First Things First…
I watched this movie a few years ago when I first started reading Clive Barker’s stories, and I didn’t like it at all. I usually enjoy Bradley Cooper, but this is my least favorite movie and performance of his I can think of. What was especially disappointing was how much I love Barker’s original story this is based on. But I’m about to watch it again , and I’m going in with an open mind.
1 Thing I Like
1. Vinnie Jones as Mahogany
Vinnie Jones could definitely pass for a serial killer.
Mahogany is supposed to be older and fading away, getting fat and saggy while not fully recognizing his own deterioration.
Jones is way too chiseled to fit the story’s description of the character, but it works for me. His expressions, body language, and even the way he moves convey how he looks down on humanity.
You see it in his perfectly upright posture while sitting for hours on end in the subway station… in the way he fixes his cuffs after he puts on his dress shirt… in the precise part in his hair…
He’s still losing his touch as the Butcher, just like in the story, but they use another physical deformity to get that across—those nasty pustules he slices off his shoulder and chest. I’ll talk about what I don’t like about that later, but it’s actually a clever way of getting across Mahogany’s failing health while using a physical specimen of an actor like Jones.
One other thing I like about Jones in the role is that, as Leon keeps following him, Mahogany fixes him with an absolutely chilling stare when he spots him. I doubt an older, less imposing actor could pull that off so well.
0 Things I’m Mixed On
6 Things I Don’t Like
6. Weird Post-pre-engagement Sex
Leon seems like a shitty boyfriend the whole movie.
In this scene, though, he tries to redeem himself. He doesn’t actually propose to his girlfriend because he can’t afford an engagement ring yet. He just does the incredibly lame pre-proposal.
She says yes because she seems to love him. But it leads to some of the least passionate sex ever.
I think it’s an artistic choice, rather than a lack of chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Leslie Bibb.
But if it’s meant to show the continuing decline of Leon’s mental state, it feels like the wrong choice. Because if he has the love, compassion, or even just the wherewithal to take this step and get a commitment (of sorts) from her, then this should be the most passionate, connected sex of his life. This isn’t the time for him to be rougher than she seems to like and detach from the moment, and from his partner, while just nailing her in a dead-eyed haze.
5. The Cop Is in on It
This is way too convenient and easy to call. The first cop Leon goes to when he reports his encounter with the model and the men he stopped from attacking her happens to be part of the plot to feed the creatures.
I guess having a mole working in the police department makes sense for them. But of all the cops for him to randomly deal with, why is it her?
There has to be a sly way to show her requesting to take Leon’s report when she discovers what he’s reporting, so it’s not just his bad luck. I’d much prefer that, even if it gave away her connection to the secret conspiracy.
4. Mahogany’s Sickness and Age
I don’t like this simply because it’s never explained. Again, having read the story, I get that this is a different way of showing that Mahogany is breaking down and needs to be replaced. But there’s never any talk about what this condition is or why it’s affecting him.
As for his age… if he really is over 100 years old, as the records indicate, then WTF?
Is he a monster? An alien? Is he turning into one of the creatures he’s helping to feed?
A little explanation would go a long way here.
3. Stylized Gore
I hate a lot of the camera work when Mahogany kills. I hate the stark redness of the blood and the way it speeds toward the camera, only to slow down.
In one murder, a guy’s eyeballs pop out from a blow to the back of the head and fly toward the camera like a cheap 3D gimmick.
Apparently, fans of the movie really enjoy these artistic choices. And that’s fine. This is the type of thing that’s all about personal preference.
But the way these killings are shot makes this feel more like an action movie than a horror movie. And I don’t mean that as a compliment.
2. Why Are These Creatures So Important?
The discovery of the creatures that await the corpses Mahogany brings is disturbing.
And, admittedly, one of my only problems with the short story is that the explanation of what they are—the “fathers” of the city—doesn’t make much sense to me.
But here, they’re not explained at all. They don’t talk. They seem to just be creatures… or maybe even aliens.
And with no explanation… then why has Mahogany been killing to feed them for more than a century? Why does the conductor bring them their food every night? Why does the cop keep their cover? Why does Mahogany need to be replaced after he’s killed?
Why does any of it matter?
1. I Don’t Buy ANY of Their Actions
Leon acts erratically throughout the entire movie. And Maya acts irrationally as she discovers more.
With Leon having so many close calls with the Butcher already, I don’t buy that he’d follow him onto the subway, where they’ll be locked inside together. I don’t even buy that he’d do so much digging into his past and fall prey to such paranoia when his original motivation was just about his photography.
And by the time Maya brings Jurgis to Mahogany’s hotel room, she already has a sense of how dangerous he is.
I don’t find any of their actions believable.
Oh, and let’s not even talk about Maya getting on the train with a gun she doesn’t even know how to shoot properly.
Tim Matassa
