https://publishers.viglink.com/sign-up/LV_KOdxXii8

Monday, April 14, 2014

Stoker Movie Review



I happened by chance upon this movie that I heard so much about called Stoker when it was on Cinemax this past week. I was incredibly shocked at how nice the imagery of the film flowed into the deep production value of the scenes.  Director Park Chan-wool, along with cinematographer Chung-hon Chung have created such a free flow landscape of a film, that I'm almost sad it ended at a mere hour and forty minutes.
   Producer Ridley Scott, and Tony Scott have also landed a helping hand for this film, which I believe is one of the better horror films released last year. Although the film takes place in Connecticut, (actually filmed in Tennessee) and stars English and A,Erica's actors, the movie does come off in the style of fine Asian horror. It is very noire, and I know that term is passé, but it really is vibrant in gorgeous shades, and the direction excited me to the point of near applaud. I love horror that's done in this way, it's almost charming.
   Actress Mia Wasikowska, of Alice in Wonderland fame, plays the lead character, India Stoker, a young girl,of just the age age of eighteen who has just lost her father, Richard, (played by Dermot Mulroney) in a terrible car accident. Like many mystery/suspense/horror films, we know already that we can call foul play, because the movie makes us start to think about why the car crashes nearly two states away. We enter the scene of Richard Stoker's funeral service, and the introduction of Charles Stoker (Richard's estranged younger brother, played dutifully by British actor Matthew Goode. As a side-note, most of the actors are British, or Australian, and pull of their American accents splendidly, making the movie flow so gracefully, especially with the well dictated dialogue by screenwriter Wentworth Miller.
   The basis of this movie is simple: father dies, uncle from a mysterious past comes in to help an already estranged young girl come to terms with losing her father. The mother has a nonexistent relationship with her daughter, but seems to attempt (somewhat poorly, I might add) to be her mother,,and supportive. The plot thickens a bit when Charlie decides,to move in with the widowed Evelyn, and mourning India, and starts to show (obvious) traits of eccentricity. He's very smart, as we can tell from the dialogue, he has a command of French, but he speaks in a highly intellectual manner, almost snobbish, but inherent to the character that we discover has such an intriguing past. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I must say that the shoes are such an inhibiting part of the magic that went into choreographing every scene of this film, I'm sure I missed something the first time subconsciously, so much symbolism it made me want to watch it again.
    I'm not one to give out spoilers in my reviews, because it aggravates me all to hell if I read a review, and find it explains the whole damn. Ovid, but since this movie is quite short, and I think the pros outweigh the cons, ill voice my opinion about the things I disliked the most first.
The one con I found was in Evelyn.Nicole Kidman plays India Stoker's mother, Evelyn. She is a notorious actor, who happens to be either brilliant or horrible in her movies. In most cases, show chooses these sorts of films, and they are historically damaging to her, more-often than helpful, The Others, and even the Human Stain are examples of her tragic work in films that come off dark, and eclectic, but have not really done her justice. She's great at some moments in this film, especially towards the end, I love the symbolic burning of the stuffed animals, as it pertains to the idea of "hiding the bodies", but before I say too much, she does a stellar act for the bulk of the film, but it is really Mia Wasikowska's place to shine. Kidman could've acted her role better, but in her defense, her role was a passive, somewhat manipulative annoying mother that didn't know how to "mom", so she somewhat nailed the part, but she was far too stocky of a character.
    The second thing I couldn't stand about this movie, that nearly ruins it, are the obvious references and symbols, to the point where I solved the mystery (if you could even call it a mystery) but luckily, it was so chocked full of symbolism, from the giant boulders in the garden, to the yellow ribbons that nearly pierce the eyes, they are so vibrant, on every birthday present. These images, which is not what most people imagine in a horror film, but they do come off as beautiful at times. Then again, maybe I'm just in a really good mood, and this film was the perfect add-on, either way, i was happy with the overall end of the film.
  The last thing I wasn't enjoying too much were some of the dialogue, even though the majority fit each character quite well. I just found certain scenes didn't add much value to the film, and the random placement of certain scenes, made the flow seize up a bit, but luckily it didn't deter me from enjoying the movie. Good thing most of the film flows gracefully, and the end was a mixed message, I also felt the characters didn't really grow, especially Evelyn.
  Other than a ewe minor annoyances, mostly with postproduction, and a few lines that really just irked me, Stoker was a grand film, with a lovely soundtrack. I especially loved the piano pieces, and that scene was perhaps,the best of the whole film. Mia is such a great actor, she plays her part well, and makes due with being so antisocial, yet somehow keeping the audience's interest. I think she was excellent in this movie, and I feel the cast did click so well together on screen, it just felt believable for the most part.
If you're like me, and you like horror, with suspense, and dare-I-say, a bit of dark comedy, I think Stoker is a movie worth watching, but also if you like,pianos, that also makes this movie a worthy watch. This movie has blood, but like most modern noir horror,,it,doesn't drown you in it, and it has a bit of character that I didn't expect to find, but I do wish in some scenes it was a bit more prevalent. Overall,,it like it, and I would watch it again, and I would pay far greater attention the second time through, I really just wished that it would've kept me guessing longer than twenty minutes into the picture. Alas, most modern horror fails to carry a strong weight of mystery, even when it's pitched as one.
 If you're into horror, and you want to see a movie that doesn't drown you in blood, but is still quite disturbing, (although I really believe this movie doesn't deserve an R rating) you should see Stoker.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, I am grateful for every reader I gain, and I hope you enjoy my musings. I promise to have more film, game, and book reviews in the future, and plenty more editorial pieces on various subjects.

Twitter: Twitter.com/mcasteditorial  or send a message: @mcasteditorial

E-mail: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com.

Again, than you for supporting the Malacast Editorial.

No comments: