One of the best films of the year

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2005)

Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Larry (Cary Elwes) awaken to find themselves locked in a filthy, dilapidated public bathroom. As they regain awareness, things go from bad to worse. They see a dead body on the floor between them, and then they realize that they're chained to large pipes on opposite sides of the room. When they discover a hidden message for each, they learn that a madman is playing a sick game with them. Can they win the game and escape with their lives? Every once in a while, I'm given an opportune moment to engage in a mini-rant, so here we go.
Anyone wondering why I usually pay no attention to the Academy Awards need look no further than Saw. In my view, Saw should be nominated for eight 2005 Oscars: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Elwes), Best Achievement in Directing, Best Writing--Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Makeup, and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures--Original Song (Fear Factory's "Bite the Hand That Bleeds"). Not that I feel it should necessarily win all eight, but it should have a fair shake at them. There are others that I would nominate for some of those categories--including Hellboy, The Village, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Dawn of the Dead, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Shaun of the Dead, and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. But you'll note that out of those, only The Village got a nod (a single nomination). It's difficult for me to take something seriously that is so far off the mark when it comes to recognizing quality films. But it's not as if a general anti-genre bias in the Academy Awards--as well as with professional critics and the self-appointed film literati--has not been noted before.
James Wan and Whannell (who takes on double duty as an actor) have authored a tightly interwoven story, with a puzzle theme that draws you in like the best material of the Cube (1997) series combined with a gritty, Se7en (1995)-like serial killer police procedural. The pieces of the plot fit together precisely and unfold like a predetermined chess game. Wan and Whannell build tension gradually, despite the fact that the film comes out of the gate extremely suspenseful.
Wan, who also served as director, creates a fabulously disturbing, dingy atmosphere throughout the film, bolstered by Julie Berghoff's production design, which is as inventive as the script. Part of the delightful novelty of the film is the elaborate, potentially fatal puzzles devised by the villain. Berghoff's designs for these scenarios and devices easily matches the lockstep intricacy of the plot and the ominous foreboding of the overall atmosphere. Viewers will likely cringe at vicariously envisioning themselves in the contraptions, and that's much of the point. The cinematography throughout the film is just as imaginative, easily telling a story that often depends on subtle visual cues, and reaching just the right balance of extended techniques, such as the varied film speeds during a car chase.
Because so much of the film is focused on just two characters in a single, relatively sparse room, Elwes and Whannell must turn in powerhouse performances, running a gamut of emotions including vulnerable helplessness, studied hopefulness, vengeful anger and frenzied desperation. Both are excellent, with Elwes particularly remarkable. Danny Glover, as Detective David Trapp, is impressive in his transformation from a somewhat typical macho cop to an obsessive loon, perhaps on a par with the villain in his single-minded irrational commitment.
The modus operandi and motivation (which serves as the theme) of the villain are intriguingly gray. The victims are often morally questionable, and can potentially benefit from their victimization. They're putatively given an out from their predicaments if they can muster the necessary wit and skill. At least on one level, the villain wants to give his victims a hard lesson and improve their lives.
It should have been clear by the comparison to Cube and Se7en that Saw is not for the faint of heart (although it's not quite as gory as it could have been) or for those who want only clear messages of good and evil and happy endings. As one of 2004's best films, however, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch.