Stoker

CRAZY LOOKS GOOD ON HER

I watched Stoker a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to see it when it came out in theaters but I'm guessing due to its low sales it got booted out within 2 weeks at my local theater. I didn't know what to expect when I decided to watch it. Honestly, I was nervous because I had read so many mixed reviews, more like confused reviews. People didn't know what to think or how to take it. But I did, and I took it just fine, with a spoonful of sugar. Continue reading if you'd like to know the rundown of Stoker :)




Stoker is a film directed by Park Chan-wook who is well known for his Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (I still need to see this), Oldboy (excellent movie), and Lady Vengeance (also excellent) and it was written by Wentworth Miller, anybody who is familiar with Prison Break should recognize this name. Many critics claimed the film flopped because it was Park Chan-wook's first English language debut and the same visuals and "tactics" or focal points he uses in his other films he used for Stoker and apparently must have been lost in translation, they just didn't work with the Western audience etc....blah blah blah and I call BULLSHIT. That is the biggest cop-out ever. The film does have a particular style but I don't think it is lost on anyone. It's elegant, creepy, sexy, and violent. My favorite combination.

Mia Wasikowska is India, the type of girl who is undoubtedly beautiful and strange but reminds you of that kid who can't wait to dissect some sort of animal in class while everybody else is cringing at the thought. There's something very Jeffery Dahmer about her and all it does is add to her disturbing appeal. There's a quaint innocence about her that sheds its layers slowly.

Nicole Kidman is the mother who is beyond tightly wound and yet very loose at the same time. Nicole Kidman usually really bothers me because I feel like her face is too "tight" but she gives a decent performance as the desperate mother.

Matthew Goode is Charlie, India's uncle, whom she's never met before. He's charming, cunning, and dangerous. He shakes things up in the Stoker household.

At its core, Stoker is a coming of age story and you don't know which way it's going to go. Overall, I liked the movie. And despite some mixed reviews from critics, I say it's well worth your time.

* On a side note, take notice of the Stoker household's style and the family's choice in clothing. One would think it should be set in the late 50s early 60s and yet it's set in the 21st century. Makes it feel clean or sleek. I felt it was a nice touch.