Sunday, September 26, 2010

Devil - Review

One of the biggest mysteries in all of Hollywood has to be how such a talented and (seemingly) versatile filmmaker such as M. Night Shyamalan can go from one of the industry's most revered directors to the butt of numerous jokes. He's kind of like to directors what Ben Affleck is to actors, an individual who has shown some great talent on more than one occasion, but a line of stinkers say otherwise (Although Ben Affleck is starting to show some serious skill behind the camera). So now, with M. Night's popularity at an all time low, it seems quite odd that his new film, Devil, is marketed as "From the Mind of M. Night Shyamalan," especially since M. Night didn't even write or direct, but rather produced and came up with the story. So all the hate and jokes aside, does Devil deliver the goods?

Taking influence from Alfred Hitchcock thrillers such Rear Window or Lifeboat, most of Devil takes place in one location, in this case an elevator. 5 strangers enter the elevator when it suddenly comes to an abrupt stop. Maintenance staff struggles to get the doors open, but nothing they do has any effect. Soon, it becomes apparent that one of those people is not who they seem, and that the evil deeds taking place in the elevator may be supernatural.

Well... that plot either sounds interesting or really really stupid. A lot of the times, keeping a story simple is generally the best way to go, especially since Shyamalan's last few big-budget outings have been so lame. Also, the plot sounds less like a Hitchcockian thriller and more like a glorified episode of the Twilight Zone, again not necessarily a bad thing. I personally love The Twilight Zone, it was a show that was way ahead of its time, and the creativity that was employed in its storylines is, in my opinion, something that has been by-in-large lost in modern TV and cinema.

So... what is the problem with the storyline? The problem is how it is executed. The film's so-called "level headed character" is a religious security guard (Jacob Vargas), providing all the exposition in both dialogue and narration. He explains EVERYTHING!!! He feels the need to remind the audience every two seconds that the Devil is afoot, that bad things are about to happen, or give us the details of every single little development. You know why The Twilight Zone usually worked, because it didn't treat the audience like idiots. It showed without telling, kept some plot elements ambiguous, and let the scene speak for itself, rather than uninspired characters.

Granted, Devil had its moments. There were a few points that did keep me on the edge of my seat, it had a few decent scares, and even I will admit there were a couple parts that I didn't entirely see coming. Of course, by the time you realize that bad things only happen when the lights go out and the whodunnit mystery becomes apparent just a tad too soon, it leaves one a bit disappointed. The runtime, however, is quite short, only about 75 minutes. This works to its advantage, as it did not try to stretch out its fairly thin premise any longer than it needed to be.

One really good thing about Devil was the cinematography. The opening credits feature some good city shots from an upside down perspective, creating a unsettling feeling that sets the mood for the film. Once we get into the elevator, we get some nice close ups that help set the claustrophobic tone. Some decent editing and mostly passable performances do give Devil a slight edge.

I went into Devil expecting the movie to suck, but its actually not horrible. Its not very good either, but I didn't feel too ripped off after it ended. You can't put too much blame on M. Night for this one, since his involvement was limited. The movie was directed by John Erick Dowdle and written by Brian Nelson, so they're to blame too. Its just that the whole movie screams Shyamalan, from its Hitchcock rip offs, Shyamalan-esque plot twists, and messages of fate, destiny, and how everything happen for a reason... blah blah blah. The technical filmmaking is decent, but the writing is seriously lacking. Devil is probably worth a rental, but you can probably skip it in theatres.


I give Devil 2.5 out 5!