BLACK PHONE

 

BLACK PHONE - A 


Well written. Well acted. Well directed. Well scored. Just a damn good film. With all of the rubbish we've been shown as of late in terms of thrillers society had a right to give up on them. Black Phone was a redemption. A few unanswered questions and a few areas that could have used a bit more explanation or at least exploration, the cons are few and the pros are plentiful.  The story was gripping and grasping. Well paced with smooth transitions. So good that unless you're about to explode, the bathroom can wait. 

The performances were exceptionally good, especially for the child actors. I was impressed with Mason Thames as Finney but I was blown away by Madeleine McGraw as Gwen. What a little Dean Stockwell in the making she is. Only 14 years old and already owns the screen as a poised and experienced veteran. I was also impressed with Jeremy Davies. It was nice to see him play a character so much different than the stereotypical spineless nerds that he is usually cast as. Then of course there was Ethan Hawke, who despite not having many lines also gave an outstanding performance. 

 I think some have forgotten that the basic formula for a good mystery/suspense is simple yet very effective. You don't need to overcomplicate things. Story should never be sacrificed in favor of twist, turn or shock. Story & the characters within that story should always be front and center, the focus of the film. Black Phone remembered that and it capitalized upon it. 

Thank you Scott Derrickson & C Robert Cargill for showing the world that these types of films can be fun and that these types of films can be good. 

ROOM FOR RENT

 

ROOM FOR RENT: D 

This awkward, nonsensical, frankly stupid film had but one saving grace, a respectable & dedicated cast. I've always wondered what it was like as an actor to get such a poorly written script & be obligated to do your best to give a solid & worthy performance in spite of it. Now I know.  The characters in this film were somewhat interesting, but the backgrounds and exposition to explain them, especially the main character were so off base & illogical that it made the film nearly unwatchable.  

What drove Joyce to insanity? Her husband's death? Codependency? Being forced to have an abortion against her will?  Let's give these questions examination.  If her husband's death led her to eventually being homicidal then it begs the question as to if he was the one stability in her life that initially kept her from these urges prior in her life. Having studied serial killers most of my life, her transition was irrational and non realistic. Codependency wouldn't lead to premeditated murder. The abortion she had would have been years prior, at least a decade and a half if not even longer ago. The killings of both her neighbor and Bob in a realistic setting would have been unplanned & in the third degree. It made absolutely no sense for it to be in the first degree & honestly it wouldn't have made sense to have been in the second degree either.  The creation and development of the character was virtually nonexistent and what was given to us as an audience was so impractical and unfeasible that it hurts to try and make any sense of it. 

I don't understand why drama, action, adventure, romance and even comedy are held to such a high standards but thrillers and horrors aren't. We expect Hemmingway's best work when the screenplay for a drama is submitted & anything less than GONE WITH THE WIND won't do. Yet when it comes to horror put a group of mentally challenged bonobos next to a computer and whatever turns out gets green lit into the garbage I just watched.  Thank Gawd Lin Shaye is such a gifted performer & that this film had other decent actors. Without them, I'd have enjoyed my last root canal more. 

THE GIRL WHO GOT AWAY

 

THE GIRL WHO GOT AWAY : B- 

THE GIRL WHO GOT AWAY could have been a straight forward film told in that of 90 minutes that would have given its audience a satisfying conclusion. Instead it threw on an extra 30 minutes of unnecessary twists and turns that as a result hurt the film's overall presentation. Had it been a straight up victim Vs torturer narrative, it would have eliminated the ambiguity and confusion while adding a sense of vengeance from a heroine that so many claim Hollywood lacks and is in desperate need of.  The story was strong & I just can't help but think that in this particular case revision may have been more of a burden than it was an attribute. The twists and turns seemed added and contrived, like that from a producer more so than that of a writer or a director. To reiterate, the film just did not need all of the extras. Had the story went with the one twist involving the older sheriff & stopped trying to top it with ridiculous twists for nothing more than "shock value" the story would have benefited. 

The performances were good. Lexi Johnson did a good of playing a straight up schizophrenic damaged from years of abuse and torture.  Chukwudi Iwuji as the investigative police officer also did a very good job. Overall all of the performances were fairly top notch. Nothing to complain about here.  

There were scenes that made no sense and left you with nothing but questions. These didn't help the film at all either. 

A story was here and furthermore a good story, but unfortunately as the old saying goes, "Don't try to fix something that isn't broken."  Nothing was broken here & they took the hammer, the nails and screw gun and "fixed" the ever lovin' Hell out of it.