COLUMN: ‘Saw’ almost cuts it
Visually, the film excels. We come face to face with ghastly images, so foul in nature, it’s without doubt that the film succeeds in impact. But unfortunately other elements prevent “Saw” from cutting away all the excess fat.
“Saw” is an amateur replica of “Seven.” It doesn’t just want to be like “Seven,” in terms of idea, rather, it wants to mirror it entirely. For instance, “Saw’s” lunatic madman has the identical mode of operation as “Seven’s.” It’s this kind of unoriginality that drives it away from being a better film.
In addition to it being a regurgitated imitation, “Saw” makes no effort to sell its product, which of course is fear. The acting is abysmal and the movie feels like a cheap theater production. Granted, there’s plenty of dread, sadistic torture and gruesomeness, but of course it’s all special affects – easily provided by a few strokes on the keyboard. The acting gives wind of nothing remotely close to the visual ambiance and every time a drama-surged acting moment occurs, it completely distracts from the eerie height to which the images have lifted the mood.
Perhaps this is all to be expected. “Saw” is a debut production, created and directed by film-virgins James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Their focus is so heavy-handed with the story itself that they neglect to pay attention to the way its being unraveled – definitely a rookie error.
“Saw” begins in a poorly lit, grimy, rundown bathroom, where strangers Dr. Gordon (Cary Elweys) and Adam (Whannell) find themselves chained to opposite ends of the room. Neither remembers how they got there. Eventually, they discover they’re in the midst of a sadistic game to carry out the workings of a masochistic nutcase. Gordon must kill Adam to live, but if he doesn’t, his wife and daughter will die. They have eight hours to think it through.
Gordon realizes this must be the work of the jigsaw killer and begins to reminisce with Adam several scenarios like theirs that had occurred, including only one in which the victim lived.
“Technically, he’s not really a killer,” Gordon says. “He never killed anyone. He finds ways for his victims to kill themselves.”
Through flashback sequences, the film details the various game-like murders that have occurred and introduces us to the cops tracking the killer.
Jumps and scares in “Saw” are strong and heavy. But, more so than old-fashioned mood-manipulating jump scares, this film will more likely make you cringe.
In one of the many flashbacks, the police interview a woman drug addict: the only survivor to jigsaw’s games. The film shows her sickening tale in nauseous description and goes overboard with detail. Jigsaw makes his victims commit horrible, immoral acts in order to live. Beyond stunning visuals, these so-called tasks are just barbaric.
Besides the routine acting, another huge distraction is the elaborate, far-reaching lengths the killer goes through just to kill someone. These “games” are so intricate and precise it would take superman strength and Einstein smarts just to carry them out.
Fortunately, the end salvages this film. With so many under-par performances and a loophole-riddled plot, one would only hope for a mind-blowing ended. “Saw’s” ending is beyond mind-blowing. It’s the most perfectly executed; unpredictable ending imaginable, with numerous, eye-popping plot twists.
Jack’s DVD Recommendation:
“Super Size Me”
This gonzo-journalism-style documentary will baffle and amuse. Director Morgan Spurlock dives head-first into the America’s Obesity problem with uncanny indulgence. Spurlock, winner of the best directory prize at the Sundance Film Festival, is determined to prove the dangers of fast-food consumption by eating nothing but McDonald’s value meals for an entire month. The conclusion is more frightening than “Saw’s” acting.
Jack Saunders is a movie reviewer for the Utah Statesman. He is a junior majoring in print journalism. Comments, or movies to review may be sent to jrsaunders@cc.usu.edu.