Model Behaviour (2013) Film Review
As used as I am to Nathan Hill’s campy style of filmmaking, I can’t help but celebrate his attempts at being more serious. Of course, it’s a double-edged sword because I know what I’m getting into. Model Behaviour flirts with the idea of being a more sober film for Hill, but the man’s enamored with his restriction-based skill and he does his best with the story. It’s what he has done in the past, and how he has been able to build an entire concept around indie filmmaking that doesn’t care for rules.
Yes, Model Behaviour isn’t his best movie, but then it’s a jump ahead towards something else that’s not the steamy thriller that the writer/director is known for. This time Hill leaves the B-movie lens aside and stays within the walls of a basic story that doesn’t push him ahead or back. This is just proof that he can comply with the genre.
In Model Behaviour, Jordan Rhodes is racing against the clock to catch a serial killer. The scene is not Hollywood, but a Tinseltown-like Melbourne that still checks all the items in a list for a city that runs on sin and rotten values. Rhodes’ latest case is unlike any other but he tries to solve it like the rest.
It’s in this conundrum where the film confidently stays. Instead of breaking rules, Hill decides to make the film about the essence of the crime itself and a killer’s motivation. Character depth is not quite important this time, because Rhodes is a basic detective without an interesting backstory. His most interesting moments are alongside his partner, and the most dramatic moments occur when she’s involved. If the film had been about them two, it would have been enough.
Model Behaviour calls for an exciting third act, one that’s more melodramatic than it’s required. However, by this time, we have become part of Rhodes’ journey and it’s inevitable to ride with him in order to solve the film’s conflict. The crime thriller lands with a twist that’s not surprising or shocking. It’s something easily predictable by those who recognize the early signs in the premise: the fashion industry is rotten, and some players will go to the extreme to follow their agenda.
The film takes place in a setting that’s been endlessly depicted in Hollywood because it’s relevant to the dark side of the entertainment industry. In Model Behaviour, Hill tries to emulate this world with a solidly written story that’s executed with his signature narrative style. If you’re into indie thrillers (and those that get steamy from time to time), and Hill’s library, then this is right up your alley. Or a spike-ridden runway.
