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“The Box”
is based on a short story by the great sci-fi
writer, Richard Matheson. It involves young
couple who are given an opportunity to receive
a million dollars. All they have to do is
push a button on a small, insignificant
looking box given to them by a stranger.
When they ask what happens if they push
the button, someone they do not know…
will die.
Wait a minute… wasn’t this
already done back in 1986? It wasn’t
a movie; it was an episode of the 80’s
version of “The Twilight Zone.”
I remember watching it way back then (and
again more recently on the DVD release…)
and was floored by the ending. The story
was short, as was the written version, with
no bells or whistles. It was just a straightforward
character study of the young couple, desperately
in need of money. This original starred
Mare Winningham and Brad Davis, both delivering
perfect performances as they argued back
and forth over what to do. It was a brilliant
piece, and again… the ending line
was classic “Twilight Zone.”
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This new version stars Cameron Diaz and James
Marsden, and follows the main premise pretty closely.
But this isn’t a short TV episode; this
is a full length feature film. Director Richard
Kelly decided to take the story and expand upon
it, taking the characters out of their home and
into the world and attempting to explain a lot
of what isn’t in the original. For the most
part it works, as the film is at times quite suspenseful.
I was actually quite surprised by how decent it
was overall, but ultimately everything Kelly throws
at us lacks the punch of that one simple closing
line of the original version.
I cannot go into too much of the plot without
giving away several twists, not even the original
one. But what I can say is that once the decision
is made, our couple finds their lives thrown into
complete turmoil. For much of the film, they are
trying to find a way to change the decision they
made in the hopes of returning everything to some
sense of normalcy. Occasionally you find yourself
on edge wondering what is going to happen next,
but it is still not quite enough to turn this
flick into a memorable one. It just doesn’t
stick with you like the original short story.
The main saving grace of the film comes in the
unassuming, the menacing figure of Arlington Stewart.
As played by Frank Langella, the man bearing the
box of opportunity is a fairly frightening character.
He is so quiet and unpretentious, yet Langella
plays this with a relish, the slightly evil glint
in his eyes barely gives away what lies beneath
the façade. He just exudes evil, with nothing
more than a hushed grace. His performance is the
strongest of the film and I loved watching him
play with the character.
The Bluray release of “The Box” was
recently released by Warner Brothers and I will
say it is a handsome package. The transfer is
gorgeous, with the color palette richly reproduced.
The picture is crisp and clean, while the audio
delivers just the right mix for every scene. There
are also a handful of extra features to boot.
Kelly steps up to the plate in a commentary where
he talks about the production as a whole. He is
engaging at times, but tended to lose a little
steam around the halfway point. You’ll also
find a featurette focusing on how Kelly used his
own parents as a character study to create the
couple in this film as well as another that delves
into the creation of some of the film’s
more impressive special effects sequences. Finally,
and vest of all, is an interview with Richard
Matheson where he discusses this story and its
film version. Well, I guess I shouldn’t
say finally, as there is also a Digital Copy for
your iPod.
“The Box” serves up a heaping helping
of suspense, and is a decent thriller for a Saturday
afternoon at home. But if you are familiar with
the original story or its TV version, you’ll
more than likely agree that more is not always
better.
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella,
James Rebhorn, Holmes Osborne
Extras: Commentary by Director Richard Kelly;
The Box – Grounded in Reality; Music Video
Prequels; Visual Effects Revealed; Richard Matheson
– In His Own Words
Specification: Widescreen 1080p High Def; DTS-HD
Master Audio 5.1
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 2/23/2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13
http://www.thebox-movie.com/
We'll give a The Box a B.
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