Raising Cain

Tags

1990's, Brian De Palma, Frances Sternhagen, John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Psychological Thriller, Raising Cain, Steven Bauer

Film Title

Raising Cain

Director

Brian De Palma

Starring

• John Lithgow as Carter Nix/ Cain
• Lolita Davidovich as Jenny
• Steven Bauer as Jack
• Frances Sterhangen as Dr Lynn Waldheim

A twisting and frequently outrageous psychological thriller from Brian De Palma, Raising Cain is thoroughly enthralling and full of stunning cinema technique, complete with a story that keeps getting you to question the certainty of it. I wouldn’t put it as the best thriller around because of some parts that go way too complicated and unnecessary, but overall the sheer outrageousness helps to make it a feverish delight.

Carter Nix is a mild-mannered child psychologist who has taken time out of work to help raise his young daughter Amy with his wife Jenny, who works as a nurse. Lately though, Carter has become unnervingly attached to his daughter that becomes even more peculiar as the film progresses. At the start, Jenny can’t quite see this though there are hints dropped that become noticeable to her. What is unknown to Jenny is the fact that the seemingly benign Carter is somehow involved in a horrifying experiment, which is where his alter ego of Cain comes in. Cain arises whenever Carter can’t do something and it is frequently nasty. The aforementioned experiment is for their doctor father; they kill mothers and take their young children all in the hopes of helping him with his maniacal studies of personality. Yet it is largely Cain who does these unspeakable acts, even though it weighs more than a little heavy on Carter and bleeds into him. He has lately taken to being overly concerned and almost studying in his treatment of his young daughter, which is a major cause for concern. His behaviour and mood swings begin to alarm Jenny, who fears for her daughter without realising the whole truth of it all. Meanwhile, Jenny herself is having to deal with her own dilemmas. The biggest one is Jack; a former flame of hers who returns out of the blue and still has feelings for her. Jenny soon gives in to temptation and ignites their affair again. Carter’s alter ego of Cain really begins to take over once he witnesses his wife engaging in her affair, leading to shocking consequences and startling revelations that are not what they seem.

Brian De Palma is the stylish man behind the camera and his stamp is well and truly on Raising Cain, complete with the customary homages to Hitchcock. Flourishes of visual astuteness and exceeding panache can be viewed in almost every frame of Raising Cain. You can’t fault De Palma for his visionary way of shooting, its gorgeous even when filled with terror. The sweeping camera , including a simply sublime long tracking shot, that lasts for a number of minutes as the history of Carter’s family is brought into the light by the doctor on the case. The many dreamlike scenes of Raising Cain come equipped with an eerie but strangely beautiful chill, that wraps them and subsequent scenes in that otherworldly grip that plays into the deceptive plot. And while a lot of the film is over the top, it suits De Palma’s style with operatic touches and a significant amount of tongue in cheek to the approach. Instead of it getting to be a parody, there is serious tension and suspense supplied. Add to that layers of whether we are witnessing dreams or reality at various points, and you can’t help but be compelled by Raising Cain. Doubles, flashbacks( or are they?) and an all around creepiness make for a heady brew. The film isn’t a titanic piece of classic movie making though, as there are flaws. Firstly, although it doesn’t fully go into parody or lampooning, it can get pretty ridiculous with some of its moves I must say. At times, some of it slips out of control and it bites off more than it can chew with a couple of parts that slip into unintentionally funny, though the mastery of De Palma’s direction and vision is still very much on show among these weaknesses. A bit more logic may have been of use in Raising Cain as the pudding does get over egged a lot, but the largely over the top narrative and twisted turns paper over some of these cracks. From what I’ve seen out of his movies, Raising Cain is a bit underrated as I haven’t heard that many people talk about it. And while it’s not a work of genius in comparison to some of his other more noted works, it shows enough skill and cinematic technique to be held in higher regard, at least a little bit more than it is. There are many times when you think you’ve got a hold on things and then the whole thing switches and you’re left to reassess them, owing to the complex and fiendish machinations of the plot. This is where the strong points of the film lies as genuine feelings of unease emerge swiftly once certain truths or something resembling that are exposed. A simply luscious and sinister score begins with an almost childlike tone that morphs into moments of shattering crescendo, much like the character of Cain and his other personality.

John Lithgow relishes his roles as Carter and Cain. He skilfully displays the different natures of both with Carter being terrified yet obsessed and Cain being the violent and underhand side. Lithgow manages to make it all very thrilling and unnerving to watch, as he occasionally blurs the lines between the two with considerable menace. He is the captivating centre of this movie and a lot of that is seen through his performance. Unfortunately, I found that Lolita Davidovich was more than a little wooden playing the terrorized wife. Now she did show some convincing moments of fear, but I couldn’t help but feel that she was too indecisive when acting in the part to truly make it work. She looked gorgeous though and her beauty is very becoming. Steven Bauer makes up for things as the handsome object of Jenny’s affections who inadvertently becomes the thing that allows Cain to fully surface with maniacal intent. The great Frances Sterhangen steals the scenes she appears in, where she embodies the shock and incisive knowledge of Carter/Cain through a past event, yet can’t quite piece all the parts of the baffling puzzle together into a whole. Sternhagen exudes an intrinsic authority and level of intelligence that feeds into the part exceptionally well.

