The Box

The Box

Let's be clear about one thing from the start - there aren't many people who'll be raving about Richard Kelly's The Box. Much like his previous movie, Southland Tales, this is a film that has fallen foul of poor public opinion and a critical mauling in the press.

In other words, pretty much everyone thought it stank.

It's surprising, then, to find that The Box is actually a rather engaging and charming take on an old Twilight Zone-style sci-fi chiller, complete with atmospheric mood music and enough plot twists to keep us on the edge of our seats. It may have bombed at the cinema, but this is a smart, stylish slice of old-fashioned science fiction.

Of course, there isn't much of a market for twisty Twilight Zone plots nowadays, so it's little surprise that The Box fared as badly as it did - but if you're a fan of classic sci-fi then it may just be a pleasant discovery. It certainly comes as no surprise to discover that the original short story, 'Button, Button', was penned by I Am Legend author Richard Matheson, or that the story was previously made into a Twilight Zone episode in 1986.

James Marsden plays Arthur Lewis, a young scientist working for NASA on the Mars probe landing, with dreams of one day becoming an astronaut himself. His wife Norma (Cameron Diaz) is a teacher, and despite having a deformed foot from an X-ray accident in her childhood the pair seem like a young, healthy, happy couple.

Their happiness slowly begins to fall apart, however, following a bizarre visit from a man calling himself Arlington Steward (Frank Langella). Steward gives them a box with a large button on the top, and a proposition: press the button and they will receive a million dollars, but someone they don't know will die. At first the offer preys on their minds, but after their decision is made things take a rapid turn for the worse.

As for who Mr. Steward is, and what has motivated him to make this unusual offer, you'll have to pay close attention to find out. Ever since he made Donnie Darko Richard Kelly has challenged us with the mind-boggling and the strange, and The Box is no exception. The plot twists and turns into some decidedly odd places, but the weirdness always has an internal logic that only makes it all the more scary.

It's worth mentioning the original score by members of indie rock group The Arcade Fire, too, as it provides the perfect counterpoint to Kelly's Fifties B-movie chills. They've yet to announce a release date for the score, but be sure to get your hands on a copy once they do - it has some of the best chiller tracks since The Exorcist.

It's still easy to see why The Box flopped so dramatically with both the public and the critics. This isn't a genre that the crowds are currently baying for, and the plot spins off in such wildly crazy directions that it will almost certainly take things far beyond your comfort zone. But Richard Kelly has never been one to give us an easy viewing experience, and if you're up to the challenge then The Box is easily the equal of the sci-fi classics it emulates. Just be prepared to embrace the strange.

4/5

Last updated: 2010-06-04 13:53:48 by FlickerProject

The Box

The Box - Written and directed by Richard Kelly, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella - Rated PG-13

The Box is weird, kind of creepy, and hard to understand at times, but it's also very interesting and it has style.



The Box, from writer-director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales), is a weird film. The previews may make it look like a straightforward thriller with a sci-fi twist, but it is much stranger than that. The basic setup is revealed in the previews, though. A strange man with half of his face disfigured (Frank Langella in an unsettling performance) shows up at the door of Norma and Arthur Lewis (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) with the titular box. He tells them that if they press the button two things will happen: 1. they will receive one million dollars and 2. someone they have never met will die. You can guess what choice they make.




That sounds simple enough, I know, but this film delves into mind bending (or head scratching) sci-fi about halfway through. The film features mind control, teleportation, the possibility of aliens, NASA, NSA, a lot of nosebleeds, and some ideas about the afterlife. This is all set to the background of 1976 Virginia, which makes it a period piece on top of everything else. If I tried to explain how all of these things are connected I would just have to write the entire plot. So just know that the movie gets weirder with each passing minute and it all pretty much comes down to how decisions that lack morality can have extreme ramifications.

It may sound like I didn't care for the film based on my focus on the weirdness of it, but that is not the case. I didn't exactly love this film (I need to watch it again before I make up my mind), but I will say that it held my attention better than any other film this year. I found myself looking all over the screen and hanging on every line of dialogue. It is very mysterious and I was completely encompassed by that mystery. The film doesn't really answer all of the questions it asks, though. In fact, it leaves you with far more questions than answers. But that doesn't make it a bad film. In fact, most great films leave you with questions. Not all people like that kind of thing, though. But I predict that this will be a film that is discussed for years to come, even though it might be dismissed by a lot of people initially.

This is what Richard Kelly does. His name should be the main thing you pay attention to from the previews. If you've seen either of his first two films, you know that he doesn't make "normal" films. Donnie Darko was a time travel movie that is now regarded by many as a classic and Southland Tales was a convoluted mess of a film that turned away many viewers (though I still found it interesting). I consider The Box to be a mix of those two films. Not plot wise necessarily, but on the weirdness scale and the amount of unanswered questions.

Say what you will about the complexities and problems of this film, no one can deny that it looks amazing. I don't mean special effects (especially since a couple of the water effects look a bit goofy); I mean the way shots are set up, the way the camera moves, and symmetry of the production design. It's very Kubrickesque and I believe that The Shining must have been a huge influence for this film visually and thematically. I'm not saying that this film is as good as anything Kubrick made, but I do think it is just as interesting as any of his films. Kubrick had much more focus than Kelly does, though. I imagine I will be watching this again in on DVD and it will be one of those films that I notice something new in with each viewing.




It's not all about the visuals and the mystery; your enjoyment may depend on what you think of Norma and Arthur Lewis as well. As characters, they are easy to like. They seem to be good parents with high morals. I think Kelly takes a bit too much time creating sympathy for them, but he gets the job done. The performances are key to these characters, though. Marsden (Cyclops from the X-Men movies) does a fine job, but Diaz might bother some people with her spotty southern accent. It didn't bother me, but I've talked to people that are wary of the film based on her accent alone. Diaz's accent should not keep you from watching this film, though.

The characters and the performances were fine, but it's the mystery of the film that will either pull you in or repel you. If you need every question answered, then you need to skip this film, otherwise you'll come away disappointed. If, like me, you don't mind a little confusion as long as the film is interesting, then you should definitely check it out. Just make sure you watch it with someone, because you're going to feel the need to discuss it afterwards.

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Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

What's in the BAAHX?!

The Box (2009)

Featuring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, One half of Frank Langella's face

What’s all this then?: Cameron Diaz and James Marsden are given a fancy box and A HUGE MORAL DILEMMA by Frank Langella and one half of his face. If they push the button they’ll receive a million dollars but since there’s NO SUCH THING AS A FREE MAGIC BOX OF MONEY, someone who they don’t know will die. In this age of economic decline and vast unemployment we know that free magic boxes of money are really at a premium so there has to be a catch. Also, as we know, it’s 1976 again because it’s the absolute best time period ever to set a piece of freaked-out horror psycho-drama.

And what about the other half of Langella’s face?: Well let’s just say it’s not there anymore. I don’t want to give any spoilers but it has something to do with Mars. I think.

Hold on there now: Yeah this is from the director of Donnie Darko and Southland Tales (shudder) so it’s all a bit cuckoo. Wait, don’t jump through that poorly-executed CGI wormhole just yet! Whilst I think that Donnie Darko loses its appeal for most people after their teens and that everything in Southland Tales that wasn’t Sarah Michelle Gellar was, to quote Pulling, a bit… shit, this one is actually decent. It even kind of makes sense here and there, and when it doesn’t its busy building up a genuinely uneasy atmosphere that you’ll enjoy experiencing.

We don’t have time for this goddammit!: Calm down Taken, here’s a handy pie-chart.

FILM REVIEW : The Box (2009)

The Box is one of those films that I was looking forward to not only because it looked good. I also wanted to see this because of how much I love the principle cast: Cameron Diaz, I believe, is one of the most underrated actresses of her generation, James Marsden is one I would describe similarly (except I prefer Diaz), and Frank Langella has finally broken through to the big leagues with Frost/Nixon (hated the film, loved him in it, but my opinion of the film doesn't matter really).

But the reviews came in... and they kept getting worse and worse, so I had no idea about how I would react to this film at all. I finally saw this last night, and, unfortunately, I didn't think too much of it. That's not to say that I didn't think at all during the film. In fact, my brain was practically inactive after watching this mess.

We meet Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden), a couple living in 1976 Virginia. When both face huge setbacks at their respective places of work, the two are contemplating how they can maintain their home and support their son. Luckily (well, not really), they are visited by Arlington Steward (Frank Langella). He makes the two a deal: they can press a button to receive one million dollars. However, there is a huge catch in all of this: if the button is pressed, one person who they do not know will die. The two go back and forth about whether they should press the button. Finally, Norma impulsively presses the button. The rest of the film is just... strange.

I understand what director/screenwriter Richard Kelly was trying to do here, and that was to make the viewers question their own morals and ethics concerning others. Still, I feel that it was poorly done. The acting was good, but I walked out with the thought, "What was I just watching for the past two hours?"

Here is where I would mention the performances in the film, but I don't have anything to discuss. They were all good, but I wasn't blown away by any of them. As a matter of fact, I feel like I may have wasted time even making mention of the performances. It's certainly not the best work for Diaz, Marsden, or Langella - and I haven't even seen the better half of their filmographies, so I think that's saying something.

Firstly, many of the crucial explanations of events make little to no sense. More evident and prevalent than many of the inconsistencies is the concept of Arlington Steward. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the back-story of Arlington Steward is just ridiculous. Anyway, it's not really even worth going into, as we never even fully understand what his character's function. That is probably the biggest problem with the film. The most obvious interpretation of Steward is that he is God, or at least an agent of God. Still, that explanation doesn't make complete sense, so we as an audience are back to square one.

I do feel a little remorseful as to saying that this film didn't fulfill its purpose. Well, in the very least, its general purpose, which was to make us think. However, it fails to meet its more specific agenda of making us question our own codes of living and how we as humans value life in general. As I just said, it did make me think, but I wasn't thinking about what I would have been thinking about if the film had been any good. My thoughts were not, "Do I value life?" Rather, my thoughts were more along the lines of, "I'll value life much more once I can get out of here. How much longer before this awful dreck of a film is over?"

Granted, my interpretation of the film is certainly not a "correct" analysis of the film. I think that Richard Kelly meant for there to be multiple views on the film and the events that take place in the film. Still, he failed in those regards. I will admit to having thought a little about the morals of people, but that was immediately after the film. Ten minutes later, I'm back at home and doing my podcast without any sort of empathy invoked from the film. I get the sense that Kelly wanted people to be somewhat conscious if not convicted by the ideas presented, but I honestly felt neither consciousness nor conviction from this film.

Well, actually, I retract that statement: I feel conviction for wasting my time on the film, as there was nothing truly noteworthy about what was inside of this Box.

Not recommended

Rating: 4.0 out of 10 stars (2.0 out of 5 stars)
 
Photo Courtesy: Slashfilm

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Julian Stark (pen name)<br />
<br />
Founder/Editor: Movies and Other Things<br />
<br />
http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-04-09 10:47:29 by user07

Booze Revooze: A Drinker's Skewed View of THE BOX

Final Proof: 3 Shots

You know how you drink with that weirdo intellectual who sometimes takes himself too seriously?  He’s cool but the more you get your buzz on, the more you’re ready to bail and hang out with mousy cute girls who aren’t old enough to drink legally yet. The smart guy says some really interesting things, things that make you think, but sometimes he’s way out there and other times he’s so far over your head you get a nosebleed. You usually end up having a better time than you think you will but there’s no way you’re gonna invite him over every time you go on a bender. The Box is like that.

Richard Kelly, nursing a cult reputation ever since Donnie Darko, should enjoy the same success with The Box. Those who liked DD, or anyone who wonders what it would be like if David Lynch directed a Twilight Zone episode, will get a kick out of The Box. Kelly’s directing has certainly matured; he handles the ‘period piece’ aspects with style (the film is set in 1976) and the clips we glimpse on the TV from time to time are trippy and poignant enough to make anyone born before 1970 nostalgic. He also does a good job balancing the freaky/brainy stuff with the fun/action stuff. Despite a couple scenes that drag a little toward the end, the pacing is nice and the intensity builds as the story develops.

There’s also the Kelly ‘feel’, present in Darko as well. His style is to make a new movie look old, like he’s shooting through a time lens, and it works for him here because it makes the film look as though it was actually made in the ’70’s.

