Coventry
A rejoint nov. 2002
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Évaluation de Coventry
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Évaluation de Coventry
The Mexican gothic horror movies from writer/director Carlos Enrique Taboada ("The Book of Stone", "Darker than the Night", "Even the Wind is Afraid") play in a different league, that's for sure, and "Poison for the Fairies" is nearly a masterpiece. Actually, I'm not sure if you can refer to this film as horror. It's more of a drama, but definitely a drama of the utmost disturbing kind.
You can tell straight from the beginning that "Poison for the Fairies" will be a truly unique and original type of film. After a couple of sequences, you realize that none of the adult characters' faces are ever shown and that the camera's perspective is permanently set at the children's ideal height. This is Taboada's clever gimmick to make clear his film entirely revolves around his child protagonists. And yet, in a strange and almost unfathomable way, the movie is about parenthood. More specifically, about how parenting - or the lack thereof - defines you for life.
Veronica tragically lost her parents in a car accident at a young age and got placed in her ailing grandmother's house. She's raised by a nanny who tells stories about witches and devils, which gradually persuaded Veronica that she is a witch herself. Flavia is the only child of rich and loving but overprotective parents. She's naïve, easily scared, docile, and highly influenceable. Veronica immediately overpowers Flavia with her stories of being a witch, manipulates her, and forces the terrified girl to help casting spells and preparing poisonous potions for the witches' arch enemies; - the fairies.
Most of "Poison for the Fairies" is slow and totally uneventful, but the ominousness is incredibly intense. Veronica becomes increasingly mean and dominant, with nobody to reprimand her or talk the vicious fantasies out of her head. Poor Flavia grows increasingly desperate and too afraid to reach out for help. Even without reading about it in practically every review around here, you can sense that a tragic climax is inevitably forthcoming... but for who? And what'll be? One thing I can reveal already, it will haunt your thoughts long afterwards.
You can tell straight from the beginning that "Poison for the Fairies" will be a truly unique and original type of film. After a couple of sequences, you realize that none of the adult characters' faces are ever shown and that the camera's perspective is permanently set at the children's ideal height. This is Taboada's clever gimmick to make clear his film entirely revolves around his child protagonists. And yet, in a strange and almost unfathomable way, the movie is about parenthood. More specifically, about how parenting - or the lack thereof - defines you for life.
Veronica tragically lost her parents in a car accident at a young age and got placed in her ailing grandmother's house. She's raised by a nanny who tells stories about witches and devils, which gradually persuaded Veronica that she is a witch herself. Flavia is the only child of rich and loving but overprotective parents. She's naïve, easily scared, docile, and highly influenceable. Veronica immediately overpowers Flavia with her stories of being a witch, manipulates her, and forces the terrified girl to help casting spells and preparing poisonous potions for the witches' arch enemies; - the fairies.
Most of "Poison for the Fairies" is slow and totally uneventful, but the ominousness is incredibly intense. Veronica becomes increasingly mean and dominant, with nobody to reprimand her or talk the vicious fantasies out of her head. Poor Flavia grows increasingly desperate and too afraid to reach out for help. Even without reading about it in practically every review around here, you can sense that a tragic climax is inevitably forthcoming... but for who? And what'll be? One thing I can reveal already, it will haunt your thoughts long afterwards.
The idea of bored but clever and highly observant old people deep-diving into, and subsequently solving, murders and cold cases sounds very original and inventive, but it is actually nearly a century old already... It was thought up by dame Agatha Christie in 1927 when she introduced the recurring character of Miss Marple; - a timid but friendly old spinster who lives in the little town of St. Mary Mead and solves complex murder cases via detailed observation and intelligent deductions. Director Chris Columbus and the writing team are fully aware of Agatha Christie's influence, though. The author's name gets mentioned, and the title is - at least, I reckon - a homage to Christie's first story in which the character of Miss Marple appeared, namely "The Tuesday Night Club" (and also has a similar set-up).
In the very massive and fancy retirement home of Coopers Chase, four residents meet up every Thursday to discuss unresolved murder cases. They just started looking into the tragic case of "The Girl in White" when they suddenly need all their skills & talents for solving an actual murder that happens right under their noses. One of the dubious proprietors of Coopers Chase has been murdered, possibly by another and even more dubious proprietor, and an argument about the potential sale of the estate might be the motive. The club members intrude into the police investigation, provide vital evidence, and bump into a few unlikely suspects.
"The Thursday Murder Club" is fun to watch, but mostly thanks to the veteran cast members who were clearly also enjoying their scenes together. The story itself is rather, ... meh. The murder mystery/whodunit aspect of the plot honestly isn't very convoluted, while the red herrings are quite transparent. Surely, any half-decent homicide detective could have found the culprit without the help of hobbyist-sleuths. The extra twists and sub-plot added in the final act of the film are implausible and mediocre, but luckily by then the fantastic Helen Mirren and the others already convinced you this wasn't a waste of time or Netflix money.
In the very massive and fancy retirement home of Coopers Chase, four residents meet up every Thursday to discuss unresolved murder cases. They just started looking into the tragic case of "The Girl in White" when they suddenly need all their skills & talents for solving an actual murder that happens right under their noses. One of the dubious proprietors of Coopers Chase has been murdered, possibly by another and even more dubious proprietor, and an argument about the potential sale of the estate might be the motive. The club members intrude into the police investigation, provide vital evidence, and bump into a few unlikely suspects.
"The Thursday Murder Club" is fun to watch, but mostly thanks to the veteran cast members who were clearly also enjoying their scenes together. The story itself is rather, ... meh. The murder mystery/whodunit aspect of the plot honestly isn't very convoluted, while the red herrings are quite transparent. Surely, any half-decent homicide detective could have found the culprit without the help of hobbyist-sleuths. The extra twists and sub-plot added in the final act of the film are implausible and mediocre, but luckily by then the fantastic Helen Mirren and the others already convinced you this wasn't a waste of time or Netflix money.
If you love films and enjoy cinema, I honestly believe it is impossible NOT to be a fan of Joel and Ethan Coen. Their work offers the most variety in terms of genres, and the most creativity in terms of plots & storylines. Their scripts are intelligent without pretension or arrogance, and their humor is genuinely funny without turning to vulgarity or meta-nonsense. Their style and all their trademarks can be found in "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", and yet it's a very different film compared to everything they did previously.
For starters, I never thought the Coen brothers would make a film directly for a streaming platform instead of for the big cinema screen. It demonstrates how much the medium of film has changed in the last 10-15 years. Not that I look down upon streaming services, but I automatically associate a new Coen movie with a full deluxe cinema experience, complete with salted popcorn and candy. It's also their first anthology movie, and I can't help wondering if Netflix didn't initially request for a (mini-)series instead of a film.
None of the stories are bad or truly disappointing, as expected, but there definitely is a giant difference in tone between them. It's not uncommon for a Coen story to feature absurd comedy as well as deep tragedy, or extreme violence as well as kitsch, but the shifts here are more abrupt than usual and wildly uneven. I daresay the first segment, after which the whole film is named, is the best out of all six tales... or for certain the most entertaining one. You haven't truly lived until you've seen Tim Blake Nelson in his formidable role as joyful crooner/deadly gunslinger. My - personal - choice for second best story is number five; - "The Gal Who Got Rattled". It's very talkative and slow-paced, but the vulnerability of the characters and the deeply saddening climax are just sublime. Segments #2 and #4 are also terrific in their own peculiar ways. "Near Algodones" has plenty of violence and stellar performances of James Franco and - in particular - Stephen Root. "All Gold Canyon" features the best Tom Waits I've ever seen, and the story has a fantastic finale. Segments #3 and #6, are my least favorites. "Meal Ticket" also has a tragic twist at the end, but - unlike as in "The Gal Who Got Rattled" - you can see it coming. "The Mortal Remains", I admit, couldn't hold my attention. It has great performers, but it was purely talk, talk, talk.
Seven years have passed since "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", but it remains the Coen Brothers final film they made together. Since then, they have helmed projects separately, but I sincerely hope they'll unite again soon.
For starters, I never thought the Coen brothers would make a film directly for a streaming platform instead of for the big cinema screen. It demonstrates how much the medium of film has changed in the last 10-15 years. Not that I look down upon streaming services, but I automatically associate a new Coen movie with a full deluxe cinema experience, complete with salted popcorn and candy. It's also their first anthology movie, and I can't help wondering if Netflix didn't initially request for a (mini-)series instead of a film.
None of the stories are bad or truly disappointing, as expected, but there definitely is a giant difference in tone between them. It's not uncommon for a Coen story to feature absurd comedy as well as deep tragedy, or extreme violence as well as kitsch, but the shifts here are more abrupt than usual and wildly uneven. I daresay the first segment, after which the whole film is named, is the best out of all six tales... or for certain the most entertaining one. You haven't truly lived until you've seen Tim Blake Nelson in his formidable role as joyful crooner/deadly gunslinger. My - personal - choice for second best story is number five; - "The Gal Who Got Rattled". It's very talkative and slow-paced, but the vulnerability of the characters and the deeply saddening climax are just sublime. Segments #2 and #4 are also terrific in their own peculiar ways. "Near Algodones" has plenty of violence and stellar performances of James Franco and - in particular - Stephen Root. "All Gold Canyon" features the best Tom Waits I've ever seen, and the story has a fantastic finale. Segments #3 and #6, are my least favorites. "Meal Ticket" also has a tragic twist at the end, but - unlike as in "The Gal Who Got Rattled" - you can see it coming. "The Mortal Remains", I admit, couldn't hold my attention. It has great performers, but it was purely talk, talk, talk.
Seven years have passed since "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", but it remains the Coen Brothers final film they made together. Since then, they have helmed projects separately, but I sincerely hope they'll unite again soon.
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