So it is an overblown exercise which does induce head-scratching, but by and large Raising Cain still keeps your focus in a strange way, that De Palma plays to with pizzazz. It’s not a masterpiece by any means, but still a movie that demands attention for its thrills and visionary content. And just to tel you all, I’m going to be finding my way through De Palma’s filmography in the next few months, so look out for more reviews.

Frailty

Tags

2000's, Bill Paxton, Frailty, Jeremy Sumpter, Matt O'Leary, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Psychological Thriller

Film Title

Frailty

Director

Bill Paxton

Starring

• Bill Paxton as Dad
• Matthew McConaughey as Fenton Meiks
• Powers Boothe as Agent Wesley Doyle
• Matt O’Leary as Young Fenton
• Jeremy Sumpter as Young Adam

A film that practically radiates a creeping sense of dread and shock yet keeps it in a plausible prism, Frailty is a dark and haunting psychological thriller marking the directing debut of Bill Paxton, that examines the destruction of a family through fanaticism and the relationships between father and sons.

At FBI headquarters, seasoned agent Wesley Doyle is surprised when a haunted looking man by the name of Fenton Meiks enters the building wanting to speak with him. Once he has established who this man is, Fenton reveals that he has knowledge regarding a notorious serial killer, referred to as God’s Hand who has been of large for a long time but has never been caught. Fenton claims to know this because the killer was his brother Adam, who he tells Doyle committed suicide this very night. Doyle begins to listen to the story that Fenton relays to him. Back in the 70’s, Fenton and his younger brother Adam were growing up in a small Texas house with their widowed father. He was a good father who looked after his kids and made them feel safe. That is until a fateful night when the father speaks of having being visited by an angel who appoints him as a divine force to seek out demons and kill them. Fenton as the older brother is extremely resistant to the idea of what he considers nonsense, while Adam as the younger sibling who idolizes his dad believes what he says. These claims by the father become very dark and twisted as he sets about attempting to find these demons who look like humans. The two children are then subjected to watching and helping him kill people who are on the list he acquires from an allegedly celestial source, slowly warping the way these boys see their father. Events came to a head when young Fenton couldn’t cope with standing by and watching these events unfold and his younger brother become as fanatical as his father. Yet as Fenton continues his recounting of the events that shaped his traumatised childhood, Doyle begins to question parts and gets the feeling that there is indeed more to the story than at first appears.

Bill Paxton directs with an assured touch and respect for the source material; playing scenes out in a natural way and bridging the gap between the thriller elements and the disquieting and stark drama at the centre of it all. Paxton doesn’t go for predictable here, cleverly employing various twists and turns that are jaw-dropping to witness and . The story could have easily slid into utter absurdity, but Frailty is delivered with precision and unsettling command that make sure any such fears are quickly allayed. Frailty often gets described as a horror movie and while there are certain references to this, I personally place it as a psychological thriller rather than outright horror. For starters, the main bulk of the film is charting the ways that family is accountable for shaping us and the implications of what we see can survive for a lifetime. There is precious little gore in Frailty, with Paxton excellently employing the less is more approach and leaving a lot to our own imaginations, with a healthy dose of ambiguity thrown in. If this film had gore galore, it would have destroyed the psychological drama at play as well as cheapened an intelligent story. The film is chilling from start to finish mainly because there is an air of possibility and reality to it, tempered with allusions to something metaphysical that are best embodied by the drained cinematography that steeps this exercise in a spooky atmosphere from the get go. Perhaps the most disturbing thing in the film is watching as the patriarch becomes so enveloped by his obsession and supposed visions, that he can’t face reason and becomes a force of disquieting unraveling. The film undoubtedly has a depth and layered feel to it, functioning as both a creepy evocation of a family forever altered and a mysterious thriller that conceals as much as it reveals. I mean I think everyone can relate to the feeling of the two kids in Frailty, as we all as children have usually looked up to our parents and obeyed them. No family is perfect, but the susceptibility of children plays a large part of this film, following the kids as they are forced to endure their father’s deranged ways and be party to his madness. There are those in the audience who will find some of this film hard to digest, yet it never sets out to be a comfortable watch and firmly establishes this from the start. The low hum and staccato ambience of the score perfectly match the gradual unearthing of the past and the shocking impact of it.

As well as being on directing duties, Bill Paxton successfully leads the cast with a memorable performance. Essaying the role of the father whose actions ultimately changed and traumatised his children, Paxton brings out such a steadfast belief that the character believes he is really doing the work of God and not actually harming anyone. This is probably the most effective thing about Paxton’s work; he doesn’t play the part as a horrible father who is a brute and outright monster, at the start he is a very amiable and relatively calm person. As the movie progresses, you can still see that he loves his children but is so obsessed by the alleged visitation and message that it harms them in the process. Paxton makes the role his own and displays great command of the work, both in front of and behind the camera. Matthew McConaughey marvellously conveys shell-shocked and haunted trauma as the man retelling his story, yet gives off a hint of elusive mystery to deepen the proceedings a plenty. In a supporting turn, Powers Boothe is rightly understated listening to the shocking story with both a trepidation and the feeling that something is not quite right there. He is essentially an extension of the audience and how we react to hearing this tale. The two boys(Matt O’Leary and Jeremy Sumpter) playing the kids whose lives are altered by their father’s blind devotion and zealous beliefs are both incredibly convincing, especially Matt O’Leary as the older and more mature Fenton, whose caught between the care for his father and his shock at the atrocities that occur.

A film that engages the brain as it unsettles and keeps you on your toes, Frailty is superbly executed with perceptive direction from Bill Paxton as well as a cast that he heads.

Seven

Tags

1990's, Brad Pitt, David Fincher, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Psychological Thriller, Seven

Film Title

Seven

Director

David Fincher

Starring

• Morgan Freeman as Detective William Somerset
• Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy Mills
• Kevin Spacey as John Doe

A deeply unsettling psychological thriller that plumbs the depths of horror and depravity, Seven is a masterpiece of mounting tension and nerve jangling suspense right up to the shocking climax.

In a bleak, constantly rain-soaked city, William Somerset is a soon to be retiring detective who has seven days left on the job. Somerset has become disillusioned with the abject horror of the world around him and just wants to be done with it. For his last case he is partnered with young and slightly cocky David Mills, who has just moved to the city with his pretty wife Tracy. The two don’t exactly hit it off right away, as Mills is there as a replacement for Somerset and the actions of the two are very different. But gradually, the two reach a level of respect for the other. They are first called in to investigate the murder of an obese man who was force-fed spaghetti until he literally imploded. Then a second murder occurs, this time of a wealthy defense attorney, whose blood was drained to write the word greed next to his body. The cerebral and sharp Somerset deduces a link between the two murders; they are enactments of the Seven Deadly Sins. Gluttony and greed have been accomplished, so there are five left to commit. Somerset and Mills find themselves in a most twisted investigation as the killer is always one step ahead of them and appears to delight in tormenting the two. As more bodies drop and the twisted logic of the killer gains momentum, both men are not prepared for what will eventually greet them as each sin is revealed in petrifying detail.

David Fincher casts a tightly wound and creepy spell here, with all his directing skills on show. His command over the camera is an art form, conjuring up the horrifying events that transpire with a building of assured suspense. The atmosphere of sinister mystery Seven drips from every frame, revealing a world of decrepit morals and nastiness that holds on to you tightly and refuses to let go. A lot of this is down to the absolutely masterful cinematography of Darius Khondji. Through the colour scheme that is largely grey or brown, the nightmarish investigation of Mills and Somerset comes to horrible life. The city they inhabit is never given a name, but Hell Town would be a good one. It’s a city that is decaying in every sense of the word and through the cinematography, it becomes something dark and acrid. The visuals are just spectacular(check the jittery title sequence for a better understanding) at conjuring up a grotesque yet intriguing spectacle as each murder gets progressively more alarming and horrifying. It is hard to recall a film that got the feel of a setting quite like how Seven does it; you are literally placed in the squalor of this unnamed city and there is no escape. The screenplay is also a key element that holds everything together, giving us a creepy inside look at deducing the reasons behind such despicable acts of murder and staging of the sins. While Seven has grisly moments, it gets most of the impact from not showing the murders being committed. Instead we, like Somerset and Mills, glimpse the slayings after the event and it is our imagination of what transpired that gives everything a chilling meaning and core. And talking of surprises, Seven boasts a most chilling and horrifying ending that knows how to catch you off guard. Howard Shore’s eerie score of dark ambience and riveting menace plays out like the film with the shocks and discoveries perfectly matched by the music.

A perfectly cast group of actors give their very best to this unnerving movie. Morgan Freeman shines as the older detective on his way out, but assigned this haunting last case. With deep knowledge and a world-weary look at things, Freeman make a compelling character both engaging and owlish. Just as good is Brad Pitt as the new detective, whose hot-headed approach clashes with Freeman’s calm but later moves along with it. Pitt plays the role in a way that allows Mills to be idealistic but also hampered at times by his go for action approach to the investigation. The work of the actors combined is a strength of Seven, particularly the chemistry of them as they come to a sense of understanding about the other. Gwyneth Paltrow is a lone female presence in the film, portraying the sweet but frustrated wife of Mills. Paltrow is very good with what she is given, projecting warmth and sadness in good measure. And last but not least is Kevin Spacey as the killer, who reveals himself in the latter stages of the story. It is a credit to his abilities that he is only in the film for around half an hour at most and still makes a startling impact. He plays John Doe as a twisted man of significant intellect whose warped view of the world is a driving force in his bloodletting. Spacey unnerves you here, finding the right notes of reptile menace and creepy logic to keep you glued to the screen when he’s around.

An absorbing and disturbing film, Seven succeeds on almost every level in unnerving the audience and providing some very memorable jolts of terror that never leave you.

Misery

Tags

1990's, Frances Sternhagen, James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Misery, Psychological Thriller, Richard Farnsworth, Rob Reiner, Stephen King

Film Title

Misery

Director

Rob Reiner

Starring

• James Caan as Paul Sheldon
• Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes
• Richard Farnsworth as Buster
• Frances Sternhagen as Virginia
• Lauren Bacall as Marcia Sindell

A sterling and very unsettling adaptation of the Stephen King novel, Misery, as directed by the versatile Rob Reiner, gains great suspense and uneasiness from confident direction, a sinister score and an Oscar-winning performance from Kathy Bates.

