Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)
The Tall Man (2012)
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Director: Pascal Laugier
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie
Language: English
Duration: 106 min.
Rating: 6.1
Summary:
In an isolated, slowly dying mining town, children are vanishing without a trace - abducted, the townsfolk whisper, by a mysterious entity known locally as "The Tall Man."
The Tall Man is a film written and directed by Pascal Laugier (Martyrs). It premiered at the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival.

Set in a slowly dying small town in the Pacific Northwest where the local mine has been closed and the remaining residents are terrorized by a rash of child abductions who they blame on a strange mythical figure, French director Pascal Laugier's second effort seems set up to be an extreme and gruesome tale in line with his debut. The truth is, The Tall Man delivers none of the gore and torment that fans of Martyrs are hoping for.

That's a bit of a letdown, but surprisingly the film still comes up with a well written and complex mystery told in an unconventional manner, along with plenty of tension and psychologically uncomfortable moments. There's also a strong central performance from Jessica Biel, who does well in a challenging role as the town's only nurse, an outsider who used to be married to the local doctor before his untimely passing.

Visually, Laugier does a great job depicting the town and surrounding area. Even if most of the supporting cast of characters are paper thin, we still get a real sense of their lives and the hardships going on. There's also a couple of impressively handled sequences that start out cliched but turn out far from what the audience expects.

In the end, however, it's impossible to judge this film away from the heightened expectations created by Martyrs. It's inventive, original, and even a little thought provoking, but it lacks the real unsettling mood or outright intensity required to lift it from being just another forgotten, straight-to-video flick. It seems Laugier has followed in the footsteps of practically every other New French Extremity director, by going across the pond and then making a disappointing followup to a spectacular debut.
Bonjour Tristesse
The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

The Tall Man (2012)

10 comments:

Steven S said...

I heard good things about this. Then I heard bad things. Then I decided I probably won't be too bothered to see it.

Michaël Parent said...

Sadly, when a French director crosses the Atlantic more often than not he fails to deliver something worth it. Too bad because Martyrs got such a cult and respect amongst Horror aficionados...

d_4 said...

This sounds average, but I appreciate the more realistically inclined plot. What I got out of this one really is, I wanna see Martyrs.

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Mixed reviews, I think I'll pass. Jessica Biel can act then, sadly most of her movies have been rated rotten looking at her career timeline. Good on you for giving The Tall Man a chance due to the director. At least your review introduced me to Martyrs.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

You wont be missing out on much.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah, now that you mention it, I think no one other than Louis Malle, and maybe Luc Besson were able to successfully transition.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

It's a smart plot, but really isn't feature film calibre... maybe better suited for a tv show like outer limits or x-files.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah I've always considered her a generic Hollywood pretty face, but she showed some actual range here. Too bad the film doesn't really deliver the goods.

Hoi-Ming Ng said...

I'll go in for it just to see these not-cliched scenes you mention.

ste53 said...

Dont bother. its to slow and confusing.

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