This isn't real enough for you, Billy? I'm not real enough for you? It was real enough for Georgie." To begin, I have neither read Stephen King's famous novel or the 1990 mini-series, but as a pop culture classic, it's very difficult to avoid any mention of It when it comes to the anticipation for this recent adaption. Having someone of the calibre of Cary Fukunaga was always a good sign at the beginning, someone who is truly devoted to writing something modern and yet wildly horrific. The other contributing writers it seemed helped to tone it down so that we as an audience are not overwhelmed by the scare factor so that it becomes mundane and unnecessary. What was produced at the endpoint is a deep, emotional piece of cinema that covers all the basis of an 80s nostalgia trip, much like Stranger Things succeeded in doing last year.
As a whole, It advertises itself as a horror mystery, but there's more themes in this movie than most of the films I've watched this year. As is typical with King creations, the stories cover the basis of numerous genres all at once to get a sense of constantly enthralling entertainment. In truth, you'd imagine that at least one of the genres would falter because it's just not cohesive enough for the film, but instead - everything holds up. The comedy, in particular, matches the horror well, and generally helps to find the humanity in the main characters. Every individual character in the forefront of the movie is incredibly well fleshed-out within the time-frame of the film - it's astonishing how connected we are to them by the end. Speaking of characters, all the cast are fantastic. Jaeden Lieberher surprises most people as the emboldened young lad with a stutter. The character, "Billy's", love for his younger brother, Georgie, is the motivation for his adventure in the film, but without Lieberher's emotional performance, not many audience members would have joined him. Indeed, his character flaws help him to be empathised, but it's his towering performance in this film that really captures the heart of It's concept and the friendship shared between the Losers club. The other main cast are nothing to sniff at, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Sophia Lillis both share wonderful performances as Ben and Beverly, respectively. Their subtle exchanges throughout the film are beautifully portrayed and it brought about a strong payoff. Lillis certainly looks like a potential rising star, especially with the way she handled her deprived and ultimately abusive relationship with her character's father. Chosen Jacobs and Wyatt Oleff were equally talented in their roles - perhaps more in the background than the rest, but certainly Jacobs' Mike had a perfectly symbolic rite of passage during the development of the film. Finally, Finn Wolfhard and Jack Dylan Grazer, perhaps given most of the best lines during the film, gave their utmost to portray scarred, anti-social and decidedly vulnerable boys. Grazer's Eddie was consistently entertaining, and his paranoia is loveable. Wolfhard has certainly gained momentum since his starring performance in Stranger Things, and his talent continues to flourish here as the bad-mouthed member of the club. But it was particularly eerie to learn that he was the one with a fear of clowns. The film wouldn't be complete without its Pennywise though, and Bill Skarsgard is stunning. I wouldn't dare compare him to Tim Curry, but Skarsgard's mix of childish gibberish and incessantly haunting cackles are enough to put the scare levels up to ten. He's also the main reason why the film is so incredibly tense. While he's rattling on about floating and dancing, the audience is just waiting for him to make the next bloody move. Although, I was particularly surprised by how sometimes Pennywise could come off as incredibly hilarious, in the middle of a terrifying scene. Either genuine hilarity, or just dark comedy. Thankfully, Pennywise's appearances are minimal, meaning that when we do start to see him in full glory, he's just as terrifying as we expect. Plus, the production doesn't hold back on the horrific imagery and gore, meaning that everything gains that extra grit for extreme effect. The story in itself, is well told. As I mentioned before, the main characters are all given a decent amount of screen time, meaning that their character development is top notch. Each member of the Loser's Club has gained some understanding of their own feelings and personality. The tragedy behind Billy and Georgie is incredibly heartbreaking, and Pennywise's deranged attempts to entice Billy into believing that his little brother is back are difficult to digest. Also, Beverly's relationship with her father shows how fear can be portrayed in many different ways. When he died, it seemed that Beverly could conquer Pennywise, because she had nothing to fear anymore. Directing for the film, Andy Muschietti has breathed a lot of life into an old type of horror, and it has worked marvellously. Distinctively scary scenes that I enjoyed included the opening storm drain scene, Beverly in her bathroom and the first time the Losers' Club enters the Well House. There are also some incredibly affective jump scares riddled throughout the film that had the whole cinema jumping with fright. The scene in the Denbrough basement is probably the most haunting scene though, especially as this was the place that Georgie was scared of at start of the movie - and yet here he is, under the control of Pennywise, seeking out his older brother. The horrific moment as the clown lifts its head from underneath the water is unforgettably terror-inducing. In essence, this first chapter has all the makings of being a classic in horror - undoubtedly. The concept itself is evidentially awe-inspiring and a combination of directing, writing, acting and eerie music has given it the potential to appeal to millions. I do have a few gripes though, and that's with the conclusion of Pennywise so far. Despite Skarsgard's unnerving performance, the final scene with It is not particularly scary, and the fact that Pennywise is powerless to the onslaught from the kids means that his capacity for scaring loses its value. I just hope that when he returns in twenty-seven years he maintains that horrific guise as something that will pit friends against each other for the sake of its chance to feed. All in all, however, It is a triumphant new candidate in the horror collection. I'm not usually a horror fan, but as this film decided to lean towards a more meaningful selection of characters as well, there was more heart and definitely more passion in its creation. Also, the fact that it can make you scream and laugh out loud in the space of a few seconds is commendable to both the director and writers. It may sometimes lean on the age-old tropes of love and friendship, but its execution is sometimes very original, and that makes it all the more unpredictable. 8/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
Categories
All
|