A puzzling game worth playing

Rating: 7/10 (24 November 2017)

Finally saw all the 'Saw' films prior to seeing 'Jigsaw' (as part of my wanting to see as many 2017 films as possible this year, during a quieter and less intensive period). Heard a lot about the films, good and bad, but wanted to see them for myself to know what to expect.
The films as an overall series are a very mixed bag. The first 'Saw' is very problematic but is one of the better films of the 'Saw' series. It is very easy to see why people will dislike it, and no it is not because of the full throttle horror-like elements that are not for the faint hearted. Some of the story is ridiculous with large lapses in logic, Danny Glover's character's actions will have one screaming in frustration at the television screen. Some of the script is tight, other parts are half-baked and silly and Elwes' character's back-story had some taut tension but that it had some melodramatic parts with frustrating character behaviour.
Some of the acting is not good. Cary Elwes seems to be thinking like he's acting in a very over-heated melodrama that would have been out of date even in the period when they were in fashion. Danny Glover's performance is also a mess, with a mix of over-compensating and not looking interested. Even for the film's mood, some of the editing is chaotic.
However, for a film that didn't have a high budget 'Saw' visually doesn't look too bad on the whole, effective even. There is a real sense of unsettling claustrophobia induced in the lighting, setting and photography. Music has its eeriness.
Not everybody fares badly in the acting. Michael Emerson has an unnerving presence and Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell also do a decent job. Then there is Tobin Bell, not easy to forget him after this film. James Wan does more than competently in the director's chair, even with the inexperience.
Despite its ridiculousness, the story is also edge-of-your-seat and highly atmospheric. There is genuine dread, some truly imaginative traps and kills and much of it throughout is disturbing and creepy. 'Saw' is notable in particular not just for the traps/kills but also for its bold twists, the character of Jigsaw (the modus operandi, impulse and justification setting him apart from most characters of his type) and an unforgettably shocking ending.
Overall, very problematic but effective. 7/10 Bethany Cox