Donnie Darko came and went, unloved by theatrical audiences, or at least not given a proper chance to be loved. It was an ambitious, audacious piece of filmmaking, and co-starred Holmes Osborne. Given new life on video, it became wildly popular, earning cult status, etc., etc.Southland Tales came and went, unloved be theatrical and video audiences. Described by many (including me) as a hot mess, it was an ambitious, audacious piece of filmmaking, and co-starred Holmes Osborne. It was either the best terrible movie of all time, or the worst great movie of all time (or at least 2006), though I would place the great/terrible ratio somewhere around 57/43. Like Donnie, it made little sense yet was highly compelling to watch (endure?).
Now The Box has come. It should come as no surprise, then, that it is ambitious, audacious, and co-stars Holmes Osborne. Like Donnie and Southland, it makes little sense yet is highly compelling to watch.
So what's the point (besides all of the ones I've repeated again and again)? It's this: When Southland Tales flopped commercially and critically, it was assumed that Kelly had overshot his ability, spoiling the apparent free rein he was given after the tardy success of Donnie, the effects of a young director being hailed as an auteur after but one feature. The Box, then, would seem to blow that theory up: Southland was no different than Donnie, save for perhaps its lighter tone, use of music and abundance of Saturday Night Live veterans. It was merely the next in the pattern - a pattern proved by The Box. Donnie is not the exception to his career, it's exactly the same, only we didn't know it at the time. After all, how much different is paradoxical time travel, giant evil rabbits and Tears for Fears from Justin Timberlake covering The Killers or Frank Langella showing up sans half his face and mysterious boxes that are capable of exacting death upon strangers?
Time and critics will no doubt cast The Box as the median film between these three in terms of overall quality. For whatever reasons, Donnie's ludicrousness is given a pass; whether that's due to the familiarity of a plot involving time travel or Patrick Swayze's presence, one can't say for sure. But the fact remains that it took itself seriously and was somewhat restrained given the material (especially compared to his later films). Southland's general storyline might not be any less crazy, but it was severely less-focused, dropping the viewer in on the third (or fourth, I can't recall) part of a six-episode epic, with what felt like a city's worth of characters and the subtlety of Rocky Horror, all smashed into 2.5 hours.
The Box, however, is a technically solid film, a period piece set in 1976 that offers all the realism of a Zodiac. It features a haunting and creative score by alterna-hipsters Arcade Fire that enlivens the film, and rather than raiding the cast of MadTV, features solid, wink-free performances from all of its stars, from Cameron Diaz (playing it straight without making us feel conscious of the fact that she's playing it straight), Frank Langella (adding many touches of class playing one of the great villains of the last decade, like Anton Chigurh minus the bowl cut and air gun), and James Marsden (proving once and for all that he's a highly capable leading man). In other words, aside from the insanity of the plot, it's a highly impressive film.
That plot is hard to overcome, though. It starts with a Book of Questions-like query, giving the young married couple the choice of killing a stranger for one million dollars...or not. All that must be done is the pressing of a small red button. That's where the simplicity begins and ends. The narrative shoots off in more directions than light reflecting off a disco ball, taking the audience (and the characters) on a mind-bending trip into...well, you name it. As with Southland (and Donnie, whether you want to admit it or not), your enjoyment of the film will likely hinge most on whether or not you're up for the long, strange descent into madness.
I had a similar experience to my Southland theatrical journey; at a certain point, I stopped trying to make sense, took the red pill and let Kelly show me once again how deep the rabbit-hole would go. Yes, it's hilarious at times, mostly at times when it's not supposed to be. But it's also intriguing, full of ideas, scary, and thoughtful. Mostly, it comes down to this: given the choice between a sane, unmemorable film and a batshit crazy, unforgettable one, I'll choose the latter every time. After all, on occasion, it just might be great. You know, like Donnie Darko.
 | "Darn tootin!" |
| Shaky Cam Rating (details): | LAMBScore: |
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