The Box (Richard Kelly)

[Ezee E]

Trailer (http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-box/30572/hd/480)

Like the concept better than how it appears to have come out. Bummer.

[Spun Lepton]

Let me guess, the movie is going to be laughably convoluted, overlong, and pretentious. :P

[trotchky]

Trailer is pretty mediocre, but I'm a fan of Richard Kelly's other two movies so I want to see it anyway.

[number8]

That looks like ass.

"He's testing you!"

No fucking duh, lady.

[Bosco B Thug]

Richard Kelly's gears seems permanently stuck on "Try Too Hard."

Blatant The Shining channeling going on in there.

To be positive, though, there's lots of strange plot elements in the trailer. Story must be pretty craaazay. Two creepy specters staring at our protagonists through windows! One in a Santa suit!!! CINEMATIC.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm gonna go ahead and give this thing the benefit of the doubt.

[Ezee E]

Did he write this?

[Boner M]

It feels like Nicholas Cage is in this movie, even though he's not.

[Dead & Messed Up]

It feels like Nicholas Cage is in this movie, even though he's not.

This is kind of brilliant.

[lovejuice]

wow, i did read the short story long time ago. in thai translation. back at that time, didn't know it's written by a well-known author. it works best as a short story, so yeah, this movie'll be "convoluted, overlong, and pretentious."

[Sxottlan]

Huh. I think it looks good.

[Pop Trash]

This will be amazing.

[Boner M]

This film is as stupid and preposterous as you'd imagine, but simultaneously, its storytelling is weirdly compelling in a primal, grassroots kinda way - in spite of, or may because of Kelly's convolutedness and obsession with paranormal nonsense. This is also the first time I've been impressed with Kelly's abilities as a director. It's moody and portentous, with just the right bit of self-conscious campiness.

I imagine I will be alone in my opinion, but honestly, I dug the hell out of this.

[Yum-Yum]

I imagine I will be alone in my opinion, but honestly, I dug the hell out of this.

Cool. I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie projected onto some kind screen-like object. *hugs*

[Rowland]

I imagine I will be alone in my opinion, but honestly, I dug the hell out of this.I'd love to share this opinion with you. I'm especially encouraged because I know you're one of the Southland Tales haters like myself. I thought he displayed chops as a filmmaker in Donnie Darko and isolated snippets of Southland Tales, so maybe he needs to focus on material written by others until his philosophical grasp and writerly wit catches up with his pretensions.

[Spun Lepton]

It almost looks like Kelly took Matheson's story, made it the first act of the movie, and then just tacked on his own bullcrap for acts 2 and 3. Is that the case?

Do they press the button at the end of Act 1?

[MadMan]

If Satan ends up being behind it all, that would be uber lame. I doubt that's the case, but this seems like the type of movie where the twist would be just that. Not sure if I'm going to see it, even though I did like Southland Tales. I did not view Donnie Darko, though.

[Spun Lepton]

If Satan ends up being behind it all, that would be uber lame. I doubt that's the case, but this seems like the type of movie where the twist would be just that. Not sure if I'm going to see it, even though I did like Southland Tales. I did not view Donnie Darko, though.

It's not Satan, it's ...

THE ALIENS!! AUUUGGHH!

[MadMan]

Well as long as its not Satan, we're good :P

[Boner M]

It almost looks like Kelly took Matheson's story, made it the first act of the movie, and then just tacked on his own bullcrap for acts 2 and 3. Is that the case?

Do they press the button at the end of Act 1?
Yes to all of this. And yet, I still liked it.

[Henry Gale]

This all sounds roughly what I hope to get out of it (as long as it's compelling nonsense, which sounds like my best summary of my feelings towards Southland Tales). Anticipation going up.

[lovejuice]

It's not Satan, it's ...

THE ALIENS!! AUUUGGHH!
really? i vaguely remember he being more an unexplained being.

Yes to all of this. And yet, I still liked it.
so does the husband die in act 1 or at the very end?

[number8]

really? i vaguely remember he being more an unexplained being.

Are you talking about the short story? Kelly adapted it very loosely.

In his movie, the husband works for NASA on the 1976 Viking Landers To Mars.

[lovejuice]

In his movie, the husband works for NASA on the 1976 Viking Landers To Mars.
groovy.

