Not For Kubrick

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2006)

There are two distinct things about this movie: the novel that stood as reference and Kubrick as an entity. They are like those geometric forms that you have to combine. One is a perfect cube and one is a perfect triangle hole in the wall, but they do not match ( go see Fight Club and read the novel to understand what I mean. The director and the writer match and seems like one ). Now if you have not read the book, you may consider this movie a masterpiece coming from Kubrick. On the other side if you read the book and have no knowledges about movies, and Kubrick, then this movie will suck ass just like Carrie. If you are not familiar with none above then this movie should be OK, maybe just a little bit old.
For those who read the novel and know Kubrick's work this movie will be so confusing that you will spend your entire life not knowing if you hated it or if you loved it.
Why to hate it? Well I'm not saying that Stephen King is a very complex writer, but he surely tries to spread some messages through his books. The Shining was a good read, and with lots of messages and many weird things. And this is the main problem. A lot of those messages did not came with the movie ( the wasps' nest, Tony, the most tensed part of the book where Danny reach into his father head, the big explosion, etc., and finally one of the most important thing: Wendy's smile from the end) Beside that, Wendy's past is totally give it away in the movie and the book is very much about her. The book is a road of initiation for her and Danny ( Jack Torrance is just a victim !!!). There where moments in the film when I went: "Oh my God!!! What the f**k is going on. They missed that part and that part and that part." " Oh my God!!! No No No. Why ? Why ?"
Why to love it? Not because it's a good horror ( which in my humble opinion it is not ) but because it's a work of art. The image is outstanding. Every moment of the film could be put as an wallpaper. Simply amazing. The lights, the shadows, the angles, the majesty ( which by the way all-in-all does not match the feeling from the book ). All mixed with a very good sound. Beside that, the cast is quite good. Nicholson is in one of his best role, and Danny Lloyd does a great job. The problem could be once again Shelly Duvall. She acts horrible. The only thing that keeps her in is her unusual face ( just like Sigourney Weaver ).
While I enjoyed watching another Kubrick's masterpiece I got the feeling that something was wrong with this one and to be honest I have not expected to be otherwise. This film was not for Kubrick, and I believe many of you think so. ( maybe it had been better if they changed its name, cause for many this movie is Stanley Kubrick's The Shining ).