Saw (DVD)

Frequent readers of yours truly will probably know that I find all things Hollywood to usually be unsavoury. Of course there are exceptions, we sometimes get a stroke of genuine genius that of course as a result gets over-marketed, over-hyped and over-used by similar films in the next few years ( a la "Matrix" for example). Then of course there are the rest of those films that follow the same general template. In those elaborately garnished ...
...on their last or most challenging case ever only to come across a suspect who is quickly written off as innocent only for you to find out later that he/she was in fact the bad guy. But let's not forget that final 'big twist' which is the one that catches the oh so professional bad guy off guard and leads to his/her demise. I swear there is a film like that on release every other month. When will we see a 'thriller' that actually attempts or even ... more

Frequent readers of yours truly will probably know that I find all things Hollywood to usually be unsavoury. Of course there are exceptions, we sometimes get a stroke of genuine genius that of course as a result gets over-marketed, over-hyped and over-used by similar films in the next few years ( a la "Matrix" for example). Then of course there are the rest of those films that follow the same general template. In those elaborately garnished murder/thrillers for example, there's the slick professional whom either goes on their last or most challenging case ever only to come across a suspect who is quickly written off as innocent only for you to find out later that he/she was in fact the bad guy. But let's not forget that final 'big twist' which is the one that catches the oh so professional bad guy off guard and leads to his/her demise. I swear there is a film like that on release every other month. When will we see a 'thriller' that actually attempts or even determines to 'thrill', that emotional variance from content to excited, which it claims to do hence its cataloguing in the 'Thriller' section. Being my usual deadpan, cynical self, I thought out loud: "Hollywood can't thrill me anymore…"

I stand corrected…

Along comes freshman filmmaker James Wan and his writing associate Leigh Whannell and offer us "Saw". Like most serial killer thrillers of similar ilk, "Saw" harks back to the glory of David Fincher's modern classic "Se7en" but what sets "Saw" apart from its counterparts from both Thriller and Slasher genres is the fact that you're not too sure what's going to happen next.

The initial premise is incredibly simple; two strangers wake up inside a secure room with no windows. The two men Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up at either end, their feet chained to the pipes and a dead body between them, lying in a pool of his own blood. Upon discovering a small audio cassette and a Dictaphone, they realise that they are the latest victims of a serial killer known as the 'Jigsaw' whom tests his victims appreciation for life by placing them in a dangerous scenario that they can escape from, given that they have the determination to live. In Adam and Lawrence's case; Lawrence must kill Adam in order to save his kidnapped family and thus if Adam is to survive he is to kill Lawrence, they are given a rusty hacksaw, a bullet and six hours to do it in.

"Live or die, make your choice."

Whilst the two men try to escape their predicament without unnecessary bloodshed, including back tracking to when they were captured and the possible reasons for the 'Jigsaw' to choose them, Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover) is on the Jigsaw killer's case, trying to work things out on the outside. After being removed from the force from 'going crazy' after a brush with death from the Jigsaw and the death of his partner (Detective Sing - Ken Leung), he's become obsessed with the capture/taking down of the Jigsaw. His story again being told in a splice of present time scenes and flashbacks to add further depth to the puzzle.

Performances on the whole are rather suspect, the two leads Leigh Whannell ("The Matrix Reloaded") and Cary Elwes ("Kiss The Girls", "Cradle Will Rock") only put forward moderate efforts. Out of the two, Elwes is the better, probably due to his wealth of screen acting experience whereas Whannell seems too self conscious over whether or not he's producing his occasional (and sometimes annoying) wisecracks with the comic timing and deadpan velocity that he thinks they deserve. As for Danny Glover, (the "Lethal Weapon" series, "The Royal Tenenbaums") who's on the back seat for this outing plays his moody, gruff persona to his usual decent standard and seems well cast.

Other supporting players in general go about the film business as usual with nothing eye opening. However, they are perhaps the more important characters with the film's back and forth narrative weaving subplots and small twists to insinuate that there is more to the story than the Jigsaw and his list of mutilated victims stacking up nicely in the morgue. This is where Leigh Whannell's screenwriting comes into better effect, introducing drama element that isn't as whimsical or melodramatic as the life of death situation occurring in the filthy utility room between the two men. These more down to earth dramas come in the form of the flashback's; Dr. Gordon's supposed affair with one of the other hospital staff for example. What finishes it all off quite nicely is how the things you discover in the flashbacks make you see Lawrence and Adam's situation in increasingly different lights, forcing you to take sides; hence getting you the viewer more involved.

Another contributing factor to the film's success is director James Wan's ("Stygian") energy for the material. Sharing the 'Story By' credit with screenwriter Leigh Whannell puts him more at one with the story. That may sound a little silly, but the reason why lots of films fail is because of the conflict of interest between the director and writer. When the writer puts together a scene, he/she can't help but visualise how it could look. The director, whose job is to transplant the written page into moving images may have a different approach to that of the writer. It's an industrial relations disaster waiting to happen, it's usually that or a tiff between the director and his/her difficult lead actor (I could name countless examples).

Of course Wan goes for that polished, teen slasher style of camerawork but we are in one of those rare situations where this MTV style of storytelling is actually useful, making everything exciting to watch. Keeping the Jigsaw villain as much a secret as possible works as well, although yet again it's a standard teen slasher method it helps in spades to build the overall genuine tension and adrenaline that the films installs in you. The Jigsaw's method of installing his victim's new found sense of gratification for life via his sadistic traps, are endlessly inventive and provide a strange pleasure when viewing. Scenes such as the reverse bear trap wired to a victim's jaw and the barb wire maze will have you automatically shifting into cringing gear with James Wan's hyperactive camera reinforcing that dreaded sense of panic and pressure that make those moments so gripping to watch. Kudos to DP David Armstrong for his vivid use of exotic colour and appropriate shadow to capture these scenes of sheer terror, sliding the fear factor all the way up to eleven.

Soundtrack goes for the more hardcore approach not too dissimilar from the recent "Dawn Of The Dead" remake, emphasising the thrill of the moment instead of some practical background soundtrack used in most thrillers; that predictable fanfare that always includes a frantic piano to mask the fading of scenes and a taut ensemble of violins used to build tension before the proverbial sh*t storm. "Saw" goes for a more modern approach, of course keeping the traditional orchestral instruments but using them in a more contemporary manner with more modern instruments. A worthy inclusion, wrapping up this delightful package quite nicely.

The beauty of this film is that something is constantly going on and if something is constantly going on, you are constantly engaged, whether you're trying to solve the puzzle of the filthy utility room where the two men (Adam and Lawrence) are held captive or trying to find the Jigsaw killer with Detective Tap (Danny Glover); "Saw" has more activity than most recent thrillers. Hell, if a film can have a twist at the end that I failed to predict, it must be special.

BOTTOM LINE
"Saw" almost breaks the mould and is a thriller that actually determines to thrill. It also reinvigorates the slasher/horror genre borrowing ideas from both and making them better. Its 18 certificate implies bloody carnage and believe me there is so the patented 'cowering behind the sofa' crowd may want to avoid this. It's meagre budget means that it sticks to the more organic thrills of yesteryear; no CGI rendering here thank you very much. And although the script could've done with some extra work and the acting was a bit… dull, the fantastic premise carries the film past all of its weaknesses and makes for very good entertainment indeed. James Wan's direction is spot on; no wonder there's going to be a sequel (it's in post production at time of press). If you want to see a mid nineties thriller updated to the twenty-first century, you've come to the right place.

"A revolutionary shocker" - Shivers

"A harrowing head trip" - Premiere

"Perhaps you enjoyed 'Se7en'. This goes up to 'Ei8ht'" - The Guardian

CERTIFICATE: 18
TIME APPROX: 100 minutes

CAUTION:
Frequent strong language
Frequent strong violence

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY:
Se7en (1995) - shot in only five days, David Fincher's serial killer thriller is still the best, quite scary too.

Congratulations, you're still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore…

<DarkMark
 

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