Spiral

Call center worker by day, sensitive painter by night, Mason (Joel David Moore) is not all there. He has had emotional breakdowns many times in recent years... but now he has met Amber (Amber Tamblyn) and things seem to be looking up. Can he hold himself together?

Moore breaks out here. As both director and star, he strays away from the silly, nerdy, dorky guy roles we know him from. Here he is edgier, manic, violent at times... he strays into acting territory that should earn him attention from bigger names, maybe put him on a path towards Oscar.

Amber Tamblyn is a beautiful model, and perfect for the artwork featured here. The script is intelligent, with great insight into art, the idea of contrast and the construction of jazz music being harmony from discord. I'm sure there are deeper messages than I was able to pick up, but the writer gave this psychological thriller a smart wit and makes it a cut above the rest.

What is Adam Green's role in this film? He is listed as co-director, but this is clearly Moore's baby. I suspect Green was more of a support for Moore, helping him with technical stuff and boosting recognition for this one in the horror community... but I shouldn't assume.

As of this review, the film has been out three years with little buzz. Let me make some buzz right now: this is a film that you will love if you like thinking, mindbending films... some parts are deliciously ambiguous.

This mystery/thriller has quasi-comic elements in the initial portrayal of the protagonist. But all is deceptive and this well-constructed film holds your interest with a well written script. The charming Amber Tamblyn shows her acting skills and is well cast as the quirky girlfriend character. The acting and pacing are excellent.The office space reference in the summary is due to the fact that the main character, an artist, works at an insurance company as his day job. His high school friend is his boss and tries to help him throughout the film. This is just a little reminiscent of the "Office Space" style parody of such places. If you like Hitchcock and independent film, you will love this one.

The best thing about this movie is that despite how much you THINK you've seen this story before, no elements of the tale overstay their welcome.

It's like when a band you really like comes out with an EP. You enjoy it for what happens within the boundaries it's length.

What works best is the acting, particularly that of Joel David Moore, who simply seems to be enjoying himself while finding depth in this character him & Adam Green more than likely collaborated on. Amber Tamblyn was also not annoying to me in this. Sounds back-handed, I know, she's talented, but just ain't my style most of the time.

Also, the choices of music in the film add to it's uniqueness.

Please, do enjoy "Spiral."

Recommended to me by a friend from Denmark who came to stay. I first watched it only in part and found the film to be both amusing and suspenseful. Decided to watch it more sober in full today and discover the end. The film follows the life of a suspicious looking artist who is secretive and closed in person. He also works as a telecommunicator and attracts the friendship of a lively and friendly woman working close by. Together they make a good contrast that keeps you wondering who or what is real in Adam-the artist life. His outgoing boss is all at a loss to why Adam is this way but understands that we all have our problems and tries to help him in brotherly sense. He acts more as a king in his domain and tries to understand the Jack-frost mind of his colleague. The end comes as a surprise by the fact some of the answers to his motives and behaviour was not so well developed as could have been. However, i still enjoyed it. and would say it was not at all bad. Also to say that director Adam green's short film -king in the box- i watched after on youtube was funny and surreal and has a connection with the King and Snowman theme. check it out.

Spiral is a well-acted, intense thriller about a lonely, delusional young man trying to overcome his powerful inner demons. In the starring role of Mason, Joel Moore effectively plays a telephone salesperson whose feelings of anxiety and confusion are intertwined with disturbing flashbacks of his former girlfriend. Mason cringes from most of society. His boss (played by Zachary Levi), an arrogant womanizer who knows the circumstances of Mason's tragic past, is his only friend. Gradually, however, Mason builds a relationship with a young female co-worker (played by Amber Tamblyn) who brings out his confidence by encouraging his artistic talents. Yet, Mason's feelings of dread and paranoia are never far away. In fact, deciphering whether Mason's reality is synonymous with truth kept me spellbound throughout the film. The camera work in Spiral is especially outstanding. Sudden, vivid images from Mason's memories take the viewer to his level of turmoil and terror. In addition, shooting this movie in the great city of Portland, Oregon was an excellent choice. The gloominess of the rainy winters fit perfectly with the murky shadows of Mason's mind. The end of the movie has some great twists and surprises for the audience to relish. When all is said and done, Spiral is a wonderfully dark and intense film that holds up to any of today's big-studio thrillers.