‘Stoker’ ends the 2013 film slump

Stoker is the first great movie of 2013.

Directed by Korean director Park Chan-wook, best known in the U.S. for his film Oldboy, Stoker is as striking as it is unsettling. A masterwork on multiple levels, this is a movie that will get you talking as soon as the lights go up in the theater and keep you thinking about it long after.

India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) is an intelligent and sensitive young girl whose father (Dermot Mulroney) dies on her 18th birthday.

Now living with her unstable mother (Nicole Kidman) in their sprawling mansion, they are joined by her Uncle Charlie (Michael Goode), whom India didn’t even know existed until her father passed away.

There’s something off about Uncle Charlie, something wrong, yet India finds herself drawn to him, and their relationship sets her on a journey that will change her irrevocably.

Even without any of its other excellent qualities, the acting in Stoker would set it apart.

Every performance is pitch perfect, but the movie is held up and driven by the stellar efforts of Wasikowska, Kidman and Goode.

The tension-filled interplay between India, her uncle and her mother is masterfully realized, and the evolving nature of these characters’ relationships is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Wasikowska shows just the right amount of strength and vulnerability in her portrayal of India and her coming of age, while Kidman blends desire, sadness and a simmering resentment into a heady brew. Goode’s Uncle Charlie, meanwhile, is a haunting presence, as captivating as he is unnerving.

Wentworth Miller, best known for his efforts as an actor, wrote Stoker, and that this is his first produced screenplay is remarkable.

Miller has admitted he was inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock, but in this work, he has managed the incredibly difficult task of capturing the feel of a great Hitchcock movie and avoiding slavish imitation, all while establishing his own clear voice.

The structure of Stoker is very much a slow burn, yet it is never boring. The film reminds me very much of the 1955 French classic Diabolique, a movie I can’t recommend highly enough.

Still, while being aware of the genre in which it is operating, Stoker is not afraid to subvert or challenge it, something that only adds to it’s strength.

The movie also features a perfectly utilized soundtrack, and its song choices, like everything else in this film, are both deliberate and effective.

While all of these elements are fantastic, what ultimately synthesizes them into a great movie is the masterful directing of Chan-wook.

Chan-wook’s attention to detail here is meticulous, and he uses every shot, every sound, to engross us deeper and deeper into the world of his film.

Indeed the sound and sound editing in Stoker is brilliant and some of the best use of audio I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. If this movie doesn’t win an Oscar for sound editing next year, it’ll be a crime.

The cinematography is also first-class and is used in a number of compelling and innovative ways.

Still, Chan-wook’s greatest accomplishment in this movie is how skillfully he is able to play with and meld feelings of both desire and revulsion.

Few films can manage to be stylized without being glamorous, especially when dealing with violence, but Stoker does just that.

The sense of unease that runs through even the most visually stunning of scenes in this film could have been shattered or made oppressive by a lesser director. Instead, Chan-wook keeps this feeling as a subtle, sinister presence that colors every twist and turn of the movie’s story.

Stoker took a while to gain a widespread theatrical release, and there’s no telling how long it’s going to stay in theaters.

So, if you want to see a thriller in the truly classic sense of the word, as well as some world-class filmmaking, don’t wait. See it while you still have the chance.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on March 28, 2013. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Columns,Movie Reviews,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry