jailbirdtri

Written and Directed by the Australian film maker Zak Hilditch, 1922 is the story of a Nebraskan rancher whose year turns into a nightmare after he conspires and commits the murder of his wife to keep his land with the aid of their only son. Based on the novella of the same name from none other than Stephen King, the movie is a harrowing tale of murder, guilt and trauma seen through the eyes of Wilfred James (Thomas Jane), the conniving man who killed his wife (Molly Parker) taking the help of his son Henry 'Hank' James (Dylan Schmid). The murder itself happens in the first act and the aftermath of their actions leading to the trauma and guilt forms the rest of the story. Thomas Jane delivers a sublime performance as the brooding rancher, talking through his clenched teeth. I loved him in his previous Stephen King adaptation 'The Mist'- a horror movie with an unusual ending. I am surprised of how much of an underrated actor he is. The rest of the cast do their jobs just right, Molly Parker playing the free spirited woman, unusual in those times, who according to Wilf was made by god in that way and Dylan Schmid the kid whose troubles lead him into a life of crime and death. The movie is in no way an easy watch. There are scenes which are bound to make you feel nauseous. But it effectively conveys how people are driven to extreme measures when the life they have known and believe in for their lifetime comes crashing down. But it also emphasizes the fact that there is always another way.

I went into the movie without much expectations and it was fairly entertaining. The whole idea is based on the immersive escape room games getting popular nowadays.

The movie starts off introducing each of the pivotal characters who happens to be part of this game where they are all trapped in the same room. The idea is to uncover clues hidden in the room and find their escape in order to proceed with the game. The director takes time introducing each of the characters before they finally get on with the game. The game puts them in life or death situations as they move from room to room. The room designs were pretty good especially the first oven room and the upside down bar room. The performances were alright and there is nothing much memorable in that area. The acting of war veteran Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll - True Blood fame), grocery store guy Ben and the truck driver Mike stood out and it must be said that the protagonist character Zoey didn't have much to do. The audience were left hanging in the end and they just set up the premise for a sequel. The last scene felt so out of the place that it seemed more like the director (or studio?) were trying to force a sequel out of nowhere.

I would say, it was neither as sci-fi'sh as Cube, nor was it gritty like Saw. It was a much more toned down mashup of both of these movies with better production values. Nothing memorable to take away, but yeah, still fun, though you have seen the same thing a hundred times before.

Rabbit Hole is an intense portrayal of the grief and bereavement underwent by a suburban couple, Becca & Howie (Nicole Kidman & Aaron Eckhart), after the sudden and tragic demise of their only child. The film follows their straining relationship with each other and the people surrounding them in the wake of this tragedy, as they are trying to get themselves on track.

The film starts post-tragedy, and as the story builds up, the viewers get a better picture of what happened in the past. The movie is a bit depressing at times, but I found it to be highly observant, especially in its examination of people trying to move on after having to go through such tragic events and their relationship with the outside world. The feature is based on a Pulitzer winning play of the same name written by David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by John Cameron Mitchell.

The film is backed by incredible acting from Nicole Kidman who starred as Becca, Aaron Eckhart who played Howie and Dianne Wiest who played Nat, Becca's mother. Kidman and Eckhart, two very talented actors, their performances were intense and realistic. Nicole Kidman just transforms herself into the grief-stricken mother struggling to numb her pain and at the same time, put on a smiling face before others; this might be one among her finest works. Aaron Eckhart, a fairly underutilized actor, showcases his real talent in this feature. I have never seen him doing such a moving role after Thank You for Smoking (2005). Nicole Kidman also produced the movie under the banner of her production company Blossom Films, this being the debut venture.

This is a very insightful and honest movie, and this can be especially meaningful to those people who ever lost a loved one, be it their children, parents or anybody near. And it does end in a very hopeful undertone.