Primal Fear - Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton)
This movie is based on the first book of the trilogy of novels written by William Diehl in the 1990's. Edward Norton plays Stampler, the dissembling psychopathic ageing altar boy, in a legal duel involving Richard Gere as his attorney, Martin Vail, defending him for the murder of an archbishop.
Norton is as classy as ever and puts the lugubrious Gere character in the shade with his interpretation of Stampler. He is highly convincing as the stammering ingenue who claims to have multiple personality disorder in an attempt to avoid the full weight of the law, and the audience can easily empathize with Vail's belief in the younger man.
Stampler claims to have an alter ego, Roy, who he acknowledges is a sociopath, and he, Aaron, is an innocent victim of the crimes of this other self. He convinces both Vail and a psychiatrist that he blacks out when Roy takes over and therefore has no recollection of events - demonstrated in some pretty dramatic and well acted scenes.
As with a real psychopath it is very difficult to know whether Stampler really suffers from any sort of disorder other than psychopathy, and you should see the film to find out!
Spoiler alert!
If you prefer to know... well, this apparent absence of memory is the key element of the plot and leads to Vail's enlightenment when Aaron makes an error. It is too late for Vail as Aaron has already been found not guilty of murder, but instead remanded to a mental institution where he has every prospect of eventual release. He acknowledges to a shocked Vail that he is Roy - not Aaron, and the latter was a figment of his imagination.
Verdict:
Norton handles both roles - Aaron and Roy - in a thoroughly convincing manner. His manipulation of his attorney and the psychiatrist is typical behaviour of a genuine psychopath - even the experts are often confounded by their lies.
Norton is as classy as ever and puts the lugubrious Gere character in the shade with his interpretation of Stampler. He is highly convincing as the stammering ingenue who claims to have multiple personality disorder in an attempt to avoid the full weight of the law, and the audience can easily empathize with Vail's belief in the younger man.
Stampler claims to have an alter ego, Roy, who he acknowledges is a sociopath, and he, Aaron, is an innocent victim of the crimes of this other self. He convinces both Vail and a psychiatrist that he blacks out when Roy takes over and therefore has no recollection of events - demonstrated in some pretty dramatic and well acted scenes.
As with a real psychopath it is very difficult to know whether Stampler really suffers from any sort of disorder other than psychopathy, and you should see the film to find out!
Spoiler alert!
If you prefer to know... well, this apparent absence of memory is the key element of the plot and leads to Vail's enlightenment when Aaron makes an error. It is too late for Vail as Aaron has already been found not guilty of murder, but instead remanded to a mental institution where he has every prospect of eventual release. He acknowledges to a shocked Vail that he is Roy - not Aaron, and the latter was a figment of his imagination.
Verdict:
Norton handles both roles - Aaron and Roy - in a thoroughly convincing manner. His manipulation of his attorney and the psychiatrist is typical behaviour of a genuine psychopath - even the experts are often confounded by their lies.
Classic Quote:
"If you lay that tough-man shit on Aaron again, I will kick your fuckin' ass to Sunday!"
Click image above for YouTube trailer
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Click image above for YouTube excerpt
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