The film stars Cameron Diaz who does her best Olsen Twin impression with her style and who tries on a ‘Southern’ (from Virginia) accent that everybody’s gonna start dissing because the world is full of haters, but is truly cute and endearing. You go, Cameron. You go, girl.
 
The story is also interesting. The original short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson was made into a Twilight Zone episode of the same name in 1986, but the movie goes way beyond the stopping points of both these. Kelly added to the screenplay and while he got a little carried away with the ‘woo woo’ stuff, his effort is pretty solid.

Speaking of the writing, here’s a deleted scene that featured me, Al K Hall, at the beginning of the film:
   Yeah, The Box is a pleasant surprise even for those of us who think checkers with vodka shots is the height of intellectual stimulation.

Buzz Kills (Watch Out for Spoilers)

Sex: 2 Shots

i’d so love to give this more  sex credit but the problem is Cameron Diaz stays overdressed for the  entire movie. Even a scene when she’s wearing a white sweater and gets  soaked to the skin is cut way short. Oh well; she really earned the two  shots i’m giving the film because she could even make a cheerleader  uniform sexy — wait, that is sexy — well, she could make  something totally not sexy, sexy. i’ll just shut up now…

There was also Gillian Jacobs who got the coveted role of Dana The Babysitter. Or is it just the babysitter part that’s coveted. Hell if i know…
Here are the Silken Butterflies: you know, those beautiful and talented girls who grace the screen with their splendor during their oh so fleeting appearances on film.
Jenna Lamia played a dead body. Her performance was death defying.  Can you believe she went uncredited!?
Allyssa Maurice also shined for a moment on screen as Suzanne Weller.
Drink: 2 Shots

What’s here isn’t super original but at least there are drinks and drink references, especially with the husband (James Marsden as Arthur Lewis). There are drinks at the rehearsal dinner (Cameron drinks champagne, James goes for whiskey, neat) and as Arthur’s drama develops, he drinks more and more often. So, yeah, you gotta say the movie was pretty realistic. He also cuts out of the wedding early to scarf down some champagne, but that’s a pretty normal thing to do. i mean, you don’t have to be super stressed by lightning struck freaks with half their face melted off to the point you can see their teeth through their cheek to wanna get an early start celebrating at a boring ass wedding.
Rock & Roll: ½ Shot

The only real rock we get comes during a reception at a wedding rehearsal dinner/dance where middle aged hipsters dance to Marshall Tucker’s “Can’t You See” and Derek & The Dominos’ “Bell Bottom Blues”.

Boring Technical Crap

Written by: Richard Kelly

Based on: The short story “Button, Button” by  Richard Matheson

Directed by: Richard Kelly

Starring

Cameron Diaz – Norma Lewis

Gillian Jacobs – Dana

Allyssa Maurice – Suzanne Weller

Jenna Lamia – Dead Wife

James Marsden – Arthur Lewis

Frank Langella – Arlington Steward

Bottom Line

See it only if you don’t expect too much.

Al K Hall<br />
Functional Alcoholic Slurperson<br />
(No, REALLY. Google &amp;quot;Slurperson&amp;quot; if you don't believe me.)

Last updated: 2010-03-31 20:26:08 by user08

The Box

Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Thriller, Rated PG 13 (2009)

Norma (Diaz) and Arthur (Marsden) are a young couple in their 30's who are struggling financially. Out of nowhere a man called Arlington Steward (Langella) appears on their doorstep and offers them a box and proposition that if they push the button they will receive 1 million dollars, however someone they do not know will die. The couple struggles with this decision and questions whether or not it's some kind of hoax or not. They only have 24 hours to decide and the choice they make has consequences that neither one expected and they are faced yet again with a tough decision to make.

• This movie was directed by Richard Kelly who also did Donnie Darko. There is some similarity in the supernatural bizarre story line but not quite as weird.
• I didn't realize that this movie was set back in the 1970's. That was a surprise to me.
• As the story goes on the origins of the box and Arlington Steward is revealed and it begins to make more sense.
• This is a very unforgiving box and a reminder that sometimes it's best to just do the right thing just because.
• It causes one to question your own morality-what would you do? The prospect of 1 million dollars is very tempting indeed.

