neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Abandon
	Stephen Gaghan Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt, Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Hunnam, Gabrielle Union, Will McCormack 2002		Abandon all hope for thrills if you decide to watch "Abandon" — which is weird, since it's meant to be a psychological thriller. Katie, a pretty, small-town college senior, is stressed about her future. Her problems are compounded when it looks like her ex-boyfriend Embry, a wannabe avant-garde composer who vanished two years ago, is now cruelly stalking her. The film is a disappointment, because so many capable folks were involved in its production. The problems start with writer/director Stephen Gaghan, whose intricate screenplay for "Traffic" blows this away. Despite clever dialogue, the tingle-free "Abandon" is weighed down by its murky atmosphere, exacerbated by the monochromatic hue given to certain scenes. On the acting side, there's no quibbling with Katie Holmes (fresh-faced ingenue from "Wonder Boys" and TV's "Dawson's Creek") as Katie; Benjamin Bratt ("Piñero") as a cop/recovering alcoholic investigating Embry's disappearance; and Zooey Deschanel ("The Good Girl") as Katie's sybaritic friend. But "Abandon" is more frustrating than compelling.