Review: Primetime

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

Relatively early on in Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, protagonist Chris Hansen—portrayed by a superb Robert Pattinson as a deliciously complex tangle of contradictions—angrily denies that what he does even remotely resembles “acting.” The argument is, of course, entirely unconvincing. Consider his introductory scene, which immediately establishes his penchant for showmanship: as he prepares to confront the latest target of his series of televised sting operations, he obsessively rehearses his script, repeating quotes from a rather obscene chat log until their content—evidence of intent to commit a terrible crime—is utterly devoid of actual meaning. Prior to his “big entrance,” he peers out from behind a literal curtain, anxiously anticipating his cue; when he emerges, he bursts into the room with the flamboyant flourish of a stage magician, framed from a low angle that lends him the imposing stature of a superhero. When the subject of his investigation suddenly breaks into uncontrollable sobs, he struggles to suppress a smirk; he knows that the dramatic image will delight his audience and benefit his ratings. He is razzle-dazzle and theatricality incarnate, relishing the opportunity to be the ringleader of the circus that is reality TV.

Unfortunately, Hansen simply cannot be content with his current level of success; he desperately wants to be taken seriously as a journalist, constantly seeking professional validation. Privately, he bitterly envies and resents Stone Phillips, a colleague that has earned great acclaim for his news coverage of the Iraq War and Saddam Hussein’s trial. Hansen voraciously covets that sort of prestige, recognition, and legitimacy; at one point, he boasts about a previous assignment during which he exposed a child trafficking network in India—an experience he dearly cherishes… because reporting the story won him an Emmy, and he sincerely believes that he deserves another for hosting To Catch a Predator. To this end, he pursues increasingly sensationalistic “whales,” fearing that the public’s interest will wane should he fail to satiate their hunger for spectacle. All the while, his personal life slowly deteriorates, gradually reducing him to the exaggerated, mythologized caricature (Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC: crusader for justice) that he crafted for a screen too small to contain its repercussions.

If there’s a single flaw in Pattinson’s performance, it’s that he depicts the fictionalized Hansen as having far more self-awareness than the genuine article has ever displayed (as anyone familiar with documentarian David Osit’s excellent Predators can attest). Otherwise, he is magnificent in the role, navigating the frequent tonal shifts with aplomb and delivering his dialogue with the gravitas of Shakespearean poetry. To list just a handful of my favorite lines (forgive me for paraphrasing; my photographic memory has diminished with age):

“I’ll undress you, then you’ll undress me.”

“Maybe what I do to them is a little worse [than a beating].”

“There used to be a pillory in every town square. Now, there’s a TV set in every home.”

“You’re either with me or you’re with him.”

“Your definition of ‘bad’ and mine are vastly different.”

And finally, an example that recurs to absolutely haunting effect:

“What would have happened if I hadn’t been here tonight?”

Primetime is, in conclusion, a thoroughly compelling study of ambition, opportunism, and exploitation for the sake of entertainment. That it transcends the various memes inspired by its marketing campaign is a testament to the exquisite quality of the finished product. I’m not sure where I’d rank it among the year’s best films, but regardless, it is essential viewing.