Very strong -- if only the budget matched the script, this could have been brilliant

Rating: 1/10 (28 May 2005)

***Mild spoilers*** There are two things that stood out for me in this film. The central concept was very good. The killer contrived inventive ways in which to effect his kills. This plot device provided a basis for incorporating a purposive interaction between the killer and various characters in the film. The motivation for choosing victims is one that is often used, but to me that is Okay, because it is one that rings true. His actions were justified, in his mind, on what were essentially moral grounds. There's an interesting spin on this in the film though, with the emphasis placed on valuing just being alive. Ironic, sure, but this is common in life, with some of the most horrific crimes perpetrated by some of the most professedly religious or otherwise moralistic of people; that is, some of the most hypocritical people.
Some very interesting moral dilemmas unfolded in Saw, as is almost always the case in a good movie. The ending was also a good one. The pace was pretty good. At times a little slow, but generally a lot happened, and without any obvious holes. There were some questions I had about the plot, but that may be because I've only seen the film once. I am unsure about the specific motivation and rationale for the killer's choice of victims, or at least participants in the scenarios.
The only thing holding the film back for me was the budget. They made the most of what they had, don't get me wrong. Still, with better actors in a couple of key roles, this could have been a brilliant film. I didn't find Adam all that convincing, personally. In an ideal world, you wouldn't rate a film based on its budget, but I watched this on home theater, and really good effects can complete a film like this. Great films have compelling actors in all major roles. Having said that, they did a damned good job with what they had.
Better than Silence of the Lambs, which had to much psychobabble for my taste. Saw is smarter. On a par with Cell, though the effects in Cell were stunning, while the story is what makes Saw really strong. Thought long and hard about giving this one an 8. Maybe I will after seeing it again, depending on just how strong the story is. Definitely worth seeing, provided you have the stomach for this sort of thing.