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grrgoylI am resisting the urge to read too many reviews of this before writing my own. I want to get it down while my impressions are pure. I already read The Filthy Critic's review and all I can say is I truly pity him for being too jaded and bored to ever be scared again.
What we actually saw was a bootleg from a coworker, my first experience watching a new theatrical release under the comfort of my own quilt. I expected heads in the way and a shaky handheld picture, but apart from the occasional coughing or fiddling with the equipment it was easy to forget the fact. But consequently the picture wasn't the best and any scene that wasn't well-lit was murky and extremely difficult to see. Or perhaps it was like that in the theater too. But this included the very first (and apparently marginally important) scene.
First off, I'm not saying the film is derivative, but it IS very Se7en/Silence of the Lambs/Cube/Nine Inch Nails video....ish. Which is good, because I like all those things. The story gets a bit convoluted and I definitely plan to watch a second time to see if it all makes sense or not. It would have helped to know at the time when we were watching a flashback and when we weren't, but then the director risks insulting our intelligence if he made it too obvious. The creepy factor is high with some unforgettable images that had me covering my mouth more than once (I'm not an eye-coverer, more a mouth-coverer. Don't ask me why). There's gore aplenty, but in a psychological terror context more than a gratuitous senselessly-slaughtering-coeds-for-a-high-body-count context. The plot slowly unwinds towards a fastpaced climax that I totally didn't see coming...neither did Tery, which automatically gives the movie a bonus 10 points. I think this is one of two movies where she didn't smugly guess the ending within minutes of the opening credits. I really hate people who do that. She assumed it was Zep the orderly, as did I, which would have pissed me off royally because it made no sense that a little slap on the wrist from an arrogant doctor would be enough to send someone on a uniquely twisted killing rampage. It is also one of only two movies where I was scared enough to get up and lock the door on our third floor balcony. The other was The Relic (give me a break. I was much younger and less desensitized then). By the end my whole body was vibrating from being on the edge of my seat so long.
One of the biggest complaints about the movie seems to be the acting, with especially poor Cary Elwes being held under a harshly critical spotlight. Sure, it wasn't an Oscar-winning performance, but I don't recall him having very many meaty, dramatic roles to compare to. The Princess Bride, while excellent, was certainly no Citizen Kane, and although he was adorable as Rupert Everett's schoolboy lover in Another Country, he wasn't given a lot to do except snog and, well, look adorable. Sir Laurence Olivier he is not. Additionally, I'm no expert on acting school but I don't think the classes cover such unusually traumatic scenarios like making the decision to saw off your own foot or carrying on conversations while enduring massive blood loss, so in that respect I think he did just fine. Danny Glover, another actor who is okay I guess but I don't necessarily expect big things from, wasn't given a whole lot to do. His flashbacks were what confused me the most, so much so that I spent a few minutes thinking HE was the killer.
I am sure if a second viewing doesn't hold up to logic I would have more problems with this movie, but at this writing my only beef is the fact that these guys, chained on opposite sides of what looks like an enormous, industrial bathroom (with only one toilet though) toss a lot of objects back and forth over the dead guy in the middle, and nothing ever lands in the massive pool of blood. This includes photos, and we all know how easy it is to throw small pieces of paper with any accuracy or distance. Wait a minute, I DO have one...and I guess it is mildly centered around Elwes' acting. His incentive in the killer's game is to save his family from being murdered if he doesn't participate. The problem is that based on the 5 minutes of screen time given to his interaction with them, I found it kind of hard to accept that he would be willing to pay the asking price, and Elwes' sudden ramping-up of emotion seemed to come almost from nowhere. This could have been solved by giving his wife and daughter a bit more presence, I think.
This definitely requires a second viewing, preferably a more commercially-available copy (with lots and lots of extras). I also tend to think this should have been my post-election blues movie solution rather than The Incredibles, as it was way more effective at helping me forget my own troubles. 4.5 out of 5.
On an unrelated note, the Discovery Channel has an extreme plastic surgery series with eye-catching titles guaranteed to make you put down the remote, like "Face-Eating Tumor" and last night's "Trash Can Full of Skin." Pretty brilliant, if you ask me.