[Raiders]

I'm guessing that Kelly's film will go along more with the Twilight Zone episode's ominous ending as a springboard for the film's final act as opposed to Matheson's original story which I personally found rather insipidly moralistic.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm guessing that Kelly's film will go along more with the Twilight Zone episode's ominous ending as a springboard for the film's final act as opposed to Matheson's original story which I personally found rather insipidly moralistic.

I just read up on this, having never read the story, and Matheson's ending sounds stupid as hell - the TZ ending seems much better.

[number8]

I've always preferred the Twilight Zone episode to the Matheson story.

[Spun Lepton]

Matheson and Serling together made magic. I can't say I've loved everything I've read by Matheson, though. His short novel Earthbound was pretty dull, I couldn't even finish it. He made up for it with I Am Legend and Hell House, though. A Stir of Echos was also fun. A nice, fast read, that one.

[lovejuice]

i like Matheson's stroy. it's didatic, but cute and straight to the point. though it definitely works better as a short short story.

[trotchky]

From Nick Schager (http://slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=4636)'s review:


After the crash-and-burn reception of his ambitious sci-fi mishmash Southland Tales, Richard Kelly retreats to the safe confines of mainstream genre filmmaking with The Box—or, at least, he does so for the first 15 minutes, at which point his latest goes spiraling off into delirious lunacy.

This is all I needed to know. Gonna try to catch a midnight screening.

[Boner M]

Glad to see another ST-hater's (Schager) got my back on this one. I even want to see it again already...

[Watashi]

I'm only really interested in the score by Arcade Fire.

[number8]

This was awesome.

[Derek]

I was going to see this next week some time, but now I'm actually kind of excited about it.

[number8]

It turned out to be quite different from what I expected, and the more I mull over it, the more I like it. I'm writing my review right now, and I'm giddy just writing it up.

[number8]

Completed (http://www.justpressplay.net/movie-reviews/40-reviews/6135-the-box.html)

[EvilShoe]

Hm, need to think about this one.
Definitely liked it, but don't know how much. Not sure about the ending. Seems a bit too... simplistic. Lacked punch for me.

Maybe it'll grow on me.

[Raiders]

All those "gone mainstream" complaints are moot. What a bizarre-yet-entertaining movie. Much more wholesome, and less film-brat posturing, than his debut film. Langella is such a presence.

[Dillard]

After all the poor critic reviews, I had written this one off, but from the first responses here, it sounds like I better reconsider!

Read somewhere that this is instant "midnight movie" material. Curious as to what that means exactly, and whether someone can comment on whether this film fits that bill.

[Lucky]

Richard Kelly is somethin' else. He aims to weave a masterpiece but has been unsuccessful every time. It's interesting to watch it unravel, though. This may possibly be his most coherent picture, but it's also the least interesting. This is his first movie I have no desire to rewatch.

[lovejuice]

weirdly enough, it's those negative reviews that make me want to see this film, while positive ones have the opposite effect. :crazy:

[Pop Trash]

This will be amazing.

OK maybe not. It's entirely possible I was just not in the right mood to watch this type of movie. Due to personal events in my life, I'm having a hard time lately with movies that lack a strong emotional core. That said, this was sometimes interesting, but also very very slow going to the point where I just didn't care. Also, I know Kelly is going for a certain camp element with his actors but I found Diaz's and her hubby's character to be completely uninteresting.

[Skitch]

Caught it tonight. What a surprise. Had lowered expectations, I guess, but wow. Excellent. Between the pacing and score, reminded me of Cronenberg's earlier stuff. I heartily approve.

[Spun Lepton]

Caught it tonight. What a surprise. Had lowered expectations, I guess, but wow. Excellent. Between the pacing and score, reminded me of Cronenberg's earlier stuff. I heartily approve.

I CUT YOU!!!

[Skitch]

I CUT YOU!!!

OWW!! WHHYY!!!!!!!!!

[balmakboor]

OWW!! WHHYY!!!!!!!!!

I thought the "I cut you" was a reference to Videodrome or something.

[DrewG]

I haven't written something I've been happy with in forever so excuse me if it sucks. It was rushed.

