Spread

Spread, released in 2009, is a romantic drama directed by David Mackenzie and featuring a captivating main cast that includes Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, and Margarita Levieva. Cynical yet infused with a sardonic sense of humor, this film explores the seamy world of a modern-day Casanova who makes a living out of wooing women.

The central character of Spread is Nikki, played with dynamic energy by Ashton Kutcher. He portrays a man who left the midwest region of the United States and came to Los Angeles in search of a successful life. Pursuing his version of the American dream, Nikki employs his good looks and charm as his primary assets, becoming a gigolo as he seeks to maintain a decadent and indulgent lifestyle.

Glib, charismatic, yet essentially shallow, Nikki has turned seduction into an art form. He uses his looks and silver-tongued charm to woo wealthy older women, not only clubbing, dining, and living at their expense but often finding accommodation in their luxurious homes. Carefully avoiding any gainful employment or commitment, Nikki markets himself as a companion and lover, a modern Don Juan, using unbridled hedonism and blatant manipulation to secure his comfortable lifestyle.

Anne Heche delivers a riveting performance as Samantha, an older, successful attorney who is captivated by Nikki's allure. Samantha, despite her successful career and personal achievements, seems susceptible to Nikki's charm. Their dynamic is a mixed bag of emotional insecurities, marked by mutual convenience more than romantic affection. Samantha represents the key to Nikki's high-flying lifestyle, providing the designer clothes, luxury cars, and prime location living he so craves.

However, the plot thickens when Nikki meets Heather, poignantly played by Margarita Levieva. Heather is an aspiring waitress working in a diner, but possesses an almost familiar deviousness and hustling spirit that is a mirror image of Nikki's own exploitative tactics. This creates an intense dynamic between the two, as Nikki's tried-and-true methods of seduction and manipulation meet their match.

Spread paints a vivid portrait of Los Angeles, a city often seen as the epitome of the high-life. The glitzy portrayal of LA’s luxuriant penthouses, swanky cars, and chic Hollywood parties are not just aesthetics in the film but act as supporting elements in the narrative, reflecting the shallow and artificial lifestyle Nikki leads. Mackenzie uses beautiful cinematography to illuminate the stark contrast between the indulgent extravagance of this world and the shallow, opportunistic relationships formatted within it.

As the narrative unfolds, Spread explores themes of vanity and ambition, seduction and betrayal, and the hollow pursuit of materialistic comfort. It highlights the lengths to which people will go to climb social ladders, often sacrificing intrinsic values and genuine relationships in the process. It paints a dystopian view of the American Dream, one strewn with seduction games and materialistic pursuits devoid of emotional depth.

Underneath its glamorous surface and provocative scene-setting, Spread is an engaging character study, a clever critique of superficial relationships, and a cautionary tale of greed versus contentment. The film powerfully uses comedy and drama to question the very concept of happiness and success, presenting viewers with a provocative look at the darker side of desire, ambition, and material success.

Essentially, Spread is a snapshot of the darker side of ambition, revealing how the relentless pursuit of materialistic and hedonistic pleasures can overshadow genuine human intersections. The performers, led by a compelling Ashton Kutcher, bring depths to their otherwise unsympathetic characters, making this 2009 drama one that is worth watching for those interested in complex, human-centric narratives.