hard candy
Carpe Omnium
Ever looked at a work of modern art? Something that’s a thirty dollar canvas, painted with six bucks worth of paint, but selling for a few hundred thousand? What would you think of a movie that has nine minutes of music, including the opening and closing? Or a movie that consists almost entirely of two people in a house together? An unknown director and a playwrite? I sit here confused myself.
But I’ll tell you what i do know. This could be one of the better movies I’ve seen. The intensity permeates every part of the film. The color, the dialog, the poster, the characters, the situation are all at a level of intensity that at times is hard to watch. The acting is spot on and needs to be. The directing builds suspense and the cinematography is gorgeous. I can typically multi-task and keep up with a movie, but I couldn’t find a chance to turn away.
First I’d like to mention color. It’s not normally a distinguishing factor. The actors themselves bring the mood to the screen and the writing pushes the emotions forward. Much like illusionist where they dulled the colors into a sepia tone, or matchstick men where they used the color to denote changes of perspective or general mood, this film uses color in a deliberate way. In fact i don’t remember seeing such a strong use of color to display emotion or contrast. Red is prominent as a bold, strong color while the dull grays fade behind it. Though usually a color with aggressive connotations, the red in this picture is used almost to exhibit a calm. There are shifts in hue mid-shot that mark a change in Hayley’s mood. Flat color is used as a segue between sequences << hence the reference to the shitty art currently popular >> and as a visual break in action.
The visual style consists of a lot of jerky camera, throws in focus, and quick cuts, but it works because it increases the excitement. The sound is almost as much a part of the film as the acting. The use of sound to enhance an end to a scene works well. At some points the sound carries the action you can’t see, like the only quality part of hostel, it sparks the imagination, which can be worse than seeing something outright.
Acting is a major factor when there are only two characters for ninety percent of the film. Page does an incredible job. I imagine she was tested just as much here as in X-Men. Okay, I’m kidding, but she shows and amazing range and really makes the film come alive. Wilson plays this part better than i could have imagined. The beauty of the two playing off each other is how you can side with either character for certain parts of the film. It’s amazing that Wilson could pull that off considering the role. He’s pulling ahead as one of my current favorite actors with his roles in Phantom of the opera, little children, and running with scissors.
Expectations are flipped on end, mystery and suspense abound, and it’s just plain fun to watch. A shot that stands out has the characters as silhouettes and the action plays out slowly and so dramatically I was almost drawn toward the screen. I don’t recommend this one for light viewing, but it’s no audition. And it’s definitely not for every one’s tastes.
*****
ap Says: