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Overall Rating : 6/10
Directed By : Lucky McKee
Sean Bridgers (Children of the Corn II)
Angela Bettis (May)
Pollyanna McIntosh (The Offspring)
Carlee Baker (Wicked Lake)
Supplied By : Vivendi Entertainment
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : January. 30, 2012
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| PLOT A disturbing tale of torture and dirty little secrets that can haunt any seemingly harmless neighborhood. The story follows a successful country lawyer who captures and attempts to 'civilize' the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast in the wild for decades, thereby putting the lives of his family in extreme jeopardy. | ||||
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| THE REVIEW In THE WOMAN, while out hunting deep into the woods, family man Chris Cleek, makes a startling discovery. He finds, living among the woods, a feral woman, who seems to be the last of her cannibalistic tribe. Mesmerized by the woman, Chris soon returns to the scene, and captures her. From then, Chris takes the woman to his family's underground fruit cellar, and it is there that he ties her up in hopes of "civilizing" her. Chris grows obsessed with this scenario, as well as the woman herself, so much so he eventually persuades his reluctant wife, Belle, as well as their three children to participate in the bizarre civilization. But their actions begin to take a toll on them, as they begin to interfere with troubles that already preexist within their lives. Lucky McKee's film adaptation of the novel by he and Novelist, Jack Ketchum comes to home entertainment form, with all of the hype that it has gathered over the last 2 years. From the disgruntled audience member that was seen by all, thanks to youtube, to a certain indie filmmaker claiming that THE WOMAN plagiarized them, a lot has been said about THE WOMAN. Personally, I saw this film for the first time last year, and then I thought that all of the hype was a little much for this one. Now that I have finally seen the film again, I must say that I still feel that THE WOMAN is a little over hyped, but to its credit, I will admit that the film isn't that bad, it's actually much more clever than I had initially given it credit for. I like the fact that THE WOMAN is more of a character study, than a "hack and slash" bloody slasher. The script actually takes its time to examine all of the characters involved, and we get to see just how the scenario regarding the woman in the cellar is effecting other aspects of their personal lives. Of course all of which lead to a few intense moments, including an ending that I felt was highly effective. As for the technicality aspects of the film, I feel that THE WOMAN is Director Lucky McKee's most ambitious to date. It is definitely his most artistic effort, in many ways. From scene setups and angles, to the sound design even, THE WOMAN is a film that can be absorbing if you let it. Admittedly, the film is a bit of a slow burn in it's beginnings, but once things take off, things begin to get far more interesting. Not only do tensions involving the woman increase, but also the turmoil within the Cleek household keep things on edge. As for the acting in THE WOMAN, and say that it is above average. Leading the way are Shawn Bridgers and Angela Bettis, as married couple, Chris and Belle Cleek, respectively. Bridgers comes as a relative new comer to me, but is greatly believable as a man that essentially loses sight of all things due to his obsession. While Angela Bettis, who is a frequent McKee collaborator, is a somewhat equal counterpart, as a wife that is unfortunately submissive who is caught in her husband's proverbial web. Supporting are the three child actors, two of which are notable. These roles are maintained by Lauren Ashley Carter ("Peggy Cleek), and Zach Rand (Brian Cleek). But of course most of the film's emotions hinge on the performance of Pollyanna McIntosh, whom portrays the woman at the forefront. This role did not require much dialogue, however, the role called for expression. which in my opinion, McIntosh nailed perfectly! THE WOMAN may be one that is over hyped, yet it is still a well executed and fairly entertaining film in the end. The image quality of the Blu-Ray disc is excellent. The jungle terrain is crisp and clear, and the blacks are dark and gloomy. As for the special features, there are a series of deleted scenes, a nice and informative "Making of", as well as an audio track of the film's theme, "Distracted", performed by musician/composer, Sean Spillane. |
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| GORE
METER 5/10 A finger is bitten off, multiple stabbings and imaplements, a disembowelment, a face bitten off as well as a severed torso. Honestly, THE WOMAN is not as gory as one might expect, although the film's final moments hold nothing back. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 6/10 The film's score is mostly made up of pop/power pop tunes. Other sound elements include distortion and sound sampling. I actually quite enjoyed it. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM The truth is, THE WOMAN has been over hyped. It's a film that has been given too much credit for being something of a groundbreaking experience. While to me, it's nothing too innovative, it is a well crafted effort that tells a worthwhile story. So with that said, THE WOMAN is definitely worth a look if you have not seen it,. On another note, so far, it is the best in the "Bloody Disgusting Selects" series. Special Features include: - The Making of The Woman” Featurette - Deleted Scenes - Mi Burro, a Short Film - Music Track “Distracted” by Sean Spillane | ||||
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