Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
I want to see this one the same way I want to see OPEN WATER, another of this year’s Sundance movies, or the way I want to see MARIA FULL OF GRACE. They all sound like these great exercises in tension, and I always love that when it’s done well. In this case… is it?
Hey Harry, and everyone at AICN,
I haven't sent anything your way in a while, but I was able to attend a screening of SAW earlier this week, and really want to let everyone know about it. It's a film from a first time director that was at Sundance last month, and picked up by Lion's Gate. I didn't know much about the film other than it being a horror film from Sundance, so based on that alone, I was already interested, and didn't want to know anymore about it.
I went back after seeing the film, and read the premise, which is actually a really accurate description, and doesn't give much away, so here it is:
When Adam is jolted back into consciousness after nearly drowning at the bottom of a filthy bathtub, he awakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a dark torture camber. There is someone else in the room. Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) has also just regained consciousness and is chained to the opposite side of the space. Between them a man is lying in a pool of blood after apparently shooting himself in the head with a pistol in his hand. Adam and Larry piece together the clues left behind by the deranged criminal mind that has brought them together and finally realize that they, too, must make a seemingly impossible set of choices for their lives. So begins SAW, a chilling and well crafted horror film. Each detail is important, but we dare you to retain them in this terrifying landscape of fear. Prepare yourself; you won't sleep easily tonight.
So that's a near perfect description of the set up of the film. Danny Glover and Monica Potter have supporting roles. Neither really brings much to the film. The acting overall is terrible. But horror movies generally have shit acting, so it's okay. It didn't matter much, as the atmosphere, and the story are what make this a great film.
For a first time director, James Wan does an amazing job keeping an eerie tone throughout the entire film. And keeping the audience not knowing that's going to happen next, for the most part. My only major grief with the film is it tells the audience too much. Meaning the characters in the film, while talking to each other, really say exactly what's going on, as if we're all too stupid to figure it out, and it's not necessary at all.
SAW is one of the best of the genre. And knowing that Lion's Gate is releasing it, I know that it's not going to be cut at all.
Hopefully I'll have some more reviews soon.
Thanks,
Parlgamads.
Thank you, man. Like I said… can’t wait to see this one.
"Moriarty" out.
