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Rating: ***
Genre: Sadistic Drama MPAA: R (For language and emotional abuse) Review #: 21 Cast: Directed by...Neil LaBute Writing credits...Neil LaBute Aaron Eckhart...Chad Stacy Edwards...Christine Matt Malloy...Howard Emily Cline...Suzanne Jason Dixie...Intern Chris Hayes...Co-Worker 2 Michael Martin...Co-Worker 1 Mark Rector...John |
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Review:
I was warned before I saw this movie. They said that it was one of the sickest, most sadistic movie of all time. They were right. This is the story of two business men, Chad and Howard. One day, while they're leaving on a business trip, Chad tells Howard that his wife left him, and that they should get revenge on all women. Chad's plan is to find the most vulnerable woman, shower her with attention until she's dizzy, and then dump her. Howard is the weaker man, and goes along with anything that the charismatic Chad says. When they get to their destination, Chad quickly chooses their target: A pretty, young deaf girl named Christine. So, the plan goes into motion, and both of them start to date her. Christine is overwhelmed by all the attention, and begins to fall in love with Chad. |
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| The story line of this movie is sick and twisted, but that's nothing compared to the characters. The "star" of this movie is Chad. He is sick, cruel, and has no sense of decency whatsoever. Chad is a charismatic leader, who can easily win people over and get his way. Chad is also two-faced. He'll compliment someone to their face, and then insult the hell out of them before the door's even closed behind them. Basically, Chad is a complete and total bastard, but we've all known at least one Chad. Chad is evil, manipulative, and willing to mastermind a scheme this evil. He does it well, too. Even though Howard's supposed to be the leader on this trip, Chad's personality easily overpowers him, and everyone else he meets. There's one memorable scene in which Chad orders a young black man to take down his pants. Roger Ebert talked about this scene too. It's not racist so much as it's about proving how much you're willing to humiliate yourself for personal advancement in that world. |
| The other main character is Howard. Howard is almost an everyman in this story. He's a pawn of the charismatic and confident Chad. When their plan is working, and Christine is falling for Chad, Howard starts to fall in love. He even once describes himself as the "good guy". The character of Howard almost has some redeeming qualities, but he's too weak of heart to stand up to Chad and use them. He's the character who we're supposed to identify with, and we should be asking ourselves what we'd do in his place, and if we'd be able to stand up to Chad any better than he does. It makes you wonder how many of us are really just mindless followers. A truly great movie does more than just entertain, but also causes us to think about how life is. Unfortunately, this movie isn't truly great, just above average. |
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This movie really does have problems. It's called a "dark comedy",
but it really isn't a comedy at all. It's a drama, pure and simple. These
characters aren't really that complex either. Chad is always dripping with
cruelty and evil. Christine is pure and innocent, while being gullible
enough to serve the plot perfectly. Is it entertaining? Well, kind of.
It's not a "fun" movie by any stretch of the imagination. If you're easily
offended, avoid this movie like the plague. Of course, if you like unconventional
movies and hate happy endings, snatch this one up!
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