Paul Sheldon is a successful author, most famous for his romance novels containing the character of Misery Chastain. Yet after writing so many books about the character, Paul has grown restless and wants to try other things in the more serious genres. He has just finished writing the manuscript for a new novel of a different vein while in the retreat of a Colorado lodge and plans to journey back to his New York home. As he drives though a fierce blizzard halts these plans and he crashes his car violently off the road knocking him unconscious. Trapped in his car as the blizzard rages on, Paul is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who takes him to her house and tends to his injuries. When he wakes up, the seemingly friendly Annie makes him as comfortable as possible, while telling him that she is his number one fan. Annie is a homely and lonely woman who is slightly odd but spears to be relatively harmless in Paul’s eyes and he’s extremely grateful to her for saving his life. Annie promises that once the phone lines are back up,and working and the road is safe, she’ll take him to a hospital. Yet things turn very creepy very fast once Annie reads Paul’s latest Misery novel and finds out her favourite character has been killed off. Flying off the handle she shows her true frightening colours. She then reveals that she never called the hospital, so no one knows where Paul is and many presume him to be dead. Still bedridden and now completely terrified, he is for forced to comply with her demands of writing a new novel bringing the character of Misery back to life. Frightened for his life, he begins writing, all the while planning some form of escape from the disturbed Annie, who never wants to let Paul go and is so intensely obsessed by him and his work, that she will resort to the most brutal tactics to make sure he completes the novel she is forcing him to write. Meanwhile, the local Sherrif Buster, an old, seasoned pro begins searching for the missing Paul, convinced that he isn’t dead as everyone else seems to believe. Before, writing was just a way of making a living for Paul, but now in the desperate situation of prisoner under the obsessed and deranged eye of Annie, he is writing to save his very life.

The ever versatile Rob Reiner shoes flair for the psychological thriller genre buy focusing on events with the confined setting of Annie’s house, that becomes claustrophobic once her mania comes out. Reiner taps into the fear of entrapment and fanatical devotion that both palpably leap from the screen and increase the terror. Tension and chills are provided through zooming close-ups, particularly of a fearful Paul and a crazed Annie. These are used most effectively in the iconic scene of Annie hobbling Paul after finding out he has tried to escape, just thinking about that scene gives me chills. Just as entertaining as watching the terrified Paul attempting to escape is the battle of wills between him and Annie. He tries to reason with her, but is ultimately forced to give in to her demands for fear of his life. Annie basically becomes the role of a disapproving and demanding(plus very menacing) editor of Paul’s work, adding to a gleefully dark undercurrent of Misery. There are some impressive jolts of black humour and irony thrown into the mix that give Misery yet more of a twisted scope to work within and coil around with mounting intensity. While the film is filled with shots of snowy hills and landscapes almost from the off, the suspense-building score from Marc Shaiman lets the audience now that we are not in for a cosy ride with strings and brass mixing to chilling effect as Paul becomes at the mercy of the unhinged and devoted Annie.

James Caan, who from the roles I’ve seen him in often plays the hell raiser of the menacing type, flips it here successfully portraying the imprisoned Paul. He convincingly conveys the feelings of entrapment and terror that soon arise when Annie’s niceness vanishes. The main draw of the film is the super impressive and award-winning performance from Kathy Bates as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes. Essaying the mood swings of the character, from calm and homely nurse to enraged torturer who will stop at nothing to keep Paul with her, Bates registers on every level so well it is frightening to behold. There is simply no other actress who could have played the part of Annie with the creepy intensity of Kathy Bates and the Oscar she won for the role was well-merited indeed. Richard Farnsworth breathes intelligence and humour into the part of the searching sheriff who won’t give up and his performance is complimented by that of Frances Sternhagen as his sarcastic but helpful wife. Lauren Bacall appears in a small but memorable role as the concerned publisher of Paul’s work.

A chilling psychological thriller of shocks and squirms, Misery will have you most uncomfortable by the end due to the creepy factor that is built throughout it and the excellent work of the cast, in particular an unforgettable Kathy Bates as the devoted but extremely dangerous number one fan.

Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Tags

1960's, Agnes Moorehead, Bette Davis, Bruce Dern, Cecil Kellaway, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Joseph Cotten, Mary Astor, Mystery, Olivia de Havilland, Psychological Thriller, Robert Aldrich

Film Title

Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Director

Robert Aldrich

Starring

• Bette Davis as Charlotte Hollis
• Olivia de Havilland as Miriam Deering
• Joseph Cotten as Doctor Drew Bayliss
• Agnes Moorehead as Velma Cruther
• Cecil Kellaway as Harry Willis
• Mary Astor as Jewel Mayhew
• Bruce Dern as John Mayhew

A heady and creepy psychological thriller, Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte may be overblown but that almost adds to the fun of the unusual mystery and watching stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood show off their chops in this ghoulish affair.

