Thomas Jane’s directorial debut leaves much to be desired. I enjoyed Dark Country more and more for the movie’s first two-thirds. However, the film loses me once it starts going from trying to be a believable mystery to an over-the-top parade of being there/done those moments. I can appreciate movies that force a character to go mad until he slowly reaches the depths of hell (Apocalypse Now, 1408, American Psycho, and, of course, The Shining). But if this is the result you aim for, you will need a first-time director to accomplish that. Dark Country could have gone in a dozen different directions. Unfortunately, for me, and probably for you, too, I was led on a path that left me dissatisfied.
Continue reading Dark Country (2009)
Category Archives: Mystery
Hard Candy (2005)
2005’s Hard Candy turned out to be a breakout movie for debut feature film director David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Patrick Wilson (Little Children, Lakeview Terrace), and Ellen Page (Juno, Inception). This was a highly controversial film at the time of its release and did not garner a lot of money at the box office. It is about a 32-year-old sexual predator named Jeff (Wilson) who begins an online relationship with 14-year-old Hayley (Page) that leads to a physical encounter.
The Game (1997)
1997’s The Game was David Fincher’s film movie as a director, but the first following the highly successful and fan-favorite Se7en. Fincher’s first movie was Alien 3, which had many franchise fans wishing the series had ended with Aliens. With one flop and one success under his belt, Fincher needed to make a statement with his third movie to prove that Se7en was not a fluke. The Game grossed $48 million at the box office, roughly half of what Se7en brought in, but this was still considered a success. Moreover, perhaps more importantly, it was a success with the critics. Following this movie, Fincher became a household name. Still, he has picked his projects carefully. From 1993 to 2010, Fincher has directed just nine movies. However, His most recent films (The Social Network, 2010, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2008) garnered him Academy Award nominations for Best Director.
Tenderness (2007)
“My wife likes to say there are two kinds of people. Those who are chasing pleasure and those who are running from pain. Maybe she’s right. I don’t know. What I do know is this. Pleasure helps you forget. But pain, pain forces you to hope. You tell yourself this can’t last. Today could be different. Today, something just might change.”
This is what Russell Crowe’s (Gladiator, Cinderella Man) character (Lt. Cristofuoro) says at the end of John Polson’s 2007 drama Tenderness. It is an excellent quote that all of us can ponder and adapt to how we live our lives…Unfortunately, the quote makes you want to nap rather than consider this imaginably meaningful phrase as the movie concludes.
Black Swan (2010)
Swan Lake director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel – Eastern Promises, Oceans 12) welcomes his production company for the upcoming season with the following little story.
“We all know the story. The virginal girl who is pure and sweet but trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom, but only true love can break the spell. Nearly granted is her wish in the form of a prince. But, before he can declare his love, the lustful twin, the Black Swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated, the White Swan leaps off a cliff, killing herself and, in death, finds freedom”.
It’s short and simple, and we all understand it. And it’s the basis of Leroy’s ballet. As Thomas tells this story to his attentive company, he taps a few females on the shoulder. One of these women will replace an aging Beth (Winona Ryder – Edward Scissorhands, Girl, Interrupted) as the prima ballerina for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake. Nina (Natalie Portman – The Other Boleyn Girl, Closer ) is one of the girls who is tapped and ultimately awarded the role.