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serai.
Just watched this film last night. WOW.
Let's just stipulate the obvious: this fucking film is DISGUSTING. Not on the order of The Human Centipede, mind you, but plenty disgusting enough. TONS of ooey-gooeys, as my friend Leslie used to say. I spent a good deal of it covering parts of the screen with my hand. YUCK.
But setting that aside, I was seriously impressed. Really innovative work with the camera. I know the film is just following the original (which I haven't seen) in many aspects, but I thought the device of putting the entire thing in first-person perspective was really interesting. It works especially well with Elijah in the lead role, since his face with those enormous eyes is so intensely shocking in the little glimpses you get in mirrors, etc. (Man, that reflection in the knife blade was fucking chilling.) The effects used to convey his migraines and madness were beautifully thought out, too.
And Elijah, holy shit. What a performance. The script is kinda hidebound in its hewing to 50's era psychology (not to mention that hoary old cliche about the crippled killer being able to catch up to a woman running at full tilt), but Elijah does spectacularly well with what he's given. He's horribly pathetic, which is used well since the film never really tries to make you sympathize with him. (The most I could do was think, "Yeah, I guess that would make him crazy.") So his pathos becomes distasteful and his pain becomes just squalid. This is not a guy I would ever be moved to comfort, frankly, and Elijah seems fine with that reaction being a possibility. He makes no effort to seem disarmingly sweet or deceivingly charming. He's clumsy and clingy and unpleasant - honestly, he made me want to take a shower.
I always find it wonderful to see an actor go so completely against his usual mien. And it's interesting how much of that Elijah's been doing with his roles the last ten years or so. He seems to like playing slimy bastards and perverts. Goddess knows those eyes of his serve him well in those roles, lol.
Damn. Really interesting film. Excellent performance. I have no idea if I'll ever watch it again, but I'm certainly glad I did.
Just watched this film last night. WOW.
Let's just stipulate the obvious: this fucking film is DISGUSTING. Not on the order of The Human Centipede, mind you, but plenty disgusting enough. TONS of ooey-gooeys, as my friend Leslie used to say. I spent a good deal of it covering parts of the screen with my hand. YUCK.
But setting that aside, I was seriously impressed. Really innovative work with the camera. I know the film is just following the original (which I haven't seen) in many aspects, but I thought the device of putting the entire thing in first-person perspective was really interesting. It works especially well with Elijah in the lead role, since his face with those enormous eyes is so intensely shocking in the little glimpses you get in mirrors, etc. (Man, that reflection in the knife blade was fucking chilling.) The effects used to convey his migraines and madness were beautifully thought out, too.
And Elijah, holy shit. What a performance. The script is kinda hidebound in its hewing to 50's era psychology (not to mention that hoary old cliche about the crippled killer being able to catch up to a woman running at full tilt), but Elijah does spectacularly well with what he's given. He's horribly pathetic, which is used well since the film never really tries to make you sympathize with him. (The most I could do was think, "Yeah, I guess that would make him crazy.") So his pathos becomes distasteful and his pain becomes just squalid. This is not a guy I would ever be moved to comfort, frankly, and Elijah seems fine with that reaction being a possibility. He makes no effort to seem disarmingly sweet or deceivingly charming. He's clumsy and clingy and unpleasant - honestly, he made me want to take a shower.
I always find it wonderful to see an actor go so completely against his usual mien. And it's interesting how much of that Elijah's been doing with his roles the last ten years or so. He seems to like playing slimy bastards and perverts. Goddess knows those eyes of his serve him well in those roles, lol.
Damn. Really interesting film. Excellent performance. I have no idea if I'll ever watch it again, but I'm certainly glad I did.
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Date: Monday, October 12th, 2015 10:51 pm (UTC)