We begin in 1927 Louisiana. The eponymous Charlotte is a young girl of a prominent family. She has been conducting an affair with married man John Mayhew and they plan to elope. But Charlotte’s father gets wind of this and tries to put a stop to it, for fear of his family name being tarnished. On the night they plan to elope at a party, John is brutally murdered in the summer house, decapitated and with one of his hands cut off . Charlotte discovers his corpse, which leads many to believe that it was her who murdered John after he tried to break off their affair. We then fast forward to many years later; Charlotte’s father has died and she has inherited his Antebellum mansion. But the memory of John’s murder and the knowledge that everyone believes it was her who killed him, has driven Charlotte to near madness. She lives as a recluse in her old house, with only her slightly kooky but loyal housekeeper Velma Cruther as company. Events for the near mad and extremely traumatised Charlotte come to a head, when it comes through that her house, due to her ignoring the eviction notice, and the Highway Commission wants to tear the house down to make a road. The increasingly disturbed Charlotte is against this and violently refuses to leave. Secretly though, Charlotte is worried and it is here that she calls upon the help of her cousin Miriam Deering, who grew up with her as a child. Yet as soon as the almost saintly Miriam arrives and reconciles with her old boyfriend Dr Drew Bayliss(who himself sometimes checks on Charlotte), strange events begin to unravel around the house and in particular Charlotte. Yet while Drew and Miriam write off Charlotte’s ramblings about seeing things in the house, could something sinister aimed at the emotionally distraught Charlotte really be afoot? Is Charlotte just haunted by her past? Or does her demure cousin Miriam have something dark to hide? And most of all, who was it that killed John Mayhew?

After the success of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, it seemed only fitting for director Robert Aldrich to return to the Gothic atmosphere of that movie. Yet while there are similarities in the two, Sweet Charlotte has more of a mystery to it(as well as psychological thrills) which makes for spooky viewing. All the conventions of Southern Gothic are here; near crazed southern belles haunted by the events around them, sinister shadows and a Louisiana setting. It’s all a very well done brew with Aldrich confident in his direction. The black and white visuals are ghoulishly effective and create a real atmosphere of suspense and unraveling horror. As I mentioned earlier, Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte is overblown to be sure as emotions run wild between the characters, in particular Charlotte. At times the melodrama can creek a little and become a bit too much, but for most of the time, it is still devilishly good and deviously twisted. In fact the melodrama sometimes adds to the cauldron of twisted mystery and due to the stars in the film, is very well done. There are a few moments of unexpected gore which surprised me for a film of the time this  was released, but at least it added to the unpredictability of the piece. Most of the chills however stem from the atmosphere conjured up throughout. A slithering score that hits the crescendos of terror and the bristling sense of menace is marvellously scored.

The cast of acting greats is a real delight and they all sink their teeth into the questionable characters of the film. The excellent Bette Davis fully unleashes a gamut of emotions as the terrified and traumatised Charlotte. In almost ever scene of the film, the talents of Davis when it comes to unrestrained acting are second to none as we sympathise with Charlotte because of the horror she endures, even if some of it may not actually be there. Olivia de Havilland on the other hand is more subtle but still very effective with her performance as the seemingly kind and ladylike Miriam. I like the way that de Havilland establishes a nice aura around Miriam, but then little by little gets us to question what darkness may lie beneath her respectable persona and what she knows about the ghoulish events. Joseph Cotten does similar work to de Havilland as the doctor of the town, seemingly jovial and good-hearted, but with the knowledge that something is not quite right. Stealing the show is Agnes Moorehead as the housekeeper who becomes the first to suspect foul play. With a ragamuffin appearance and theatrical glee, Moorehead throws herself into the part with great results. Cecil Kellaway exudes upper-class and well-educated upbringing as an insurance investigator who is most curious about the murder case and the monetary value of it. In what was her last film role, Mary Astor is suitably enigmatic as the ailing widow of John, who has her own secrets lurking around. A young Bruce Dern has the small but pivotal role of John, whose murder is the catalyst for all the chaos that engulfs the fragile Charlotte.

So if you can handle an occasionally over the top and wild psychological thriller, tinged with growing mystery and Southern Gothic elements, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte is the film for you. And plus with the classic actors featured, it all adds up to a dark and mysterious film, powered by their performances.

Jacob’s Ladder

Tags

1990's, Adrian Lyne, Danny Aiello, Elizabeth Peña, Horror, Jacob's Ladder, Matt Craven, Psychological Horror, Psychological Thriller, Tim Robbins

Film Title

Jacob’s Ladder

Director

Adrian Lyne

Starring

• Tim Robbins as Jacob Singer
• Elizabeth Peña as Jezzie
• Danny Aiello as Louis Denardo
• Matt Craven as Michael Newman

A Vietnam vet’s tortured existence that blurs between reality and visions is captured in horrifying detail in Jacob’s Ladder, directed with creepy certainty by Adrian Lyne and anchored by a powerful turn from Tim Robbins. This is a film that will stay with you for a long time not just due to the haunting, disturbing story and bizarre visuals, but for its harrowing emotion rare in a horror film.

Jacob Singer is a Vietnam vet who after the war is now working as a postal worker in New York City. Although now living with his seductive girlfriend Jezzie following a divorce from his first wife Sarah, Jacob is also mourning the death of his young son and recalling a terrifying an experience during the war when he was stabbed with a bayonet by an unseen soldier. Yet as he tries to move on with his life through his new relationship and job, terror soon encroaches upon it due to visions of demonic beings plaguing him in a fragmented fashion. On his way from the subway, a passenger’s face appears distorted and strangely warped. A nurse appears to have horns under her hat. A wild party turns into a room of beasts. What is causing these sights and are they real? Has Jacob’s mind been fractured by the traumatizing events in Vietnam? He begins to believe this theory when fellow members of his platoon come forward with their stories and they become convinced that the government did something to them while they were stationed in Vietnam. But with his visions growing stronger and finding it harder to distinguish what is real and what isn’t, can Jacob uncover the mystery before the horror completely overtakes him and he completely crumbles? With assistance from his kindly chiropractor Louis and a mysterious man named Michael Newman, Jacob attempts to fathom the nature of these visions and the validity of them before it is too late.

Adrian Lyne brings the nightmarish world Jacob inhabits to life with assured direction, that also taps into the deeper emotions of the story. His successful direction gives life to the ambiguities that Jacob’s Ladder throws at us and places us like Jacob in this abyss of not knowing what to believe or see. Visually, Jacob’s Ladder is phantasmagorical with horrific visions and sights. The fragmented nature of the movie as it cuts between past, memories and possibly delusions is edited with a disjointed quality that creates fear and confusion. Two particular scenes stand out that convey the sheer horror of the piece. The first features Jacob witnessing a man at a party’s head spinning violently fast as if in a constant state of convulsion. The second and most memorably terrifying is Jacob being taken into the decaying bowels of a hospital, strewn with body parts and disturbed patients. Strapped to a gurney, he is investigated by sinister doctor, including a man with no eyes. It truly is terror at its most psychological and unsettling. And yet for all of the horror on show, there is a very melancholy tone that pervades the movie, and is embodied by Jacob’s descent. The film can also be commended for the avenues of possibility it opens up. You’ve got the prospect of government experiments, the grief felt by the loss of a loved one and biblical allusions all at play and giving the film layer upon layer of ambiguity. An ambient score from Maurice Jarre backs the mounting events of bizarre terror and unexplained horror excellently, while underlining the tortured soul of Jacob.

In the role of the eponymous Jacob, Tim Robbins is emotionally powerful and devastating. He elicits sympathy for Jacob and the nightmare he is put through, and the audience feels the same way. As emotional as Robbins performance is, he also embodies the character physically. His movements are awkward and gawky due to his tall frame, his bespectacled appearance makes him look like a young boy and his expressive face is a marvel at conveying Jacob’s plight. In short, Robbins delivers powerful work of deep emotion and clarity. Elizabeth Peña smolders as the sexy but concerned Jezzie, whose name seems very appropriate given the biblical parallels of the story. While her sexuality is showcased often here, Peña gives the character a sense of mystery and fear as she watches Jacob’s slowly fall apart. Danny Aiello makes a mark as the almost angelic chiropractor who gives Jacob an important piece of advice in his search for answers, while Matt Craven is enigmatic as someone who knows more about why Jacob has been receiving these visions.

A deeply unsettling movie of horror and emotion, Jacob’s Ladder is simply an unforgettable movie.

The Forgotten

Tags

2000's, Alfre Woodard, Anthony Edwards, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, Joseph Ruben, Julianne Moore, Linus Roache, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction, The Forgotten

Film Title

The Forgotten

Director

Joseph Ruben

Starring

• Julianne Moore as Telly Paretta
• Dominic West as Ash Correll
• Gary Sinise as Dr. Jack Munce
• Alfre Woodard as Detective Anne Pope
• Linus Roache as Mr. Shineer
• Anthony Edwards as Jim Paretta

A potentially intriguing premise descends into confusion and disjointed genre melding in The Forgotten, which despite the talent included comes out as a weak and unmemorable movie. Only for a strong turn from Julianne Moore and a suitably eerie score, The Forgotten remains partly watchable.

Telly Paretta is trying to survive the grief of losing her young son Sam in a plane crash fourteen months earlier. No matter how hard she tries, she is haunted by the pain of loss and sadness at losing her beloved son. Her husband Jim thinks it is time that she moves on, but Telly thinks otherwise and continues to cling to the memories of her little boy who was tragically taken from her all those months ago. Then one day Telly wakes up and the strangest thing has happened. The photographs of her and her son are gone. All the tapes of him are blank. And everyone who Telly comes into contact with, even her husband, tells her that they have never heard of her son and that she is delusional. Her psychiatrist Dr Munce explains that Telly has fabricated these memories of ever having a son. Everything that she has experienced up to this point has been a dream or fantasy, according to everyone surrounding her. Bewildered and shocked, Telly knows that she had a son and wants to prove that she is not slipping into madness, despite everyone around her questioning that her boy ever existed. Telly soon finds something of an ally in Ash Correll, who she says had a daughter who died in the same crash. At first, the miserable alcoholic dismisses her claims and won’t listen, but he comes to see that she is right about the whole thing. Now with Telly and Ash searching for the truth, they find mysterious government agents on their tail. And that’s not all, a strange and unexplained force seems to be after them as well. What will be unearthed in Telly’s quest for answers?

Director Joseph Ruben knows how to direct a thriller, but none of that skill is evident here as he tries to straddle the stands of psychological thriller and sci-fi into one. The whole tone of the film suffers and is hellishly disjointed, coming off as a directionless thriller and an X Files reject . This is a shame because the opening sets up what could have been an interesting story, that is wasted and falls short in almost every category there is. The whole basis of a mother searching for her son could have provided a lot of deep emotion here, yet The Forgotten squanders most of the impact. The Forgotten aims to be unpredictable and unexpected, but the script is weak and as the story plods on, it becomes to ludicrous to take seriously. The visuals of moody blue and grey are actually quite well done, but can’t make up for the shortcomings of the film. An ominous and melancholy score, with an underlying electronic edge, adds some much-needed suspense and eeriness to the proceedings.

The saving grace of The Forgotten is the ever-reliable and excellent Julianne Moore. Rising above the multitude of flaws in the story, she invests Telly with emotional clarity and tenacity in her attempts to prove she is right and hopefully discover the truth. Moore is the reason to watch this film as she shines in the part and brings emotive depth and conviction to a hollow film. Unfortunately, none of the other parts are interesting or particularly well-written. Dominic West, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache and Anthony Edwards all have great talent, but the material they are given to work with is abysmal so none of them can make any impact in such sketchy roles.

So except for some striking visuals, melancholy score and Julianne Moore’s performance, The Forgotten should be exactly what the title says.

 

The Collector

Tags

1960's, Psychological Thriller, Samantha Eggar, Terence Stamp, The Collector, William Wyler

Film Title

The Collector

Director

William Wyler

Starring

• Terence Stamp as Freddie Clegg
• Samantha Eggar as Miranda Grey

A genuinely disturbing and complex psychological thriller directed with claustrophobic menace and assurance by William Wyler, The Collector is a creepy film boasting two excellent performances from the leads.

Freddie Clegg is a lonely and awkward young man who collects butterflies as a hobby. In flashback, we see how he won the pools and bought a large and isolated house in the English countryside. Freddie has become obsessed by Miranda Grey, a beautiful art student who he begins to stalk on a regular basis. Events come to a head when Freddie kidnaps Miranda and imprisons her in the cellar of his house. He has set out a bed, drawing paper and new clothes for the girl, this stemming from his obsession and spying on her. The terrified girl demands to be set free, but Freddie keeps her there in the hopes that she will come to love him in return. Although frightened in the beginning, Miranda begins to respect Freddie as she sees the extent of his loneliness and his insecurities. The two form an agreement that he will let her go in four weeks if she keeps him company for a while. Yet Freddie is capricious and as the two begin to form an unexpected bond, a misunderstanding spells dire consequences for both.

The Collector features a spine-tingling atmosphere as Miranda attempts to escape but realises the silent intelligence and ruthlessness of her captor. Moody lighting in the cellar give off a cold feeling, whilst being juxtaposed with images of sun-dappled flowers and the collections of butterflies kept by Freddie. This choice of lighting also makes up for the often stagey set. William Wyler builds the events slowly, this helps increase a sense of dread and lets us understand the complex character of Freddie and his pursuit of Miranda’s love. Instead of the traditional one-dimensional maniac and screaming victim, Wyler allows the characters to take on many faces and become more interesting as a result. A lilting score laced with an undercurrent of menace gives The Collector a strange yet romantic side as Freddie and Miranda begin to understand one another after her initial hatred of him for kidnapping her. We also see the warped romantic actions of Freddie and how he is a troubled young man who has always felt isolated and wanted someone to love him.

What gives The Collector its memorable and complex impact is the main performances from Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar. Being the main two actors throughout the whole movie, they deliver truly compelling performances. Terence Stamp exudes menace and instability yet gives the role of Freddie a sympathetic side that shows the reasons behind his crazed actions. It’s a testament to the talent of Stamp that we at many times feel revulsion for this disturbed character and then in the next breath feel sorry for him. Samantha Eggar projects a terrified innocence that is haunting to watch and gives Miranda a passionate, forceful side that emerges as she develops feelings for Freddie in these extreme circumstances. Freddie maybe the more complex role out of the two, but Eggar plays her part with a certain intelligence that makes us feel the inner feelings of turmoil in her situation.

Chilling, disturbing and complex, The Collector is a psychological thriller that delves into the heart of obsession and emerges with menace and ambiguity.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Tags

2000's, Audrey Tautou, Foreign Language Film, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not, Isabelle Carré, Laetitia Colombani, Psychological Thriller, Romance, Samuel Le Bihan

Film Title

He Love Me, He Loves Me Not

Director

Laetitia Colombani

Starring

• Audrey Tautou as Angélique
• Samuel Le Bihan as Dr. Loïc Le Garrec
• Isabelle Carré as Rachel

The phrase goes that there are always two sides to every story. In Laetitia Colombani’s He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not this is certainly the case. Presenting two sides to the ‘relationship’ between a young art student and a cardiologist, it is strange, bewitching and creepy. Starring Audrey Tautou in a role very different from that of Amelie and crisscrossing genres, it will most certainly leave you wondering about certain things when it finishes.

Angélique is a young, sprightly art student who is passionate about her work. Her pixie like smile covers the opening frames of the movie as she purchases a single rose for her beloved. The man in question is Dr. Loïc Le Garrec, a handsome cardiologist who happens to be married. Angélique believes he will leave his wife to be with her, but events change when Loïc’s wife Rachel becomes pregnant. Her usual happy and sweet self soon gives way to a descent into self-destruction as her pining is to no avail. It is precisely at this moment that Colombani uses an ingenious technique, she rewinds the film. This time the events are seen from the perspective of Loïc, and this time events that appeared innocuous in the first section take on a shocking new meaning as Angélique is this time revealed to be not as innocent as her lily-white persona radiates and that her love for him may in fact just be obsession. What started as a seemingly glossy romance and drama soon becomes a chilling, psychological thriller as twists and turns, shifts in perspective and a haunting score pull the rug from underneath you and leaves you questioning what happened before .

By showing us two perspectives, Colombani has crafted a tightly coiled film that at first lulls you into a false sense of security and then springs some shocking truths upon us. And although there may be some that may have guessed that there is something amiss in the relationship between the two, it shouldn’t detract from the overall jaw-dropping induced by the flashback to another side of events. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not may have it’s fair share of occasional clichés and uninspired moments, but Colombani manages to make these few whilst crafting this chilling thriller. When the film begins, you may be forgiven for thinking it is just another sweet romance and then a drama about a wronged women. But once the switch in viewpoints changes, the gears of a thriller fall into place and the uncertainty regarding Angélique and her actions. Perhaps the biggest draw of the film is the casting of Audrey Tautou in the role of Angélique. Best known for her elfin charm and wide-eyed beauty, Tautou utilises these features to excellent effect by masking the darker side of her character behind this and making her all the more dangerous and ambiguous as a result of her disarming charm. It is Tautou who fixes the attention and after seeing this film, you may never see her as just the girl from Amelie ever again. Samuel Le Bihan is suitably handsome and intelligent as the unsuspecting Loïc , who becomes more paranoid as a result of the pining and ambiguous fixation of Angélique. In a supporting role, Isabelle Carré is excellently frightened by the presence of another person slowly tearing her husband apart. The haunting sound of a piano on the score adds a level of menace to the fixation and obsession on show.

Shrewd, chilling and deftly told from differing perspectives, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is creepy viewing as the various shocks arrive unexpected. Boasting a startling performance from Audrey Tautou, it is a film that will floor you as well as chill you.

Black Swan

Tags

2010's, Barbara Hershey, Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Psychological Thriller, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder

Film Title

Black Swan

Director

Darren Aronofsky

Starring

• Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers
• Mila Kunis as Lily
• Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy
• Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers
• Winona Ryder as Beth MacIntyre

Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan; a feverish, dark and hypnotic psychological thriller about obsession, desire and mental disintegration is set in the gruelling world of ballet. Focusing on one women’s all-consuming obsession and desire for perfection, it boasts strange and striking visuals, bravura direction and a committed, Oscar-winning performance by Natalie Portman.

Nina Sayers is a diligent ballerina with a New York company. She is a dedicated dancer but fragile when it comes to criticism as she obsesses over getting everything perfect. When the company’s director, Thomas Leroy, casts Nina in the lead role in the production of Swan Lake, he begins to wonder if Nina has what it takes to embody the dual role. Her pristine, shy and somewhat virginal appearance are a perfect fit for the White Swan, but she lacks the sexuality and uninhibited freedom to play the Black Swan. As the big day of her performance approaches , Nina is pushed towards razor’s edge as she attempts to unlock the darker side of herself. To raise the stakes even more, the new arrival of the sensual Lily, who possesses the sexuality needed for the Black Swan, becomes a source of challenge for Nina’s unstable psyche and the presence of her overbearing mother does little to help. Risking her life for her art, Nina battles strange events as she spirals into hysteria for the price of her graft and obsession. Cue the creepy blurring of reality with hallucinations, sexual awakening and some striking and terrifying visuals as Black Swan throws the audience head first into the lion’s den of desire, obsession and ballet with haunting results.

The ballet at first may seem a strange place to set a psychological thriller but it adds to the sense of rivalry and desire that send Nina into dangerous hysteria. Darren Aronofsky has crafted a sometimes horrifying study of an interior mental breakdown, comparisons can be drawn with Polanski’s The Tenant and Repulsion. Visually, Black Swan is a cornucopia of startling and arresting imagery such as broken mirrors, bloodied injuries in the style of Cronenberg’s body horror  and vivid colour that adorn Black Swan’s screen. Scenes that stand out are the opening dream sequence of Nina dancing the prologue to Swan Lake and the hallucination filled rave scene when Nina and Lily cut loose on the town. Sonically, Black Swan excels with barely there whispers and the rustling of wings appearing as Nina spirals into mental unraveling. Anchoring the proceedings is the committed and fearless work of Natalie Portman, who collected a much deserved Oscar for her performance. She encapsulates Nina’s shy and virginal demeanor and the various facets of her obsession as her character’s already tenuous grip on reality begins to break as she attempts to dig deep into her soul to find the darkness and sexuality needed to embody the Black Swan. It is a dedicated and never-better performance from the gifted Natalie Portman. Mila Kunis provides the perfect foil to Nina’s fragility as the rebellious and sexy Lily. Vincent Cassel is suitably wolfish as the director who pushes Nina to breaking point as she trains for her role. Barbara Hershey is chilling as Erica, Nina’s overbearing mother who holds an iron grip over her ‘sweet girl’ and refuses to let go, instead living her life through her young daughter’s. In a small but memorable role, Winona Ryder plays an embittered dancer forced out of the company due to her age by the wolfish director.

Visually audacious, operatic, feverish and featuring an absolutely outstanding performance by Natalie Portman, Black Swan is a visceral and chilling psychological thriller with horror elements that refuses to let go and leaves you pondering long and hard after the curtain has closed.