Well... as far as quality of movies goes, THE JACKET made me feel a little better about 2005. Then I go and look at the charts and see that CURSED, though hardly what you'd call a box-office smash, still did far better in its second week than THE JACKET did in its first. Guess we're still in the "give the people what they want" stage. So if you have any interest in THE JACKET at all, go NOW.
One thing I didn't know about this movie was that it started in the first Gulf War--and we see Adrian Brody take a shot to the head.
Immediately, I'm on the defensive. "Don't you DARE pull another JACOB'S LADDER here. Don't you DARE make me sit through another movie that ends with him back in the first scene dead while the rest of it's just a split-second dream. Don't you DARE pull that "Owl Creek Bridge" crap on me again."
Thankfully, we're given something more imaginative... and it doesn't even matter if it's not perfect, because it gives you something to think about, at least.
Horror? Not strictly, but there's definitely a fantastic element and some disturbing imagery... as you may have gleaned from the trailers, our wounded vet is framed for a murder he didn't commit and sentenced to extreme sensory deprivation therapy at the hands of Kris Kristofferson. While thus isolated, he travels to the future (or does he?) and learns plenty of secrets... including the fact that he's dead. And NOT in the Gulf War, either.
JACOB'S LADDER meets THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT isn't completely fair, but it gives you a decent idea, and the casting speaks for itself.
Still not interested? Keira Knightley takes her clothes off. NOW will you go?
When there's so much mindless crap out there that people are still paying for, it's worth the effort to support something that somebody had the decency to THINK about. Oh, and if you're a James Bond fan, you'll appreciate the end title track...
Okay, deep breath. I'll try to continue with this year. But RING 2 had better be worth all the frantic buildup my daughter is providing me with!
The Jacket
The Jacket
My dog's breath smells like peanut butter...
...and I don't even have a dog!
...and I don't even have a dog!
