REVIEW: ‘Wicker Man’ just another tired sequel
This film is a remake from the 1973 original, based on and adapted from the screenplay written by Anthony Schaffer (“Sommersby”). While there are a lot of odd conversations and strange happenings throughout, “The Wicker Man” ends up being a sadly unfulfilling mystery film.
Nicolas Cage (“World Trade Center”) is a cop living in a small, complacent town who receives a letter from his ex-fiancé (Kate Beahan, “Flightplan”) pleading for his help. Who cares if he hasn’t heard from his long lost love for so many years? He quickly leaves town to find her and offer aid.
Cage travels to a bucolic, secluded island in the Pacific Northwest to find a peculiar settlement full of dominant women, bee colonies and identical twins. His ex-fiancé has a missing child somewhere on the island that she is desperate to find. Can the small-town policeman get to the bottom of this obscure mystery? With little help from the ambiguous citizens, Cage forges on through the beautifully forested island searching for clues until he reaches the horrifying truth.
It’s too bad that nobody was searching through these beautiful forests for a way to make this film better. With tiny clues provided along the way, and some unexpected twists, “The Wicker Man” seems to have all the necessary ingredients, but nothing amazing comes out of it.
The primary reason for the film’s shortcomings is the writing. Neil LaBute (“Nurse Betty”) not only directed the film, but he also wrote/adapted the screenplay. Maybe he ended up being so busy with directing the film that he neglected his other duties. So much of the dialogue is awkward, bumbling and poorly delivered, making us think, “Are they trying to sound this cheesy, or is it just natural?” With such a noticeably amateurish style of writing, it is impossible to take the film seriously and not much of the suspense is powerful. Still, we keep watching the mystery unfold and waiting for an explanation of all the weird behavior that Cage encounters.
The acting is as good as it can be, even with amazing stars like Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn (“Requiem for a Dream”), who plays a sweet and secretive matriarch with just the right touch of eeriness. Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”) as the benevolent town doctor and Molly Parker (“Iron Jawed Angels”) as the rigid schoolteacher both give helpful performances that keep the vague plot interesting. But even though the actors are trying their best, nobody gives anything memorable or prevailing.
Thrown into this uneven mess are numerous shots of picturesque landscapes alluding to the private paradise of an untouched island. This paradise, however, is only skin deep.
“The Wicker Man” has more than enough moments that will make your head tilt and your nose crinkle, as any mystery film should. It also has more than enough one-liners to make your eyes roll and a conclusion that clearly tries its best to be shocking and over the top, but plummets tragically into the nether regions of unsuccessful remakes.
Casey T. Allen is the Statesman’s movie critic. His reviews will appear weekly in the Diversions section. Comments can be sent to caseyal@cc.usu.edu.