-----------------



If only they were still in vogue Richard Kelly might find a little solace for a paranoid soul by reading Chicken Noodle Soup for the Apocalyptic Soul. Beginning his stylish doom and gloom meditations with 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko followed with the bloated Southland Tales in 2006, The Box continues the writer/directors Donnie-esque outlook on suburbanites in sci-fi peril. It’s 1976 in Richmond, Virginia and a beautiful young couple in Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden) approach financial crisis: Arthur is rejected from the astronaut program at NASA and Norma is losing the employee discount that alleviates the pressures of their son’s tuition.

One day an eloquent, horribly disfigured stranger by the name of Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) makes them a peculiar offer; push the red button on top of a mysterious wooden box and they will receive $1 million dollars in cash but someone they don’t know will die as a result. Norma pushes the button and sets in motion a string of dire consequences: nosebleeds, space conspiracies, mind control and sporadic audience head scratching. What ensues is an uneven picture, albeit one that is intriguing and fresh enough to maintain a suitable level of curiosity for the (overly) layered plot and admiration for the visual panache throughout.

Regardless of how contentious his short career has been so far it’s hard to deny Kelly’s abilities as a talented visual filmmaker. Not just in a faithful recreation of his hometown immersed in the 1970’s but in the beautiful symmetrical close up’s registering the mass confusion and moral panic of our protagonists but also graceful movement The Box jumps across set pieces. One of the better looking digitally filmed pictures I’ve seen, the washed up yet glossy imagery looks great from the immaculate set design of Arlington’s office to the stuffiness (sans hideous 70’s wallpaper and furniture) of the Lewis’ all American home.

Once any and everyone becomes a suspect for the suspicion of Norma and Arthur their perplexed stares guide the camera to a world around them that has become increasingly unfamiliar. The frame becomes as claustrophobic as their world, impatient as their frenzy for truth; everyone from Norma’s student to valet attendants to the babysitter may not be who they say they are. Kelly shifts the stylistic gears with a poise that goes against recycling old tricks and evoking a confidence in his ability to evoke emotions and meaning with purely the image.

It is unfortunate Kelly’s writing isn’t as sure-handed; ambitious but unfocused themes and a patient but languid pace bring it down. Based on the Richard Matheson short story “Button, Button” reading between Kelly’s murky lines in this adaptation pays dividends when we’re answered with certainties and plot development but often damaged by a multitude of questions gaping open shortly thereafter. As welcome as the ambiguity can be in doses, some ideas feel like throwaways while other, more worthy ideas feel truncated.

One of the film’s best scenes, a conversation between Arlington and Norma about the struggles of deformity creates the catalyst against the story’s pessimism for the world’s disappearing sense of humanity and sympathy. As it stands The Box fails to find a footing between the detective story and a cerebral debate on our existence. The aesthetic however, provides even the more preposterous turns of the plot a voice that grasped me just enough to restrain me from calling total shenanigans on Kelly.

Langella’s spooky, emotionless downplay for the aura and mystery of Steward demands attention while the camp and disappearing act of Diaz and Marsden’s southern accents veer us to distraction. The rest do their job at prolonging the vagueness of the films construction, some deadpan in their true ominous nature, others flying alongside Norma and Arthur in their crazed haste, at total risk of their own safety at leading the couple of doom to any kind of conclusion. Who’s sincere? Yet more importantly, who is sinister?

Like other Kelly films one sector will scream invention while the other screams pretension and this is no surprise. Something we can hopefully all agree is Kelly’s artistic integrity to stick with his attempts to convey his warped mind, however convoluted, despite a more mainstream production and substantial budget. A refusal to conform (for now) to cookie cutter Hollywood storytelling has labeled him a young gun filmmaker that despite his inconsistencies, is still worth watching. Though his aspiration might be slightly off his aim (and the film may not make back its budget further sending studios scampering from unique fare), he can at least say like Jack Nicholson’s R.P. MacMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: “But I tried, didn't I? God-damn it. At least I did that.”

[trotchky]

I was vibing teh movie pretty hard at the time but the second the credits rolled I pretty much lost all interest in it. Southland Tales set my brain on fire; The Box pretty much didn't. That is to say, unlike Rick Kelly's previous two films I not only didn't see much of a point here I didn't see much of a reason to look for one. I guess the best reason is that Southland Tales and Donnie Darko are both About Something so if this dude is an Auteur I guess The Box must be too...

[Henry Gale]

Finally saw this a few days ago aaaaand it was way more amazing than I had any reason to believe it was going to be.

