The Good and The Bad

Rating: 7/10 (20 April 2005)

I've decided that the film is somehow disrupted by the two major "forces" which created it: the director and the script. And here is a summary of the ups and downs.
The Good
It's only fair to begin with this, given that it is also the most obvious bit for the innocent viewer. Brad Anderson is simply awe inspiring in this totally atmospheric joint, so dense and sinister you can feel it grow on you. From colors to angles, they all form this self sustaining being which pulsates constantly with death - because this is what the movie is about, no beating about the bush here. Furthermore, Christian Bale - who so resembles Ethan Hawke in this slim version - is just as much of a decisive factor as Brad's directing, simply because he is so absorbed by his character that he displays an utterly convincing performance.
The Bad
However, no matter how dense or tense of an atmosphere you've got, when the viewer (like myself) can't stop thinking of another movie (Fight Club) while watching this one...it's bad. I just kept on watching and expected something to happen, something that might've elevated the thing, something that would've given it some actual meaning, something beyond the macabre curtains of the world. But no, it feels so streamlined that it brings too little of an original story to actually be appreciated on the whole. It's all well tied up, but totally by the book.
After putting it in perspective, the conclusions seem obvious to me: meager concept, marvelous achievement in making it be. Whether to watch it? Yes, I suppose so, but generally some patience is advised for, especially given the conditions (images so penetrating, that I could actually feel their terrible stench...such misery).