THE BOX Review by Woody89

Tonight, THE BOX had a Red Carpet premiere in NYC, and needless to say, I was very excited to attend the viewing. The theater was grand, the snacks were free, and celebrities were pouring in by the minute (I saw Cameron Diaz in the theater taking her seat and I walked by James Marsden on the way to the bathroom). Everything seemed so surreal. I couldn't even sit still as I waited for the film to begin.

If only a similar feeling lasted through the entire film...

THE BOX is Richard Kelly's third film as a director, and as a huge fan of Donnie Darko (I never saw Southland Tales), I had high hopes for this film. The film takes place during the 70s and follows a married couple played by James Marsden and Cameron Diaz with a young son. The family hits hard times financially, the parents suffering major disappointments at their jobs, but out of nowhere, a box with a button appears followed by Frank Langella with a dark, but tempting, offer. Langella tells Diaz very simply: press the button, you get a million dollars (worth much more in the 70s), but someone, somewhere, you don't know will die. The couple have 24 hours to press the button or the offer goes to someone else, and with a last minute decision, Diaz makes a choice that throws the couple into a tense, twisted ordeal.

First off, the film was filled with great performances. James Marsden continues to display great talent in front of the camera, making me even more sad at the idea of what could have been if he had more than 30 seconds in X-men 3. Cameron Diaz does a really good job in this film, too, although her 70s Virginia accent seemed too forced in some parts. Langella doesn't have much to do in this film except say his dialogue with a hint of charm and warning, but that was enough to give him a shroud of mystery as to who or what the fuck he was and what his true intentions are. Another notable performance I feel compelled to mention is the son, played by Sam Oz Stone, who doesn't much too much to do until the third act but does well with what he's given.

Another plus for the film was the cinematography and the tone. There were a lot of beautifully unusual scenes that showed how there's something odd about the world. Some of the shots reminded me of certain parts of The Shining. This, and the score (done by Canadian band Arcade Fire) establish an unsettling feeling that leads up to the ultimate decision and the effects following it. My attention was focused on the simple scenario and made wonder where this was going to lead to, but once small tidbits of the mystery are exposed, the plot becomes as messy and ridiculous as an acid trip.

I felt like Kelly was trying to duplicate the ambiguity of Donnie Darko once the box is introduced to the family, but then after a while, it seemed like Kelly doubted himself and felt it necessary to reveal most of the shit that was behind the box, except he didn't do at the right time or in the right way. The pacing gets thrown off at this point, as well, and from about half-way into the film to the end, things just feel chopping and incoherent. The film also feels like it drags on for too long, even though its only two hours. The slow, emotional parts could use some trimming while the more tense parts could use a little more development.

I won't spoil what happens in the end or reveal the purpose of box, but all I can say is that I was expecting something a little bit bigger but was left underwhelmed.

Overall, this film had great performances and a good set up that crumbled under the weight of an incoherent second half and disappointing ending. I feel that Kelly wanted to use what worked for Donnie Darko (I even saw a diagram in a book that was very familiar to one in that film), but it just didn't work here.

High Rental/ Low Matinee