By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Gabriel Byrne | Lynne Redgrave | Miranda Richardson | Ralph Fiennes
Country: canada, france, united_kingdom
Year: 2003
Running time: 96
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0278731
Esmé says: “This was great and who saw it? I thought Fiennes was great, and so was the directing. Lots of cats. (A man is released from the asylum and returns to his old neighborhood where he tries to make sense of what happened there when he was a boy. What he finds out is devastating)”
Michael says: “Well, it’s back to the movies now that Ceremonies have gone by… and the latest film from David Cronenberg was a nice way to return. Cronenberg is known for his disturbing films about the body, but in SPIDER he focuses on the mind… the disturbed mind, true, but there is nary an orifice in sight.
“Ralph Finnes plays Mr. Clegg (affectionately called Spider by his mother when he was a child) and the film starts with him starting a new life in a halfway house for the mentally disturbed after spending some time in an asylum. Clegg mumbles, hides his journal which is filled with undecipherable scribbles only he seems to be able to understand, and wanders the neighborhood while dark memories of his childhood return. It’s a chilling childhood that we become privvy to, but we are seeing it through the lens of a highly disturbed man. As the adult Clegg watches the scenes from his childhood unfold, we are thrown. How can Clegg be witnessing scenes that he was not present in as a child? This awkward device is actually used successfully as the story unfolds.
“The other much-talked about device is the use of Miranda Richardson in not one, but three different roles. Richardson is wonderful as Spider’s caring but frustrated mother, a local tart, and as the morphing caretaker of the halfway house (who starts off played by a wonderful Lynne Redgrave.)
“Cronenberg does a nice job telling this story of psychological unrest. Revelations are made clearly but not obviously, allowing the audience to figure things out on their own before coming right out and saying it. Haunting images of ordinary things, such as a heating vent, cords strung up like a spider’s web, a gigantic gas tank and a set of tools convey hidden meaning. Patrick McGrath adapts his own novel with marvelous effect worthy of a Chlotrudis nod (as is Richardson’s stunning performance.) The one flaw in the film comes from the lead character. Although Finnes does a fine job, his character, who doesn’t really speak, but mumbles and shambles through his life is a difficult to engage with and the first 30 minutes are a long set up before the memories start to unfold.
“Still, SPIDER is Cronenberg’s strongest film to date, and it’s nice to see him stretching beyond his usual obssesions. And it’s always nice to see Richardson tackle a juicy role.” 4 cats
Scot says: “At the risk of duplicating some of Michaels comments (believe me, we dont agree on everything!), I wanted to post about this one too. Fiennes is indeed nothing special in this Rain Man-y role. His mumbling was nothing but irritating and in some ways, the character feels almost unnecessary which, I realize, is a stupid thing to say since the film is about him. Its just annoying to watch the actor work whenever the scene shifts back to his muttering and scribbling.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see more Lynn Redgrave. Shes delightful as the matron of the halfway house, in a really coarse way. It seems that her career has let her come full circle back to the working-class roles she played in the sixties and she seems much more comfortable in them than in fluffy TV movies she did for so long. But the fact that we’re denied her performance in the role late in the film works to heighten the frustration
we feel as the ‘mystery’ unravels.
“And I’ve got a particular pet peeve for ‘memory plays’ that show events the narrator is not privy to, so when this popped up in SPIDER, I was all set to hate the film. (The all-time most shameful offender in this category is THE GLASS MENAGERIE Tom would never be able to write about Lauras date with the Gentleman Caller.) But what a thrill to find that this is a conscious device used to establish the entire plot! Its like they wrote this film for me!
“While the film is not typical Cronenberg with yucky goo and unusual orifices, I was sincerely creeped out in many portions of the film to the point of watching the screen through my fingers. An excellent atmosphere of suspense builds throughout the film and its to Cronenbergs credit I believe.
“So if youre moved to see the film (which I suggest), get a cup of coffee and hold tight through the first twenty minutes. The pay off is worth the weak start.” 3.99 cats.”