REELGUY'S DVD REVIEW:
Thriller strays a little too far outside "The Box"
Maine Connections: The ReelWife and I stayed at the "Galaxy Hotel," which was featured in the movie "The Box," last fall when the film was out in theaters. We found the hotel that stood in for the "Galaxy," the Plymouth Bay Inn & Suites, just off the highway near Plymouth, Massachusetts. If you visit the hotel after watching the film, you'll likely recognize the check-in area, hallways, and outdoor pool.
"The Box" is a supernatural thriller based on a short story by Richard Matheson which was originally adapted for the small screen show "The Twilight Zone." The premise is compelling, what if someone showed up on your doorstep promising a million dollars? No, not Ed McMahon. A gentleman with half a face, played by Frank Langella, offers a 30-something couple with money troubles the opportunity to make a million dollars. All the couple must do is press a button on a strange wooden box which will ultimately kill someone they don't know. Norma and Arthur Lewis (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, respectively) have 24 hours to decide and then the offer is revoked. What would you do? This social experiment wrapped in an eerie mystery is a compelling plot device. I wish "The Box" had kept the movie simple and steeped in the unknown instead of creating an elaborate, over-explained back story with obvious science fiction overtones.
The movie is adapted for the big screen by Richard Kelly, the mastermind behind the cult hit "Donnie Darko." Whereas "Darko" managed to balance family drama and mystery with a small amount of fantasy, "The Box" tilts too far in the direction of the fantastic. I liked that there are hidden strings behind the offer of a million dollars simply for pressing a button. No one gets off that easy; you have to read the fine print. The size of the conspiracy and not knowing who's involved lends a continuous nerve-wracking feeling to the picture. But some characters are introduced and never appropriately resolved, whereas the government involvement in the plot is convoluted and ultimately unnecessary. There is too much story here, when fewer details would have worked better. Having the movie focused on the couple and their son would have kept the movie more grounded.
The performances sway between Langella's stoicism and the couple's emotionalism. Diaz and Marsden appropriately vacillate between shock, fear, and upset. Occasionally, the tone of a scene or remark goes astray into melodrama and cliché. This is as much the director's fault as the actors'. Langella gives the best, most eerie performance but many of his scenes felt unnecessary to the plot.
While I like the pace and tone of the picture, "The Box" could have been much better with a tighter script and performances. Less science fiction is more when a movie takes place in the modern, normal world. I fear the movie alienates thriller fans by being a little too hard to follow and too outrageous by the end.
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.