I have a few minor problems with it, most involve feelings that Kelly over-explains certain things, sometimes simply through conversations between minor characters that do little else for the film except that. But while he seems to be in that mode for much of it, he also leaves other turns in the overall puzzle just as vague as he would have in his previous two films and it felt a bit awkward by the end. I also felt Diaz, or anyone who may have played her, could have been given more to grow so that it didn't feel like she wasn't always around to play off of what Marsden is doing. There are big character moments later in the film that definitely give her a fair bit of spirit to her, they just seem sudden and out of whatever character has been established. Other than that, it really pains me to try and dig any deeper into such tiny things I may have been bothered by because I really, honestly loved it, as much as I should maybe think it's convoluted and all over the place.

WB is really showing themselves to be a studio that will take major risks while trusting filmmakers with material that could go so many easier ways, even if they don't always know how to market it when it's finished. I would say trying to sell this as a pseudo-horror/high-concept psychological thriller was a mistake. If they sold it as the fucking crazy Christmas sci-fi movie it is, and had released it now against things like Armored and Everybody's Fine, I know I would have wanted to have seen it a hell of a lot more.

I'm really looking forward to watching this again.

****

[The Mike]

This film is as stupid and preposterous as you'd imagine, but simultaneously, its storytelling is weirdly compelling in a primal, grassroots kinda way - in spite of, or may because of Kelly's convolutedness and obsession with paranormal nonsense. This is also the first time I've been impressed with Kelly's abilities as a director. It's moody and portentous, with just the right bit of self-conscious campiness.

I imagine I will be alone in my opinion, but honestly, I dug the hell out of this.

This is a great take on the flick.

I agree with the consensus, way better than I expected.

[dreamdead]

The third act renders some of the film's effectiveness moot. A lot of the material in the first and second act (especially the library sequences where groups of people stalk Marsden and Diaz) was surprisingly effective, but toward the end it starts overexplaining, which kills much of the film's possibility. I've always liked Marsden's ability to underplay, and save for the final bit of slow-motion overkill in the house, it was well acted. Langella was able to achieve soft variations of his one note (the smile before walking out, the emotion he shows during Diaz's confession) while remaining ostensibly the same.

Biggest problem was the over-explanation between Langella and the NSA guy.

[thefourthwall]

I agree that there was excessive explaining, which is probably Kelly's reaction to reactions to Donnie Darko's ambiguity--I'll admit, I went to the DD website to figure out what was going on.

I wish I would have know Arcade Fire scored it because I would have paid closer attention to the music, of which I remember zero.

One of my issues with the film though is the...I guess misogyny is the word for it

Of the three test cases we're aware of it's always the woman who presses the button and the man who complicitly watches her, which seems to suggest that women are the selfish creatures that are dooming earth's existence. Is there also the critique then that men are going to sit by and just let it happen? Is it just a reference to the woman eating the forbidden fruit while Adam watched? Maybe.

[B-side]

Not really sure what to think of this one. A tough balancing act between the silly and the serious, and it fails at it more often than I would've liked. I dig the strangeness for the most part, and it largely flowed organically. Some bad dialogue contained mostly in the first half. Diaz was pretty weak. Liked Marsden and Langella, though. The chick that played Dana was terrible. I'm not sure it explored its themes all that well, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the premise. I was engaged throughout.

[eternity]

Not really sure what to think of this one. A tough balancing act between the silly and the serious, and it fails at it more often than I would've liked. I dig the strangeness for the most part, and it largely flowed organically. Some bad dialogue contained mostly in the first half. Diaz was pretty weak. Liked Marsden and Langella, though. The chick that played Dana was terrible. I'm not sure it explored its themes all that well, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the premise. I was engaged throughout.YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HATE ON BRITTA.

[Derek]

So yeah, The Box turned out to be quite good. I didn't know what to make of it about 45 minutes in, but it really had me hooked from that point on. Kelly is more restrained and artful here without sacrificing his wacky narrative twists or affinity for exploring the supernatural, time travel, etc. Looking back, I honestly don't know how it didn't come off as far more ridiculous and laughable as it did, what with Diaz's "southern" accent and the ludicrous reveal of Langella's character history. It felt more honest and sincere in its convictions, carefully laying out the film's reality before revealing the more absurd and fantastical elements within it. I found Kelly's previous efforts too sloppy and sprawling to appreciate, but here the plotting is damn near-methodical and the mystery retained in a way that is constantly ratcheting up the tension.

