Review: The Box

The Box

OPENING: 11/06/2009

STUDIO: Warner Bros.

RUN TIME: 115 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
All you have to do is push the button.

Opening Statement
Richard Kelly’s post-Donnie Darko output has been poorly received. When I saw the trailers for The Box, I assumed the director was tackling a considerably safer and more mainstream project, in order to stabilize himself before jumping into his next risky venture. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only is Kelly still his uncompromising self, but The Box is a very good film which may stand a chance of comparing favorably with his cult classic. The previews make it look like nothing more than a big-budget Twilight Zone episode, but be warned: this movie will take you to places every bit as strange as those found in Donnie Darko.

The Case
The setup is reasonably simple: A married couple (James Marsden and Cameron Diaz) find a mysterious box on their doorstep, on top of which is a red button locked inside a glass dome. Soon an ominous-looking man (Frank Langella) turns up to give the couple a key to the box and an explanation of its function. If they push the button, two things will happen. First, someone the couple does not know will die. Second, they will receive one million dollars in cash. That’s it. It should come as no surprise to learn the couple ultimately decides to push the button and receive their reward. But that’s just the beginning. It’s when the couple starts feeling guilty and investigates the origin of the box that the film kicks into high gear (which is very, very high indeed).

The Box is one of the most genuinely strange films I’ve seen this year. It plays like a cinematic adaptation of a sci-fi opera co-written by Arthur C. Clarke and Jean-Paul Sartre. This is ambitious, unpredictable stuff, going down rabbit holes and threatening to take us into the wild blue yonder. Lurking around the surface of this thrilling ethics debate are mysterious people with nosebleeds, various governmental agencies working on secretive governmental things, references to life beyond our planet, peace signs, wormholes, watery portals, startling deformities, and other strange things that constantly threaten to overwhelm the story, taking it into an entirely different dimension. I have no doubt audiences (particularly those unfamiliar with Kelly’s previous work) will find the movie deeply unsatisfactory, but I was delighted to be taken on a thought-provoking journey to who knows where. Much like the original version of Donnie Darko, this film finds an excellent balance between what it tells and what it merely hints at, providing viewers with oodles to ponder and argue about long after the credits have rolled.

I’m falling deeper in love with this film with each passing hour, but there are a couple undeniably nagging issues. The most problematic is the acting. Langella fares well enough, but Marsden and (particularly) Diaz seem more like pawns of the plot than distinctive characters (the inconsistent southern accents don’t help). The other is the content. Some may feel the movie is simply jerking their chain, providing too many questions and not enough answers (not a complaint of mine).

I realize this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but The Box kept me thoroughly absorbed from start to finish, leaving a strong desire to watch it again. If you’re in the mood for something fresh, I recommend opening The Box.

The Verdict
8/10

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