By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz | Celia Weston | Frank Langella | James Marsden | Sam Oz Stone
Country: united_states
Year: 2009
Running time: 115
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362478/
Michael says: “After the brilliance of Richard Kelly’s debut film DONNIE DARKO, then the crash and burn excess of his follow-up SOUTHLAND TALES, expectations were high for his third outing, and his first studio-backed project, THE BOX. Add to that an extended sequence shot in the Boston Public Library, and I couldn’t wait to see this film after its much delayed release. Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella headline this mind-twisting, science fiction thriller with a healthy dash of the metaphysical, and if this is Kelly’s commercial outing, then I’m happy to report that it’s more challenging, thought-provoking and mind-bending than most anything you’ll see in the multiplex.
“Norma and Arthur Lewis are a young couple with one son, Walter, living in Richmond, VA in 1976. Norma is a school teacher, and Arthur works for NASA. One morning at 5:45am, a mysterious locked box is left on their doorstep with the promise of a return visit and explanation later that day. Before that visit occurs, both Norma and Arthur receive some bad news that complicates their lives. Along comes Arlington Steward, half his face burned away from a lightning strike, who explains that they have a choice. Press the button on the box and they will receive $1,000,000. The catch? Someone, somewhere in the world that they do not know, will die. If they do not press the button, their lives will continue as they were. They have 24 hours to decide and they are forbidden to tell anyone else. That set up leads the Lewis’ down a terrifying path that includes mind-controlled minions, the afterlife, communications from Mars, and eternal damnation.
“Kelly does a marvelous job in creating a confounding, yet threatening mood without the parlor tricks of most directors, and he clearly has a strong handle on his convoluted story, which requires attention, but not a note pad to keep track of what’s going on. Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella are all terrific as Norma, Arthur and Steward respectively, and add a rooted realism to a story that could easily slip into silliness under a less-talented writer/director’s control. Kelly uses both buildings of the Boston Public Library incredibly effectively in one of the more fascinating scenes of the film.
“Unfortunately, there’s something about the film’s conclusion that left me slightly unsatisfied. Kelly draws several parallels to Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, then follows a path that doesn’t really do anything surprising. After the film, Scot and I discussed possible meanings Kelly had in mind, and possible alternatives that we might have chosen. For me, that’s one sign of a good movie, and added to the others mentioned above, I would have to give THE BOX 4 cats.
“Warning! Most people I know don’t like this movie.”