Saw

SAW
2004 | Dir. James Wan | 103 Minutes

"Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore."


Two strangers awake in a squalid bathroom, their ankles shackled to pipes. As the pair soon realizes their captor is the infamous Jigsaw Killer, they are forced to play a deadly game for survival.

The feature directorial debut of writer/director James Wan, co-written with and co-starring Wan's film school partner Leigh Whannell, Saw is a grungy, mostly poorly-acted thriller serving as a vehicle for a series of creatively gruesome horror set pieces. Impressively, Wan and Whannell establish a true cinematic horror icon that stands out in the crowded genre, a twisted mastermind who places selfish and malicious members of society in elaborate death traps intended to impart bloody life–affirming lessons. For what the film lacks in quality performances and technical polish, it compensates with a captivating premise built around a warped moral philosophy at its core. The feature also benefits greatly from its excellent twist ending.

Already benefiting from strong, if necessarily frugal, production design, the various death trap are serviceably intensify by editor Kevin Greutert's frantic cutting, best exemplified during the iconic reverse bear trap scene. Greutert's stylized editing also works to amplify Dr. Gordon and Adam's anxiety, though it does make the footage of Tapp and Zep behind the wheels of their cars late in the film look unintentionally hilarious, drawing unnecessary attention to the lack of camera coverage for what is ostensibly a car chase. The musical score by Charlie Clouser, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, is appropriately atmospheric, though it truly comes to life during the final sequence of the film, revealing the twist to a thunderous rendition of the picture's main theme.

Cary Elwes gives an uneven performance as the hapless Dr. Gordon, believably impatient and wary at the start but devolving into a total mess by the final act in which his American accent disappears entirely from the distraught physician's ranting and raving desperation. Leigh Whannell is humorously bad as the sleazy photographer Adam, though it's clear that he's having fun, the co-writer/co-star giving himself the most outrageous lines in the script. Perhaps the best actor in the film, Danny Glover is a good fit for the seasoned Detective Tapp, though his character actually becomes less interesting after he goes off the rails. As the red herring, Michael Emerson is convincingly creepy in the role of Zep, his eyes incredibly intense. Though she doesn't have much screen time, Shawnee Smith stands out as the reverse bear trap survivor Amanda, really selling the fear while wearing the contraption, and the eerie calm of Jigsaw's questionable brand of enlightenment after the ordeal. Saw also features Ken Leung doing solid work as Tapp's tenacious partner Sing, Makenzie Vega as Dr. Gordon's weary wife Diana, Dina Meyer in a very minor part as police officer Kerry, and Tobin Bell who steals the show when he is revealed to be Jigsaw posing as a dead body lying on the bathroom floor the entire time.

A low budget gory horror flick with more than its fair share of ingenuity, Saw is a flawed picture with a captivating premise and an instantly iconic cinematic boogeyman. The grisly traps are rather imaginative, and while some of the dialogue and acting is laughably bad, as a whole it's not without its charm. The mind-blowing twist accompanied by appropriately sweeping theme music does wonders for the overall quality of the feature.


BEST TRAP
The reverse bear trap will remain one of the most memorable visuals in horror movie history. The rules of the game are easy to understand, and it helps a bit that Amanda ultimately survived the trap, demonstrating that it's possible to win Jigsaw's games in theory.


FRAGMENTS
- Straight out of film school, Wan and Whannell went to great lengths to get this project off the ground, including shooting the reverse bear trap sequence from an early version of the script as a short film in order to pitch the screenplay to studios

- Principal photography only lasted 18 days, and Wan quickly realized he did not film enough coverage during the editing process, forcing him and Greutert to get creative

- To promote the release of the film, distributor Lionsgate held a blood drive for the Red Cross, which became an annual tradition for the series coinciding with the release of subsequent sequels for six consecutive years

- I have fond memories of attending an early screening of this at The Brattle as part of the Boston Fantastic Film Festival in 2004

- I've always admired the gnarly Twisted Pictures studio logo

- Michael Emerson and Ken Leung would later appear on ABC's hit sci-fi adventure series Lost

- In hindsight, this one is relatively quaint compared to how wild and convoluted things get as the series progresses

- After laying the groundwork for the Saw franchise, James Wan went on to create other wildly successful horror franchises Insidious and The Conjuring, while also directing massive crowd-pleasing blockbusters Furious 7 and Aquaman

- Leigh Whannell went on to write and direct the unremarkable third Insidious film, the entertaining sci-fi thriller Upgrade, and the phenomenal updated take on The Invisible Man released in 2020


SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF

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Let The Games Begin: Saw

 "Live or die, make your choice."


In the summer of 2003, after failed attempts at pitching the project in their home country, young Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell reluctantly traveled to Los Angeles in hopes of making a scary movie unlike any before it. A bloody thriller featuring meticulously engineered death traps and an ingenious twist ending, Saw would go on to be just the first installment of one of the most popular horror film franchises ever.

Featuring an intriguing diabolical mastermind operating under a warped central philosophy, amusingly shoddy acting, and loads of gratuitous violence courtesy of set pieces that steadily increase in gory intensity with each sequel, it's easy to write off the Saw films as prime examples of the (perhaps deservingly) much-maligned "torture porn" horror subgenre. However, what sets the Saw series apart are the genuinely creative traps featured in the films, the mind-bogglingly convoluted continuity of the overarching plot complete with mind-blowing twists that has remained remarkably consistent, and its incredibly devoted fan base.

At the height of the series' popularity, distributor Lionsgate released sequels every October for six consecutive years following the first film, making Saw a bit of an annual Halloween tradition among devotees. Though genre trends and the tastes of horror fans continue to change, the Saw franchise manages to resurface every few years as it takes interesting creative swings on its way back to cinemas to simultaneously thrill and gross-out audiences.
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Elemental

ELEMENTAL
2023 | Dir. Peter Sohn | 109 Minutes

"Why does anyone get to tell you what you can do in your life?"


For her entire life fire element Ember Lumen, daughter of first-generation immigrants living on the outskirts of Element City, has expected to take over her father's convenience store. A chance meeting with sensitive water element city inspector Wade Ripple turns Ember's world upside-down. As the pair gradually falls in love working together to prevent the city from closing the store due to unexpected safety violations, Ember there are opportunities in the world that better suit her unique talents.

A family-friendly romantic comedy nestled within a broadly-constructed immigrant story, Elemental is a sweet tale that promotes cultural exchange and encourages self-actualization. Though the movie only scratches the surface on issues of racial tension and discrimination, defining the cultural differences of the anthropomorphic elements often in only the vaguest of terms, the film functions well as an allegory about the challenges of interracial dating. One of the very best things about the picture is the believable dynamic between Ember and Wade, a couple that exemplifies how opposites beautifully balance each other out.

Elemental is also one of the best-looking Pixar films yet. Element City is vibrant and aesthetically gorgeous, a world bustling with life. Every location is rendered in loving detail, from the cozy Fireplace fixer-upper convenience store, to the massive Cyclone Stadium sports arena, to the Ripples' luxury apartment that doubles as a giant swimming pool. The set piece featuring the Vivarium in the flooded public gardens is particularly breathtaking.

Leah Lewis delivers a solid vocal performance as Ember, making the quick-tempered fire element a nuanced and affecting protagonist. As Wade, Mamoudou Athie goes big with the water element's frequent bouts of crying but he is very funny and believably sensitive in his passionate speeches. The supporting cast features Ronnie del Carmen as Ember's father Bernie, Shila Ommi as Ember's fortuneteller mother Cinder, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade's air element boss Gale, and Catherine O'Hara as Wade's mother Brook.

Elemental carries all of the charm and heart of Pixar's best features, as well as the studio's high standard of visually splendid artistry. Certain aspects of the film's world and story could have been better-defined. However, the burgeoning romance that drives the picture is engaging and genuinely moving.


FRAGMENTS
- Props to the filmmakers creating a Firish language, but Bernie's accent is incredibly questionable

- I found adolescent earth boy Clod pulling flowers grown out of his armpit to impress fire girls particularly amusing
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Fast X

FAST X
2023 | Dir. Louis Leterrier | 141 Minutes

"Never accept death when suffering is owed."


A decade after the theft of his family fortune and the death of his father, the psychotic son of Brazilian drug lord Hernan Reyes emerges from the shadows to tear apart Dominic Toretto's family.

The alleged end of the mainline Fast & Furious series begins with the introduction of a fun and unpredictable villain while delivering what is essentially the equivalent of The Empire Strikes Back for this franchise. While Fast X carries all of the negative baggage of the series' late-stage flaws (overly convoluted heavily retconned storytelling, nonsensical set pieces abandoning any attempt to ground the action in reality), this chapter features an adversary that seems to understand the assignment better than the heroes, with an infectious giddy attitude and sadistic methods. The picture quickly separates the protagonists, placing them in the crosshairs of the mysterious agency formerly overseen by Mr. Nobody as well as Cipher's hired guns blackmailed into working for Dante Reyes, and it surprisingly leaves them this way without any semblance of resolution. Dom and his family have never been so thoroughly defeated, and it's absolutely thrilling to watch particularly because their enemy this time is so amusing. It's far from high art, and it never quite achieves the lofty heights the best Fast & Furious entries, but it's a solid opening salvo for what is potentially an epic NOS-fueled multi-picture explosive conclusion.

