The piecing together of a brutal puzzle ensues.

Rating: Null/10 (29 October 2004)

How far would you go to save your own life? Go ahead; ask yourself that question right now. Exactly how far would you go? Would you kill someone if your life were on the line? Would you cut through someone's stomach to get something you needed to save yourself? Would you watch an entire night of UPN programming with no interruptions? Would you make out with Rosie O'Donnell? The extent a person would go to save his life, an indication of how much he actually wants to live, is the underlying theme of Saw.
The movie follows the sick and twisted exploits of a killer only known as "Jigsaw." But in reality, he hasn't killed anybody. He's much more sadistic than that. He places people in very dire circumstances and then tells them what they need to do in order to survive. It's all part of his game. You break the rules, then you'll pay the consequences.
Simply put, Saw is one of the most entertaining, original thrillers of the year. You might want to introduce yourself to the edge of your seat before the movie starts because chances are the two of you will be getting acquainted real quick. In fact, it might not hurt to bring it flowers. My interest was piqued at the very start, and just when I was scared I had figured everything out (and was getting disappointed because I thought things were going to be too predictable), the movie slapped me right upside my face and taught me a little lesson in not thinking too far ahead.
Now if you're the nitpickiest of nitpickers, then you can find enough nits to pick if you have nothing better to do. The movie's got its flaws; I won't deny that. Plot contrivances? Check. Plot holes? Sure. The acting? Well, it's a tad suspect at times, mainly in regard to Cary Elwes. Rumor has it that a landing strip was placed on "the top," and he just flew right over it. Elwes kicked subtlety in the crotch, and then beat it while it was down. He's all right when he is more constrained, but at times it feels like he is auditioning for a high school production of Hamlet. I haven't seen so many crocodile tears since Bill Clinton attended Ron Brown's funeral. Oh well, just be prepared to laugh at him and you'll be fine. Other than that, the acting is decent even though most of the characters like to scream a lot.
Personally, I can ignore the film's flaws because I was mainly concerned with where the movie was headed and if it could pull everything together effectively. I'm happy to report that the climax is possibly the most exciting, most intense 10-15 minutes of any movie I've seen this year. Off the top of my head I count six unexpected twists in that short amount of time. To put it bluntly, the ending knocked my socks off, ran 'em through the rinse cycle, chewed 'em up into little pieces, spit 'em in my face, and made me thank it for the privilege. It was quite the spectacle.
I guess I better warn you that if you're looking for a pot of gold and a rainbow at the end of these proceedings, then you'll be disappointed. But I liked the ending. It fit with the dark tone and dreary atmosphere of the rest of the movie. This isn't a love-fest about every child in the world getting a puppy. It's a movie about a demented individual with a really warped view on what constitutes a fun game. I guess Yahtzee just doesn't do it for some people.
THE GIST
Saw is the perfect thriller to get you in the Halloween spirit. It's not what I'd call overly scary, but it'll keep you in a constant state of unease. The scariest thing about the movie is that there *could* be an individual out there like "Jigsaw," but it's probably best if you don't dwell on that.
If you don't like gruesome movies that revolve around people in very tense, unenviable positions, then this may not be for you, but it wasn't nearly as gory as I was expecting. For the most part we're shown the beginning of an act of violence or gore, and then we're allowed to form our own mental images. It's really nothing I haven't seen on a very special "Viewer Discretion is Advised" episode of CSI. So if you think you can handle it then check it out and enjoy the thrill ride.
Rating: 4 (out of 5)