We're huge Sam Raimi fans from way back, but were a little disappointed by his last foray into original horror, Drag Me To Hell, because it was rather mean-spirited, in that (spoiler) the protagonist didn't really deserve the titular fate. Well, good news, because this one was great fun and nobody gets a fate they don't deserve. The other good thing is that it's a stretch to call it "horror," which is good because I can't really handle truly horrific stuff these days, reality being what it is. Briefly, the idea is that mousy Linda Liddle
(Rachel McAdams - you know, one of the most beautiful actresses of the past twenty years, dowdified almost convincingly at first - and McAdams's vanity-less commitment to the role really helps) who is a vital cog in a corporation (working in planning and strategy) whose older boss has promised her a promotion to reward her, but then hands the business on to his asshole son, Bradley (the other lead role in what is essentially a two-hander, and very well done by Dylan O'Brien) who instead promotes his frat-buddy who has been taking credit for Linda's work. But they realize they still need her to finish up work on an appendix to a plan for corporate takeover, so Bradley leads her on and says she has a chance to prove to him that she deserves the promotion (he has no intention of giving her). This means taking her on the private jet to Thailand, in the course of which the frat buddy shows Bradley Linda's cringeworthy Survivor audition tape, driving Linda to tears.
But fear not, that's where the plane's engine catches fire and the assholes meet a satisfyingly nasty end (and we see the first glimpse of Linda's ruthless edge, as well as the trademark Raimi black humor. Then begins the bulk of the movie, which is Linda and Bradley together marooned on a tropical island, he hobbled at first, and needing to be humbled, as Linda's Survivor skills come to the fore. (Turns out she finds she liked boar hunting - a good opportunity for the kind of arterial spray and eyeball-related gore that Raimi fans will recognize.)
For a while there, it looks like this might turn into a romantic comedy,
before a few nasty twists shift it in different directions. Verdict: a whole lot of fun, with two excellent leads, and a beautiful sun-drenched setting, with none of the dread that puts me off modern horror. I hope this will open up a new chapter in McAdams' career: from Mean Girl to Mean Middle-Aged Woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment