"Old" Review: Great Concept, Faulty Execution
When you hear the name M. Night Shyamalan, it doesn’t stir up exciting emotions about cinema. Instead, it’s generally a frustrating mixture as to whether he’s a hack or not. Don’t get me wrong, I think he has talent. I clearly enjoyed The Visit but had issues with After Earth. It’s the constant back and forth battle of his legacy. The premise of his films are always intriguing enough to make you watch, but they don’t quite live up to the excitement of a trailer. Never one to disappoint, Shayamalan’s latest, Old, has interesting concepts and poor execution.
The film has the set up of a horror film. A young family arrives at a resort after winning a sweepstakes. It’s supposed to be one last great outing before the parents tell their kids some news. Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal), Prisca (Vicky Krieps), Maddox (Alexa Swinton), and Trent (Nolan River) are excited to be there. We’re slowly introduced to other couples and families on the resort property. The kind resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) suggests that our main family visits a secluded private part of the beach that no one knows about and they take him up on the offer.
Of course, they quickly find out that they weren’t the only ones told about this strip of paradise. Perhaps as swiftly, they also learn that the beach is aging their bodies. Like any good horror film, there are enough people on the beach to have some start leaving the flick in interesting ways due to the situation. Will anyone survive?
Old is another one of Shyamalan’s exercises in camera movement and blocking. I wouldn’t say its masterful camerawork but it is intentional. His camera focuses on what he wants us to see by keeping characters in the foreground with chaos happening in the background, dollying from one part of the beach to another while action is taking place where the camera just left, and giving us angles that exaggerate situations. There is definitely someone behind the camera telling this story, but a mixture of poor performances and weak plot points make the controlled camera engage in a fight between art and a train wreck.
One of the biggest problems with Old is the delivery of lines in the film. It sounds like many of them are doing a live table reading of the script. Vicky Krieps struggles to deliver her lines clearly but her Luxembourg accent muddies it. The chemistry of the cast is missing minus the brother/sister relationship in Maddox (Thomas McKenzie as the 16 year old version) and Trent (Alex Wolff as the 15 year old version). If the cast could have received a few more days to bond before rolling the camera, this may have been more believable. Instead you have many talented actors give a good solo performance while not responding to one another to create an ensemble. The heart of the film’s characters being a mediocre ensemble makes solid performances with chemistry from Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ken Leung go under the radar.
Once the why is revealed, it makes a lot of sense. In fact, it may make you want to read the graphic novel it was based on, “Sandcastle”. Old could have been greater if it was given a little more time and fleshing out. Instead, much like its young characters, it ages rapidly and misses key beats that were important to its development. Not a bad flick to catch when it goes streaming and you’re looking for something to watch though.
Rating: C
"Glass" Review: A Disappointing End to An Entertaining Trilogy
Almost two decades in the making, Glass (the final piece to the Unbreakable trilogy) written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan is creatively shocking. It could be easy to lose focus in the storyline when making a trilogy over such a long period of time, however Shyamalan certainly connects these films seamlessly. Unbreakable, Split and Glass are three stories that correlate within a semi-realistic world that Shyamalan has created, which is unique and noteworthy in itself. However, while the plot of this final installment is interesting, it’s also where the film falters. With all of the wonderful elements put into the making of this film, it certainly isn’t perfect; Shyamalan’s strengths and weaknesses are displayed in various ways throughout Glass.
The film picks up with David Dunn (Bruce Willis) on the hunt for Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy). Dunn can see into people’s lives by brushing up against them and is seemingly unbreakable, while Crumb’s split personalities hold the key to The Beast, an animal like persona out for blood. Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass is the final piece to the trio; he’s the evil genius whose bones are so brittle that they shatter to pieces when hit. They all wind up being tossed into Dr. Ellie Staple’s (Sarah Paulson) psych hospital to be analyzed as humans who believe they are superheroes.
The casting of this film couldn’t be more perfect and I would be remissed not to talk about the performance of James McAvoy (Kevin Wendell Crumb), the villain with 24 split personalities (good and bad) in one body. His performance is truly amazing to say the least, as he is able to stay in each character authentically, yet split into a new character instantly; I have never seen a performance like this one and his talent should be noted. Alongside James McAvoy, Sarah Paulson is notable. She grabs your attention almost hypnotically throughout the film. Sarah Paulson is well known for her roles in the hit series American Horror Story and her skills as a horror film actress do not go unnoticed in this film. Her character is eerie and engaging at the same time; she is an interesting addition to Shyamalan’s universe. Finally, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson- they certainly make this film and are the reason why the trilogy is as great as it is. Bruce Willis has aged but is the same action hero we all know and love. Samuel L. Jackson is a badass not to be messed with and his character Mr. Glass is exactly the same. All together the acting is great; the cast is strong- especially with previously supporting characters making a come back as well.
Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (known for: It Follows, Split and Under the Silver Lake) uses the different characters to display camera angles from their perspective. Gioulakis is brilliant when it comes to filming the multiple personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb, he uses the camera to note the change of personality and emphasizes the new personality with camera framing. Gioulakis is the cinematographer for ⅔ of the Unbreakable trilogy so it is understandable why the cinematography is strong in Glass!
Glass is entertaining but it is also disappointing. One positive thing about the plot is the seamless connection between all three films within the trilogy, which is certainly well done. However, the storyline is limiting and doesn’t allow space for much excitement in its climax. There is not much variation in scenery which becomes boring. At times there are nods towards other possible plotlines but the film decides to follow the most anticlimactic path. To say the least, the film is enjoyable because of the other strong elements but the storyline does not live up to the potential it could have. It is unfortunate that the trilogy is finalized with a film that doesn’t entirely satisfy the Unbreakable series, especially since it started off strong.
Glass is not the best film, but it is not the worst. With some praiseworthy elements of in it, I highly doubt it will win any awards or turn too many heads. With that being said, I do recommend seeing the film in theaters because the visuals are incredibly well done and the actors are extremely entertaining to watch. You should especially see this film in theaters if you are a fan of the trilogy, it does answer questions but since it is an M. Night Shyamalan film, it sparks more questions as well. As a fan of the trilogy, overall the film is entertaining and it isn’t all bad, but I am definitely disappointed with the anticlimactic storyline and wish Shyamalan put more effort into the climax of the iconic trilogy.
Rating: B-
"The Visit" Review
These days, the name M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t hold much cinematic weight. The director of “The Sixth Sense” has probably had more failures than successes at this point in his career. With “The Visit”, Shyamalan displays an ember that we hope he fans into flame for all future work!
Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) have never met their grandparents. After their mom (Kathryn Hahn) left her parents’ home after a feud for a relationship with an older man (who became Becca and Tyler’s father) as a teenager, she never reconciled with them. Even though she doesn’t care to see them, she let’s her children go on a week long trip to meet Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) for the first time after being contacted by them online.
The film takes on the found footage genre from the perspective of aspiring documentarian Becca. Becca enlists the help of her rapper wanna-be brother as a camera operator during the week. As the days unfold, the two teenagers slowly realize that Nana and Pop Pop are a bit strange. While Pop Pop has incontinence and is forgetful, and Nana struggles with sun downing, there seems to be more there than “old people problems”.
The fun of the film is trying to unravel the mystery of what’s going on with Nana and Pop Pop with the kids. In fact, Shyamalan perfectly plays on our fears that we had as youngsters throughout the film. We wonder what the sound on the other side of the door is, but we’re afraid to investigate. We wonder what Pop Pop might be hiding or doing in the barn just like Tyler. We wonder why Nana wants Becca to climb into the oven and clean it. It’s our curiosity that puts us on the edge of our seat, right where Shyamalan wants us.
Always a visual storyteller, Shyamalan uses the entire frame to tell the story, placing the camera with purpose and forcing us to observe what the camera sees. He combines his technical use of the frame with going back and forth between comic, heartfelt, and utterly creepy moments in the film. Each emotion serves the other. We’re able to laugh after a scary scene, learn more about the characters during a sincere interview for the camera, and cover our eyes when things get scary after sunset. It all blends together into a uniquely told tale.
The cast and performances within the film are solid. Deanna Dunagan deserves a special mention as Nana. She steals almost every scene she’s in effortlessly by embracing the irrational and equally sincere sides of her character.
While the kids can be a little over-precocious at times, and the film asks us to turn a blind eye to some moments, it’s a great ride! Known for making surprised twists, this one sucks the air out of the theater, as the crowd I screened the film with could be heard collectively gasping. “The Visit” will have you sleeping with one eye open next time you visit the grands, as Shyamalan seems to be saying “don’t sleep on me!”
Rating: B+