4 STARS

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Just Me

The Box: Movie Review

What would you do for a million dollars? Would you face your fears? We are pretty sure a lot of people would do a lot of freaky stuff they never imagined they could do, if they were offered a million bucks. Just look at "Fear Factor" - a show that gives not even a pinch of that amount and people are already so desperate. "The Box" tries to tackle the same question but with a sordid twist. This is not your typical eat-a-roach thing. With "The Box", you push a button and someone you do not know dies. But hey, that's a million dollars right? Can the film be an effective psychological and at the same time philosophical thriller? Read on to find out.

The film is set in Richmond, Virginia and the year is 1976. The Lewis' are sleeping when someone rings their doorbell. Norma (Cameron Diaz) goes to the door and sees a black car leaving. At their doorstep is a sealed box and when they open it, they see a locked black device with a red button inside. A letter states that a certain Mr. Steward (Frank Langella) will contact them at 5PM that day. Weird Right? So they didn't think much of it. Later that day, Norma discovers that the faculty tuition discount is being removed. This means that her son's tuition will be paid in full the next semester. It does not help that Arthur (James Marsden) was not accepted into NASA's astronaut program. Norma fears that their money is not enough to support their lifestyle. When Norma goes home, Mr. Steward arrives and tells her that when she or Arthur presses the button, they will instantly get a million dollars. The caveat is someone they do not know will die instantly. Will Arthur and Norma press the button to save themselves from financial ruin? They have 24 hours to decide and the clock is ticking.

"The Box" was a hodge podge of ideas that never really gelled together. All we can say is that it will make you pull your hair off your head in frustration. Ninety-percent of the time, we just could not comprehend what was going on and when there were times we thought we get what was happening, the movie would do a complete turnaround. It felt like we were being slapped in the face with another out-of-this-world twist. It just never made any sense. Now, we believe they tried to be philosophical and all but can someone tell the creators of "The Box" that they should at least try to make it understandable for the common person? The only good thing we see in this film is the way it captures your curiosity the whole time. Sadly, the wait in the end is not worth it. Come credits time, there are still gaping plot holes and a "what-the-hell" story that will make you wish you just chose another film. This movie will waste your time, your money and even some of your brain cells.

Rating: 1 reel 

Why you should watch it:
- if you're the type who likes to keep on guessing when watching a movie


Why you shouldn't watch it:
- a literally out-of-this-world story that never really concludes anything and never really makes any sense
- a mish mash of ideas that will confuse you and frustrate you

Recommendations:

the box

if i presented you with the proposition to press a button that would kill someone, somewhere in the world that you did not know for one million dollars, what would you do?

i’d press the button and be on my way.

it is that question of morality that the film the box plays on.  and i have to say through about three quarters of the film it is a well acted, well produced and well directed   unfortunatly it had a fourth quarter to go.

let me discuss the things about this movie i liked.  it is set in the late 70’s and looks, sounds and feels like a film out of that era.  the wall paper is terrible, the wide men’s ties are atrocious and the soundtrack is killer.  any time you can fit “bell bottom blues” by eric clapton into a film, i’m a happy camper.  the original score is excellent as well.  it could very easily have been lifted from a 1976 film noir.

i was on imdb.com today and everyone seems to have a good time bashing cameron diaz’ accent.  which may not be the best virginia accent in the world but it beats the hell out of tom cruise’s german in valkyrie.  i’m not a big cameron diaz fan, but i thought she did a pretty good job considering the script she had to work with.  james marsden is pretty spot on too.  and i can never get enough frank langella.  that old dude just rocks.

the film is based on a short story by richard matheson called “button, button.”  matheson also wrote the story the film i am legend was based on.  and that movie pretty much rocked up until the final quarter too.  i need to read some of his work to see who i need to blame for the ending of his movies sucking.  but on this one i’m gonna go ahead and blame richard kelly.

richard kelly was the dude that directed donnie darko, so he’s a little out there anyway.  but come on dude.  just because you think you are so smart don’t mean you are.  just leave him as the mysterious man with the box.  that would have been much more better than that thin attempt to explain what’s going on.  sometimes we don’t need to know.  our imagination fills in the holes in your otherwise weak screenplay.

but whatever, that’s why i work at a movie theater and review movies on my blog.  because i’m so smart….

i don’t think this is going to be the movie to see this weekend.  i’ve not had the chance to screen the men who stare at goats or the fourth kind or disney’s a christmas carol.  thought i’m pretty sure how that last one goes.  it should still be fun to watch jim carrey’s animated old scrooge in 3D.

i did find it interesting that the button was only pushed by women…

one and a half cameron diazes out of five.

