Apartment Zero (DVD)

Apartment Zero is an idiosyncratic movie all right. A rarity since its limited release in 1988, this early Colin Firth film features him as a fastidious, deeply repressed cinefile who takes in a boarder and winds up getting a lot more than rent money.

A more seething, potboiling, indie-feeling forerunner to Single White Female, Apartment Zero focuses on the strange, fixated friendship between lonely Argentinian apartment owner Adrian Le Duc (Firth), and his mysterious, outrageously handsome, freewheeling new flatmate, Jack Carney (Hart Bochner).

Along for the murderous mystery tour are the other tenants of the crumbling Spanish-gothic apartment building: A pair of creepy old sisters with an errant black cat; a troubled married couple; a sad drag queen; and many more. They're interesting characters, but they're wisely kept in the background, adding just enough balance to offset the burgeoning bond between Adrian and Jack.

Although Apartment Zero is a product of the 80s, big hair, stone-washed jeans and fur-shures are kept to a bare minimum, lending an almost timeless feel to the absorbing, homoerotic tale that blends politics into the mix of obsession, paranoia and gory slayings. True, the movie is more talk than action, but when someone dies no punches are pulled.

While director Martin Donovan diligently channels Roman Polanski, screenwriter David Koepp (who'd later go on to many big screen successes in the horror and suspense genre) taps into a distinct Hitchcockian vibe throughout the film. Part psychological drama, part serial killer mystery and part black comedy, this DVD isn't for the casual viewer; but if you like your horror on the peculiar side you'll gladly open the door to Apartment Zero.

There aren't a lot of extras on the DVD (and if you're hearing-impaired, forget it: no captions are available), but there is a good, new commentary with Koepp and special guest Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh has nothing to do with the film but he saw it on its initial release, is a friend of Koepp's, and lends some interesting comments about the state of indie filmmaking then-vs-now. He actually acts as a moderator, asking lots of questions and bringing up some valid points. The commentary is informative, but isn't screen-specific at all.

= = =

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson