krigler

Few horror/thriller films can surprise nowadays. I started watching Dans ton sommeil without any foreknowledge and still managed to be always ahead of the story.

The plot is simple, the characters we have seen in countless similar genre movies. There is a twist of some sorts around halfway of the story but it's something at least half a dozen films have employed recently, if not more, indie and mainstream thrillers alike. With all these familiar elements I just can't fathom why the filmmakers bother at all.

Directing is okay, as is cinematography. Acting is great throughout, Anne Parillaud excels as tormented mother Sarah. Arthur Dupont brings out the best of the role he is given. Again - their efforts serve a pedestrian story.

Clearly, there is real talent involved in the making of this film. Like so often, it's the way too predictable script that makes the whole experience less than worthwhile. Even with a blissfully brief running time it's a strain to sit through. Once you figure out what's going on, everything happens just the way you'd expect from a European film of this genre.

"Unthinkable" is an argumentative essay on torture coated in a thriller. Samuel L. Jackson goes Jack Bauer on a Muslim terrorist (who, possibly in the name of political correctness, is a Caucasian American) to "find out where the bomb is". And, of course, "damn it, we're running out of time!" Meanwhile, Carrie Ann Moss plays "the reason character", representing the sane part of the audience, arguing that using torture on them means the terrorists have won. A premise several films and a handful of TV shows have explored in the past few years in detail.

The narrative proceeds in a clear and obvious trajectory, meaning there are no big surprises along the way, every twist and turn are visible far ahead. This is not to say the film is without tension, it's just once the characters are established, the story does not have anywhere to go but the predictable path. What make the movie a worthwhile watch are the performances. Although Jackson basically plays himself - which is always entertaining - Michael Sheen's acting is very sinister and suggestive, while subtle. The rest of the cast are doing a great job too.

Photography and directing are top notch, although that is to be expected from a production this size. Sometimes it's good to hear both sides of an issue, even if it's a grave one like the former US government's endorsement of torture. If it comes in the form of a well-paced, albeit not very surprising narrative, all the better. "Unthinkable" manages not to be too heavy handed and preachy, and that's welcome.

A proper script and better sound editing might have saved this effort from going horribly wrong. As for the story, it doesn't deserve describing - nothing happens that we haven't seen a dozen times in other films. People behave in the usual, expected dumb horror film character manner. Events happen that are meant to be scary but, most of the time, are not.

As it is, the "one continuous take" thing is a gimmick, nothing more. It doesn't add to the story or the suspense. The camera operator should get better paying gigs, but the rest of the crew should not be so lucky. Directing is hit and miss - I am sure it was extremely hard work to choreograph the entire 65 minute take, but the acting is so off that it kind of kills all the other aspects of direction. Especially after the mid point does most of the acting degenerate into insanely theatrical territory. In fact, the whole production seems like a stage play, and the performances are uniformly reminiscent of one. Dialogue at first sounds clever but soon becomes annoyingly so, and is most of the time very on-the-nose. And that is only when it can be heard, because at times sound mix is so bad, the soundtrack and noises drown out the actors' voices.

Fight sequences are ridiculous - I am sure it is awfully difficult to stage fighting when there are no cuts, but in this case they would have been better off not showing anything at all. Most of the fighting resembles very drunken bar brawls with old school slapstick fight sounds added.

Music is diabolical - I am not sure if it is meant to be ironic (the fact that the rest of the film seems to be played out straight suggests otherwise) - but the extremely loud eruptions of staccato effects are not scary at all. If anything, they are distracting and terribly irritating. There is zero tension.

I can only recommend this film to hardcore horror fans. The single take approach may be of some interest to film students or professionals, but content-wise "Cut" is a waste of time and talent. At least they spared some money on editing.