David Gale is your average Texas philosophy professor.

You know, the kind who’s not above having sex with a recently-expelled student and not about to give up drinking. Oh yeah, did I mention he holds a prominent position in Deathwatch, an organization dedicated to ending capital punishment? Unfortunately, here comes the shocking irony: He is convicted of the rape and murder of a fellow activist and put on death row.

Ignoring the unrealistic premise, “The Life of David Gale” contains major flaws. The screenplay written by Charles Randolph contains plot twists that are, while interesting, ridiculously implausible. After all, the climax revolves around a rental car breaking down inexplicably.

“The Life of David Gale” follows reporter Bitsey Bloom’s (Kate Winslet) interviews with Gale (Kevin Spacey) in the week before his scheduled execution. Gale’s story is told in flashbacks that make up about 80 percent of the movie.

Bloom is assisted by an eager, but seemingly useless intern, Zack, (Gabriel Mann) who runs errands for Bloom. Both Bloom and Zack are tailed by a mysterious man in a pickup truck and cowboy hat. I know this is set in Texas, but couldn’t Randolf have thought of something a little more creative?

Although Bloom initially is sure of Gale’s guilt, after a few hours of speaking to him, she is ready to look for the right-wing lunatic who framed Gale. The transformation proves unconvincing because of its suddenness. The rest of the movie follows her search for the truth while delving deeper into Gale’s story.

“Gale” suffers from some of the most annoying transitions ever seen. Between the flashbacks and the present-day story, the camera spins and the screen flashes words such as “anger,” “murder” and “rape.” This is part of what I mean when talking about lack of subtlety.

The film definitely lacks a sense of direction. Director Alan Parker doesn’t seem to know if he wanted to make a political statement against the death penalty, a political statement against fanaticism or a mere psychological thriller. The film fails when judged by the standards of all three.

The end is disappointing, but thought-provoking. The final scene tears down everything the the rest of the film has built up, and while some audiences like films that are conflicted, this one takes it too far. The end is unfair because the rest of the film lacks any form of subtlety.

One redeeming factor: The actors manage to carry the story throughout the film’s more than two-hour running time. Even so, “The Life of David Gale” dies a strange and unsatisfactory death.