Seen: August 26th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 6
The trailer for this film is a masterpiece of marketing. It portrays this film as a mischievous romp, bringing a child's sense of humor into an adult world. The premise is charming, a child's game of dare carried out over decades, bonding two people for life. It's a sweet, romantic pastiche, ready made for curling up with your sweetheart on the sofa with a bowl of microwave popcorn.
Then it all goes black and horribly wrong.
The film has a very twisted soul. Normally I wouldn't mind so much, but it can't be honest with itself, not unlike it's characters. It bounces back and forth between light hearted humor and what verges on the edge of psychological terror.
The characters here love and hate each other with a depth that's astounding. The way they treat each other made me cringe at times. Perhaps this is honest, perhaps the thing we do based on our own fears and doubts are not so far off the hyperbolic curve plotted here. But that doesn't mean that we wish to be entertained by them.
In honesty, I should give this a second look. There are things here I still don't understand, and a second watch might change my mind about certain aspects of the film. It won't make it more warm and fuzzy, it won't excuse the characters actions, but perhaps it'll at least provide some answers.
See this one if you like film that explore the human psyche, but it's best avoided for the romantic interlude unless your partnership is as twisted as these characters'.
The Good: Has heart and humor
The Bad: And a twisted soul
The Ugly: The games we play
1 comment:
twisted soul? then i s'pose we all have twisted souls!
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