscathed from the wreckage, but barely and by the skin of her teeth.

Krystal

Directed by: William H. Macy

Written by: Will Aldis

Starring: Rosario Dawson, Nick Robinson, Grant Gustin, William H. Macy, William Fichtner, Kathy Bates, Felicity Huffman, Rick Fox, Jacob Latimore, Tip "T.I." Harris