The vehicular action sequences in Fast X are all memorable masterpieces of destruction, from a flaming neutron bomb rolling down the street of Rome until it explodes just outside of the Vatican sending shockwaves that Dom somehow outruns in his car, to Dom taking out two helicopters tethered to his vehicle by somehow smashing them into each other, to Dom's car flying off the top of a dam in Portugal as he narrowly avoids getting sandwiched between two oil tankers. Every single moment is delightfully absurd. Even the obligatory drag race at the halfway point of the story features a nasty combustible twist to keep Dom and the audience on their toes. There are even a handful serviceable (if pointless) fight scenes between Jakob and a squad of agency goons, Letty and Cipher, and Han and Shaw.

Jason Momoa absolutely owns this movie as Dante Reyes, leaning into the character's eccentricities, hilarious and convincingly threatening, clearly having the time of his life. Vin Diesel shows a bit more vulnerability as Dom in this outing but his limitations as an actor are apparent. Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron make for a fun odd couple as Letty and Cipher, the picture could have used more of them. Sung Kang's Han feels out-of-place inserted into to the bumbling trio of Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and Nathalie Emmanuel's Roman, Tej, and Ramsey but the group has its fun moments. John Cena returns as Jakob, thankfully leaning more into his comedic strengths, very funny as the brawny babysitter for young Leo Abelo Perry playing Dom's precarious son Little B. Brie Larson is an excellent addition to the cast as Mr. Nobody's capable daughter Tess, Alan Ritchson is believably irritating and formidable as new agency leader Aimes, and Daniela Melchior is compelling in her brief appearance as the street racer Isabel. Hollywood legend Rita Moreno shines in her featured scene as Dom and Mia's abuelita. Returning supporting cast members include Jordana Brewster as Mia, Scott Eastwood as Little Nobody, Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw, and Helen Mirren as Shaw matriarch Queenie.

Adding an entertainingly eccentric antagonist to the mix, giving the franchise a much-needed boost of energy, the increasingly absurd melodrama of the Fast & Furious series goes down much easier in Fast X. For the first time, Dom and his family don't seem so undefeatable as they are being hunted by a viable threat who plays by his own rules, only adding to the excitement of the excessive high-octane action. While more plot threads are left dangling than in any other previous installment by the time the credits roll, it is the series' most engaging ride since Furious 7.


MID-CREDITS STINGER
A special-ops team sweeps into an abandoned mansion. One of the masked operatives receives a call from Dante Reyes directly threatening to his father's killer. The operative removes his mask, revealed to be Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).


FRAGMENTS
- The series' tradition of assigning unconventional titles to its sequels continues; entitled Fast X, according to official sources the X is mean to be the Roman numeral for ten, and not the letter "X" which would have been much cooler

- In Japan, the title for this film is Wild Speed: Fire Boost

- The absence of Paul Walker's Brian throughout this movie is more noticeable than ever

- Pete Davidson is in this for some reason

- While this film expands upon the mid-credits stinger from F9 that teased Han and Shaw's inevitable confrontation, the complete disregard for continuity for the length of Han's hair is so funny

- I'm honestly not thrilled that Jakob sacrificed himself so quickly after appearing in just two installments

- Gisele's return is unexpected, wonderful, and total nonsense

- Hobbs' return is also a bit of a shock, though more due to the widely-publicized behind-the-scenes beef between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel


MCU CONENCTIONS
- Vin Diesel (Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)


- Charlize Theron (Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
2023 | Dir. James Gunn | 150 Minutes

"My beloved raccoon, the story's been yours all along. You just didn't know it."


When Rocket is seriously injured in a surprise attack, his found family embarks on an urgent mission to save his life, a journey that reveals Rocket's tragic secret origin.

James Gunn's swan song to the once-obscure Marvel Comics space heroes he turned into household names, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is uncompromisingly brutal and undeniably weird, but also delightfully hilarious and incredibly touching. The sudden tonal shifts of the picture can feel abrupt, one minute exploring the cruelty of the central villain's methods torturing and violently discarding his animal test subjects through Rocket's flashbacks as the hero's life hangs by a thread, the next minute lingering on the humor of Quill's failure in connecting with the living Gamora variant after pouring his heart out to the annoyance of his closest friends as they bicker about the counter-intuitive color-coded buttons on their spacesuits. However, the argument can be made that it all works, the heartfelt story of these unlikely heroes ultimately culminating to complete a uniquely bizarre and genuinely uplifting epic about a collection of outcasts who had become a family, coming to terms with their individual misfortunes (some of which are far more extreme than others) and forging ahead into their respective futures.

The set pieces featured in Vol. 3 are conceptually some of Marvel Studios' most imaginative yet, some of the most successful blending of physical production design and meticulously crafted CGI. The entire visual construct of Orgocorp's Orgoscope headquarters made of living tissue is fascinatingly disgusting. While perhaps not the most exciting, the 1980s American suburb facsimile of Counter-Earth naturally lends itself to comedy down to the tiniest details. Most of the action scenes simply serve their purpose, though the extended battle in a corridor featuring the full team is an all-timer. The needle-drops are inspired, memorable, and some selections are honestly surprising, with Rocket singing along to the acoustic version of Radiohead's "Creep" over the opening credits and the feature wrapping up with the denizens of Knowhere new and old dancing to Florence + The Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" among other stand-out choices.

Much more so than in the previous films, Vol. 3 hinges on Bradley Cooper's vocal performance as Rocket and he is phenomenal as the beating heart of the picture, convincingly leaning further into the pitiable creature's vulnerability than ever before. Chris Pratt's Peter Quill is also more sympathetic than the role had ever been, with Pratt effectively demonstrating Quill's growth into a slightly more mature hero who has endured more than his share of heartbreak. The comedic duo of Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista as Mantis and Drax only gets better with each appearance, and both turn in solid dramatic work as well, particularly Klementieff's Mantis who is afforded moments to truly flesh out her character in this sequel. As Nebula, Karen Gillan plays the role with more noticeably more subtlety, still filled with rage but generally more mellow making her reactions to the antics of her team even funnier. Zoe Saldaña's portrayal of the new Gamora is impressive in how much she truly comes off as a different, markedly more antagonistic version of the fierce warrior, perhaps more noticeable than in Avengers: Endgame due Saldaña having more scenes to play in. Vin Diesel is still very funny as the voice of Groot, sounding more like himself now that the current Groot is closer to adulthood. Sean Gunn's Kraglin capitalizes on having more screen time, afforded a hysterical character arc that involves learning to control Yondu's arrow and a love/hate relationship with Cosmo the Spacedog voiced by the hilarious Maria Bakalova. Chukwudi Iwuji chews scenery like nobody's business but he also gives the narcissistic and sadistic High Evolutionary just enough depth to make him slightly more than just a forgettable one note villain. Will Poulter is fun as Adam Warlock, though the cosmic superbeing serves more as a destructive plot device than a fully-realized character. Linda Cardellini provides an emotionally devastating performance as the genetically enhanced otter Lylla, affectively adding extra layers of depth to Rocket's story. The cast also features Elizabeth Debicki as Sovereign High Priestess Ayesha, Sylvester Stallone reprising the role of the seasoned Ravager Stakar, and Nico Santos and Miriam Shor as the High Evolutionary's android Recorders Theel and Vim.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an appropriately loving and occasionally off-kilter send-off for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's original band of spacefaring weirdo misfits. Frequently taking on a darker tone than most MCU stories while losing none of the irreverent humor of previous installments, the disturbing elements of the plot may not blend well with the comedy for some audiences, but it is never out of place and only serves to strengthen the truly uplifting moments. The film is a sincerely moving finale that gives each member of the team a satisfying conclusion to their character arcs.


MID-CREDITS STINGER
The new Guardians of the Galaxy listen to a familiar tune as they take on their latest mission.


POST-CREDITS STINGER
At the breakfast table, Quill and his grandfather discuss mowing the lawn.


FRAGMENTS
- The Marvel Studios logo that opens the film exclusively features images and clips of the team from all of their previous appearances

- Glad to see Nico Santos bring the same energy to Recorder Theel as he brought to Mateo on Superstore

- Never thought I'd see the Cousin Eustace from The Chronicles of Narnia play one of the most powerful characters from Marvel Comics

- The team's new ship, the Bowie, is named after iconic recording artist David Bowie

- Regular James Gunn collaborators Jennifer Holland, Nathan Fillion, and Daniela Melchior respectively play Orgocorp employees Administrator Kwol, Master Orgosentry Karja, and Ura the receptionist

- The awesome Judy Greer, who played Maggie Lang in the Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, provides the voice for War Pig

- Lloyd Kaufman, co-founder of Troma Entertainment where James Gunn began his filmmaking career, makes a cameo appearance reprising his Guardians of the Galaxy role as former Kiln inmate Gridlemop playing cards with Kraglin and a few familiar faces from past installments


007 CONNECTIONS
- Dave Bautista (Mr. Hinx in Spectre)
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