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Cal Reed

The Box (2009)

The Box is one of those films that’s likely to polarise viewers – either love the intriguing premise and go wherever the film takes you, or hate it for being a confusing mess.  That said, I found myself somewhere in the middle.  I was intrigued by it all but was not overly impressed.

Directed by Richard Kelly (who also co-wrote the script), best known for his cult masterpiece Donnie Darko, The Box deals with a fascinating idea.  Press a button and you’ll get one million dollars (1976 money), tax free – but someone in the world, someone you don’t know, will die.  It’s based on a 1970s short story by Richard Matheson called “Button, Button”, which got badly butchered by the Twilight Zone in the 80s (Matheson apparently hated the changes they made to it).

Sure, people in the world die all the time, but you’ll have to live with knowing that it was your greedy decision that directly led to that person’s death.  Would you do it?

Well, that’s what James Marsden (underrated Mr Cyclops) and Cameron Diaz (her face still looks weird to me) have to deal with in The Box.

Full credit to Kelly for infusing that Donnie Darko weirdness into The Box.  For starters, it has by far the most WTF moments since Mulholland Drive (coincidentally released the same year as DD).  You just never know where the film is heading, why people are doing the things they do or acting the way they are.  Is it an elaborate prank?  Is it a government experiment?  Is it even happening?  Am I crazy?

Of course, don’t expect any definitive answers to all your questions by the end of the film.  Usually, movies of this kind fizzle when they run out of places to go, but The Box manages to handle the final resolution pretty well, much better than I had expected.

That said, The Box didn’t blow me away or anything.  It’s good, but a notch below DD in terms of enjoyment, and nowhere near as memorable.

The Box is far from perfect, but I liked it.

3.5 stars out of 5!

PJM

Last updated: 2010-03-02 22:32:15 by pacejmiller

The Box

Good golly!

Who greenlit THIS thing?

It's not that "The Box" is bad, though it is.

(Oh, it's bad, baby.)

What really astonishes is that anyone at Warner Brothers thought it would work even if it had been good.

"The Box" is an old-fashioned morality tale about a creepy old man who shows up at a suburban couple's door one day and presents them with a box featuring a big, red button. They are told that if they push the button, they will receive a million dollars (or as Doctor Evil would say, ridiculing just this kind of nonsense: one meeeeeel-yun dollars) and, at the same time, an innocent person will die. The choice... is yours.

We later discover the creepy old man is an alien -- a Martian, in fact -- sent to test the worthiness of the human species. Will we measure up? Oh golly, I hope so!

If you're a Warner Brothers exec, do you REALLY want to throw fifty million dollars of your boss' money at that?

Of course, that's not what Warners did. They threw fifty million dollars at Richard Kelly, the writer/director who made a big, culty splash with "Donnie Darko" eight years ago. By writing Kelly a blank check, Warners was subscribing to something called the auteur theory. (You can do a google search under "French crimes against cinema.") This theory has gotten executives fired many times before and it will continue to get them fired for years to come.

It may have gotten someone fired this weekend!

To succeed these days, movies have to be one of two things: they have to be really really good, in which case they can break rules (this will happen once or twice every five years), or they have to have some degree of cool inherent in their concept. They have to be the kind of thing teenagers instantly respond to. This explains why the "Transformers" movies are such a big hit: there's nothing cooler than giant robots smashing into each other. It also explains why the Star Trek reboot with young, sexy actors was such a good idea.

But back to the box and that big, red button. And the terrible moral choice that would chill audiences across this great land... if only it were the year 1955. 

The alien conspiracy, a story I generally go for, doesn't work here for a bunch of reasons, one of which is an old bugbear of mine: the full range of the Martians' powers is never made clear. Which means they can close plot holes with magic whenever they want to.

Antagonists with unlimited abilities make plots easy to construct (and defend) but they are a vice the serious writer must never indulge. Certain things, like writing feature-length screenplays, are MEANT to be difficult.

