Steven Spielberg, 2005
9.0
this is one solid, ferocious movie. and it scared the hell outta me. it had been a while since i'd last been frightened at the movie theater, but this one was overpowering. and it has thankfully no relation to the childish A.I. or the vapid Minority Report. it goes all-out. it's ties are closer to The Lost World (the darkness) and E.T. (the warmth of the performances). this is a dark, dark, dark piece of filmmaking. it's a cross between Independence Day (the destruction, not the insignificant flag-waving), Signs (the creepiness), and Alice in Wonderland (you'll see). (at one point, there's also some staggering 9/11 imagery but it's not overemphasized and it doesn't take you out of the story. it's just used very wisely.) by the way, i want to stress this -- this is not an action film where Will Smith saves the world and american flags are waved in victory. it is not that film. it's a human drama that follows one man through destruction and chaos. and Tom Cruise, who i think has been coasting on his smile for most of his past few roles, here, with the exception of the opening sequence, is in a truly different mode, finally creating a normal person i could believe. Spielberg also uses Dakota Fanning, not as a child prodigy, but as a normal kid. these are the two leads. but if there's a breakout star in this movie (big if because the movie is never owned by anyone other than Spielberg or who Spielberg decides to put the spotlight on) it's Justin Chatwin, who plays Robbie, Tom's son. he was phenomal, holding his own against Cruise and Spielberg. a truly terrifying performance. you know the story by now but the backbone of the screenplay rests on Ray (Tom) and his committment to his family, ie. his children. and that is executed nicely against the backdrop of invasion and total annihilation. if there's one thing that mr. Spielberg has taught me it's that, no matter how much hell and chaos are raised, there's always a clear path cleared up for your protagonist and his minivan to effortlessly navigate through. the only big dud of the film was Tim Robbins' character, which was entirely non-existent, and who's only point was to tighten the gears up for the final act. a brilliant and noble part, i presume, and executed to perfection by Spielberg and company, but a cog does not a character make. and this character was just empty. of course Robbins' stature made him look menacing, but it was hard taking him seriously, mostly because of that hood they had him peering out from, which did not make him look brooding at all, and his arc was just predictably boring. but that aside, the film delivers solid chills and felt like one huge nightmarish event. the special effects are overwhelming (thank you, Dennis Muren). you know that dream you have of being chased but never being able to escape? well, Spielberg made that come to life for ya. oh, hell yes.
Posted by Anonymous | 11:42 PM
