The Box
directed by: Richard Kelly
starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Rated: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.
The writer and director of Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, is a gifted filmmaker who brings original concepts, characters, and alternate realities to life while relying on a more classical, Hitchcock-like styles of storytelling. When watching his latest film, The Box, his talent really shines through: an incredible concept, filled with possibilities and moral dilemmas, supernatural imagery, and subtlety that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, his subtlety is also his greatest weakness, which is also apparent in The Box. With more relaxed editing and more definition to what is happening on screen, The Box would be one of the best sleeper-hits of the year. Instead, we’re left with a vague impressions and ideas of what may (or may not) have actually happened in the story. It’s as if the Kelly fits pieces of the puzzle together, but it still doesn’t resemble a picture. The last act is so crammed with sudden-supernatural imagery and plot that one starts to question what is truly happening rather than feeling the punches our heroes are taking. Kelly made many right choices (James Marsden is the real deal) and his subtly on some of the “answers” is a good thing. However, I ended up having to access a spoiler-filled interview with him to explain what happened and why. The Box is a brilliant premise that feels wasted, simply because we can’t follow Kelly’s train of thought. It’s a good thing that Kelly thinks outside the box, but he can’t forget that those whom he is telling his stories too simply don’t understand him.
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