Since I'm already slamming the movie, I might as well mention the directing is sluggish, the editing is sloppy and the score is unacceptably amateurish.

"The Box" should be placed in one, buried, and never spoken of again.

SCORE

How Accomplished: 18/100

How Much I Enjoyed: 18/100

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Super Marcey's The Box Review

Rating: 3/5

Richard Kelly was a film maker everyone was so excited about after the release of Donnie Darko several years ago, he took awhile to follow it up with Southland Tales which it seems is very much a hated film (I did not get around to seeing it), and it has several different cuts. I think that failure really hurt him, and it took awhile longer before he came out with another film. And that film is The Box, which is loosely based upon an episode of The Twilight Zone (and it shows), so did this live up to expectations or was this another failure?

The Box tells the story of a couple in the 70’s, Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden). They are the typical couple, they have a young son and they have their share of financial issues. After some bad news at work, Norma is at home when a mysterious stranger shows up with a very strange offer. He has given them a box and there is a button on the box. Apparently if they press the button within 24hrs they will receive $1,000,000, however if they do that someone unknown to them will die. What will they do?

To say anything more about The Box is to spoil the film, there is a lot going on and as it progresses the direction changes. I have to say the first half of this film had me really engaged. I was into these characters, both Norma and Arthur are likable characters and Cameron Diaz and James Marsden give excellent performances as well. You feel their struggle with their jobs, and the dilemma they face with pressing the button. However as the film enters the second half it goes towards the more ridiculous side and I really could not get into that. I am not sure what it was exactly, I think Richard Kelly went into territory that perhaps he should not have and I think this would have benefited if he had stayed with the structure he had set up. It isn’t altogether bad, but I think it can easily lose the audience like it did with me. I did however like the morals it brought up, it made you think and I do like films that make me think. The conflicts within the characters really worked quite well, and the questions it raised were also good.

It suffers from the second half as I mentioned, and there are certain things and scenes which I really did not like. It goes to some really dark places and I felt that the characters did not deserve that at all. The stranger character played perfectly by Frank Langella I thought was a strong point in the film but also the developments were a weak part. It does feel like a long episode of The Twilight Zone and I actually would have liked it if it had stayed more grounded, but maybe that is just my personal taste. I don’t think The Box is a failure as a film, it has great ideas but it just loses itself in the second half. I hope if Richard Kelly makes another film, he improves upon this one, he is a really good director here but he tries to do too much with what he has.


(Review written Feb 17th 2010, first posted on SuperMarcey.com)

Recommendations: Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Milk, Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-02-16 15:14:36 by SuperMarcey

The Box

     I have never seen any of Richard Kelly's other movies and I am not that familiar with the play "No Exit," however, I am very doubtful that my enjoyment of "The Box" will increase any if I were better versed in these works.  I understand stories that are supposed to raise moral and metaphysical questions and make you ponder these types of things for yourself rather than making conclusions for you, however, "The Box" fails to do either. 
 
     "The Box" stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who get presented with a choice; they can press a button on a box and they will get a million dollars and someone they don't know, will die, or, they don't press the button and well, this eventuality isn't discussed, but you are meant to assume that nothing will happen.  This choice is presented to them by a mysterious and deformed man played by Frank Langella.  From there, the movie devolves into a messy mix of conspiracy/mystery movie and not quite metaphysical and almost science fiction story that tries very hard to leave you wondering about the fate of humanity and the if we deserve to live on as a species, but ultimately fails to raise any questions. 
 
     "The Box" fails on many levels.  With the exception of Langella, the acting is really not very good.  Saddling the main characters with vaguely southern accents was not the best of ideas.  The directing isn't bad, but the movie does seem to become lost in its self in the middle, then there are far too many revelations about this mysterious force that's controlling everything, and, from there, the ending is very slow to come and doesn't really leave you with any questions to ponder, except, if the people pushing the button don't really believe that anything will happen when they push it, is it really a test of humanity's altruism?  This might have been a better story if it had been left to the realm of the metaphysical by telling us nothing about the force behind everything, but the suggestion of alien intervention really throws the whole thing into an almost cheesy science fiction area that really doesn't work.  One family's personal Hell, I could work with, but a succession of people being controlled by less than perfect aliens doesn't really make me ponder humanity's inherent worth.  Perhaps if they had left the alien connection for the very end, and shortened the whole thing to ninety minutes, it might have made for a better mystery, but once the Mars judges humanity reference comes out, the mystery is completely deflated and we are left with aliens judging humanity, one case at a time, with rather flawed methods.  Even the threat that humanity might not pass the test, as a lingering question, is defused by the fact that the movie takes place in 1976, so either the aliens are taking their sweet time about judging humanity's worth, or we were deemed worthy at some point in the last thirty-three years and no one bothered to mention it to us. 
 
     "The Box"  is long and tedious, its secrets are shallow and obvious, and the only thing it leaves one to ponder is, "Why didn't I believe the critics on this one?"  If you can, personally, find some meaning in "The Box," I'm happy for you, but please realize that that meaning is purely a personal one and nothing that is inherently suggested.  (That or you are just claiming to find meaning where there is none because you like to make people think that you are smarter than you actually are.  Sorry if that sounds bitter, but I was really disappointed.)

(Read Less...)

Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

THE BOX (2009)

BOTTOM LINE: An unusual, bizarre and multi-faceted thriller from ‘Donnie Darko’ director Richard Kelly, who manages to steep this film with a rich and engaging story, with solid performances from its cast, although it does become somewhat ridiculous and anti-climatic by the end.

THE GOOD: The film starts off quite simply: a box is delivered on the door step of the home of Norma and Arthur Lewis (Diaz, Marsden). Norma brings the box inside, unravels it, and finds a simple, but well designed box on the inside, with a red button on top. Inside is a note that “Arlington Steward” will be calling upon them at 5pm the next day. Steward (Frank Langella) arrives on time, and makes an offer: push the button, someone in the world they do not know will die, and they will receive a million dollars tax free, or if not, nothing will happen and he will re-program the box and make the offer to someone else. After some soul-searching and realising they are quite cash-strapped, Norma pushes the button. From there, their lives begin to change and unravel in complex, bizarre and unusual ways. “The Box” has a very simple premise which is clear to follow. Director Richard Kelly then uses this premise to build a very bizarre, multi-genre narrative where higher powers (alien or otherwise) are using humans as test subjects to determine their nature. If humans fail the test, they face extinction. The main theme of the film is the morality surrounding murder and its personal connection to us; if we do not know someone and if we take an action that seems harmless but will kill them, would we still do it, particularly if we stand to gain from it? This film suggests yes, and that human compassion and empathy is limited solely to those who we are personally connected to. As a film, Kelly is his usual directorial self, creating sequences that are both bizarre and fascinating, such as the scenes where we see Steward in his lair, or when Arthur has to choose between three water portals to find the path to salvation. The higher powers in this story are never really clear but that works to the film’s advantage; at times Kelly suggests aliens (and there is a Mars exploration subplot), but other times more religious tones come in to play, with Arthur learning that he may have had a glimpse in to the after life. One of the standout qualities of the film is the character of Arlington Steward. He is charming and creepy, all at the same time, and his facial disfigurement (his left cheek and jaw are missing, having been burnt in a lightning strike) makes him look other-worldly. Cameron Diaz is particularly good in this film, offering a more restrained and mature performance than what we usually see from her. What is so good about a film like this is that it is an experience; it may start with a simple premise but it has so much more going on within it that you will be thinking about it for quite some time afterward. In this respect, “The Box” does a great job at creating an unusual and rich cinematic experience.

THE BAD: The last quarter of the movie is not particularly satisfying. Nothing is ultimately resolved other than that Steward’s tests will continue, and that each of his new test subjects will take the same path as Norma and Arthur. Moments earlier in the film, such as when Norma identifies with Steward’s facial disfigurement, are mocked in the end, when Steward still makes Norma pay the price for having pushed the button. Although the film does take you on an enjoyable, if bizarre, journey that is worth taking, the ending does give you a small sense of “what’s the point?”. After all, with nothing resolved and nothing gained by the characters, the only thing we are left with is an intellectual philosophy. Fortunately this does not detract too much from the overall film, but it does finish proceedings on a bit of an off note when everything else was so good.

RATING: 8/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net