What we actually saw was a bootleg from a coworker, my first experience watching a new theatrical release under the comfort of my own quilt. I expected heads in the way and a shaky handheld picture, but apart from the occasional coughing or fiddling with the equipment it was easy to forget the fact. But consequently the picture wasn't the best and any scene that wasn't well-lit was murky and extremely difficult to see. Or perhaps it was like that in the theater too. But this included the very first (and apparently marginally important) scene.
First off, I'm not saying the film is derivative, but it IS very Se7en/Silence of the Lambs/Cube/Nine Inch Nails video....ish. Which is good, because I like all those things. The story gets a bit convoluted and I definitely plan to watch a second time to see if it all makes sense or not. It would have helped to know at the time when we were watching a flashback and when we weren't, but then the director risks insulting our intelligence if he made it too obvious. The creepy factor is high with some unforgettable images that had me covering my mouth more than once (I'm not an eye-coverer, more a mouth-coverer. Don't ask me why). There's gore aplenty, but in a psychological terror context more than a gratuitous senselessly-slaughtering-coeds-for-a-high-body-count context. The plot slowly unwinds towards a fastpaced climax that I totally didn't see coming...neither did Tery, which automatically gives the movie a bonus 10 points. I think this is one of two movies where she didn't smugly guess the ending within minutes of the opening credits. I really hate people who do that. She assumed it was Zep the orderly, as did I, which would have pissed me off royally because it made no sense that a little slap on the wrist from an arrogant doctor would be enough to send someone on a uniquely twisted killing rampage. It is also one of only two movies where I was scared enough to get up and lock the door on our third floor balcony. The other was The Relic (give me a break. I was much younger and less desensitized then). By the end my whole body was vibrating from being on the edge of my seat so long.
One of the biggest complaints about the movie seems to be the acting, with especially poor Cary Elwes being held under a harshly critical spotlight. Sure, it wasn't an Oscar-winning performance, but I don't recall him having very many meaty, dramatic roles to compare to. The Princess Bride, while excellent, was certainly no Citizen Kane, and although he was adorable as Rupert Everett's schoolboy lover in Another Country, he wasn't given a lot to do except snog and, well, look adorable. Sir Laurence Olivier he is not. Additionally, I'm no expert on acting school but I don't think the classes cover such unusually traumatic scenarios like making the decision to saw off your own foot or carrying on conversations while enduring massive blood loss, so in that respect I think he did just fine. Danny Glover, another actor who is okay I guess but I don't necessarily expect big things from, wasn't given a whole lot to do. His flashbacks were what confused me the most, so much so that I spent a few minutes thinking HE was the killer.
I am sure if a second viewing doesn't hold up to logic I would have more problems with this movie, but at this writing my only beef is the fact that these guys, chained on opposite sides of what looks like an enormous, industrial bathroom (with only one toilet though) toss a lot of objects back and forth over the dead guy in the middle, and nothing ever lands in the massive pool of blood. This includes photos, and we all know how easy it is to throw small pieces of paper with any accuracy or distance. Wait a minute, I DO have one...and I guess it is mildly centered around Elwes' acting. His incentive in the killer's game is to save his family from being murdered if he doesn't participate. The problem is that based on the 5 minutes of screen time given to his interaction with them, I found it kind of hard to accept that he would be willing to pay the asking price, and Elwes' sudden ramping-up of emotion seemed to come almost from nowhere. This could have been solved by giving his wife and daughter a bit more presence, I think.
This definitely requires a second viewing, preferably a more commercially-available copy (with lots and lots of extras). I also tend to think this should have been my post-election blues movie solution rather than The Incredibles, as it was way more effective at helping me forget my own troubles. 4.5 out of 5.
On an unrelated note, the Discovery Channel has an extreme plastic surgery series with eye-catching titles guaranteed to make you put down the remote, like "Face-Eating Tumor" and last night's "Trash Can Full of Skin." Pretty brilliant, if you ask me.
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Date: 2004-11-11 12:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-11 12:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-11 03:51 pm (UTC)*and coincidentally practicing to cover my eyes throughout 70% of the movie should I ever see it*
Damn you. Your review has made me even more fascinated with the idea of this movie. It sounds really really good, and I love that Tery couldn't guess the ending.
So when I am scarred (and scared) for life because I could resist it no longer there will only be you to blame. ; P