THE AISLE SEAT - "PERMANENT MIDNIGHT"

by Mike McGranaghan

One of the most horrifying books I ever read was "Permanent Midnight." It was the autobiography of Jerry Stahl, a one-time television writer (for the shows "ALF" and "Moonlighting") who also battled a major-league heroin addiction. What made Stahl's book unforgettable wasn't so much its anti-drug message as its deep understanding of how heroin strips users of their souls. I've never taken an illegal drug in my life, and after reading the book, I never will. It was that harrowing.

Ben Stiller plays Stahl in Permanent Midnight the movie and the resemblence is uncanny (Stahl himself appears as a drug treatment counselor). The movie begins with Stahl in a motel room with another recovering addict (Maria Bello). He recounts his addiction to her in flashbacks. We see his self-esteem plummet as he works on an "ALF"-like show called "Mr. Peepers" (during one hallucination, he imagines the puppet is attacking him). We see his hasty marriage to an Englishwoman (Elizabeth Hurley) who helps advance his career. We see him befriend a scary drug dealer (Peter Greene) who is definitely bad news.

As the story progresses, we see Stahl's life become more and more disjointed (the movie was shot in a way that emphasizes this, with quick cuts and disorienting editing). There are some very troubling scenes, such as the one where he helps deliver his wife's baby just moments after shooting up. As a trademark, Stahl empties his blood-filled syringe at the ceiling after injection. Eventually, he gets himself into a rehab and makes an effort to clean up.

Stahl, of course, went on to finally achieve sobriety and write his book. Truth be told, it's not an easy book to turn into a film. Much of it was stream-of-consciousness riffing on the heartbreak of addiction; the rest was satirical ruminations on the things that drove him to use drugs. Writer/director David Veloz pares down the book into its essential elements while still retaining its drug-addled flavor. Whereas the book went greatly in-depth with druggie logic (i.e. always wear black long-sleeved shirts so the blood won't seep through), the movie can only re-create the atmosphere of a life out of control. I think Veloz has done a good job, although it would be impossible to match the sheer power of Stahl's original words.

The real revelation here is Ben Stiller, who proves to be as good a dramatic actor as he is a comedic one. Transforming himself into a skeleton of a man, Stiller has the cocky exterior and terrified interior of a heroin addict. He's like a deer too stubborn to admit he's been caught in the headlights. What makes the performance so special is that he is so convincing. This is a case where an actor so totally becomes the character that you forget you're watching a piece of acting. Stiller proves that he's the real deal with his work in this film.

Permanent Midnight is a very good film - well made, intelligent, and sometimes harrowing. See it, and then read the book.

( out of four)