[Rowland]

Neither the disaster I was fearing nor the undervalued cult item I'd hoped for, this is far more watchable than Southland Tales but it doesn't resonate as Donnie Darko did for me in the day, occupying a middle ground that I can praise on the one hand for Kelly's relative restraint while still infusing the work with his increasingly singular sensibilities, but I have to admit its vision doesn't so much explore or complicate the themes of the original story as it does needlessly obfuscate them behind excessive exposition, baffling scenarios (pick a water bubble), halfway-developed subplots, and stilted dialogue. So, it doesn't really work, but it's engrossing, idiosyncratic, aesthetically pleasing, ably performed (the scene between Diaz and the excellent Langella in the library somehow works, largely because of them), and politically engaged, if not more than a bit wonky. So yeah, not bad, not great, but it's fine.

[eternity]

The most awesome thing about The Box is that this is supposed to be Richard Kelly's MAINSTREAM film. This was released in more theaters than Donnie Darko and Southland Tales combined, it had a big marketing budget. And THIS is what resulted.

The fact that a major studio allowed this to be released is just amazing, and the product is still pretty awesome.

[Ivan Drago]

The most awesome thing about The Box is that this is supposed to be Richard Kelly's MAINSTREAM film. This was released in more theaters than Donnie Darko and Southland Tales combined, it had a big marketing budget. And THIS is what resulted.

The fact that a major studio allowed this to be released is just amazing, and the product is still pretty awesome.

Best score of last year, too, IMO.

[eternity]

Best score of last year, too, IMO.
Moon and A Single Man have it beat there, but yeah, the score was amazing. Most would say it's over the top, but yeah, amazing.

[Ezee E]

Just started this, and curious why they had Cameron Diaz do an awful Southern accent. Kills her performance already.

I am intrigued though.

[Ezee E]

Need to mull over this one a little. I got passed Diaz's ridiculous accent after a while, and was really intrigued for a good amount of time. However, once water pillars got involved, the movie started getting a little too ambitious. Add that to Langella's story which I'd rather not have known about, and a rather easy final decision, and I'm torn.

[Yxklyx]

This could have been much better with some cut scenes. Too much was explained - more should have been left unknown. Reminded me of some of Cronenberg's films (great score!) and Gordon's Stuck.

[transmogrifier]

A pretty good first half, with an excellent sense of how to build tension and keep everything just a little bit off-kilter, but goes pretty badly off the rails after the library scene, turning into your typical paranormal mumbo-jumbo with silly moralizing and over the top acting.

[Kurosawa Fan]

A pretty good first half, with an excellent sense of how to build tension and keep everything just a little bit off-kilter, but goes pretty badly off the rails after the library scene, turning into your typical paranormal mumbo-jumbo with silly moralizing and over the top acting.

Exactly my thoughts, though I'm still fairly 'yay' on the experience as a whole. Boy, it sure unravelled quickly. The score was brilliant, though, and Langella was perfect. There were some genuinely creepy moments in that first half, particularly the "I'm looking at you right now" scene. What a shame that Kelly couldn't find a way to make it work all the way through to the end.

[Scar]

The last two posts sum it up pretty well.

[eternity]

I prefer the second half to the first half. It's completely insane, but it all works for me. What happens with the son turned me into a mess.

[Dillard]

I'm going to go back to watching The X-Files: Season 1, now.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Just watched this. I think I'm on the side of the yays. Not successful as a singular piece (I wanted more ambiguity and less convolution), but contains so many admirable elements, from the daffy plot turns to the sinuous camerawork to the takeaways from 70's paranoia cinema, that the flick's watchable to the end. That library scene with Marsden is simultaneously hilarious and eerie. I hated Southland Tales, but between his three films, Kelly shows a passionate interest in exploring the weird borderland where science blurs into spirituality, and I respect the heck out of him for that.

[Skitch]

I have rewatched this movie on blu-ray. I still love it. Its excellent.

[Henry Gale]

Great Christmas movie. Might just have to give it a re-watch before the 25th!

[Skitch]

I watched this again. Loved every frame.

[Pop Trash]

So weird rereading this thread. What the hell happened to B-Side?