Several things would make it easy to overrate Ole Bornedal’s The Possession — starting with the fact that I saw it immediately after The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, a film that effectively lowers the bar for anything that gets near it. More to the point, however, is the fact that it’s refreshingly free of found-footage flapdoodle and was made by people with a tripod and a knowledge of lighting. It’s startling and a little depressing to realize that mere proficient professionalism comes across these days as near genius. While The Possession isn’t a bad little addition to the demonic possession horror sub-genre, it isn’t anything all that special. Whether or not that’s enough reason to watch it depends on how starved you are for even an OK horror picture.
The film is supposedly founded in fact, which is to say that it’s based on a supposedly real dybbuk box that has supposedly caused all manner of misfortune and ended up on eBay (a pretty mundane home for even a low-rent demon). Right about now you may be wondering what a dybbuk box is. It’s a box for confining a dybbuk, of course. And a dybbuk? Oh, that’s a wandering evil spirit from Jewish folklore that has received only limited cinematic exposure, though it recently cropped up in the opening scene of the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man (2009), and was central to the horror picture The Unborn (2009). Actually, The Possession is not all that dissimilar to The Unborn — just less silly in its execution. (Silly, of course, being a relative term.)
In this particular yarn, we’re dealing with a little girl named Em (Natasha Calis of TV’s The Firm) whose father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — being of the overly-indulgent divorced variety — ill-advisedly allows her to buy the aforementioned dybbuk box at a yard sale. Naturally, this is unwise in the extreme — except that the film depends on this kid getting her hands on the damned box. Of course, no one can figure out how to open it but her, which quickly proves most unfortunate. (The whole thing reminded me of the old Phil Harris’ novelty song, “The Thing,” about the poor boob who finds a wooden box that once he opens saddles him with an unspeakable something he can’t get rid of.) From here, the film moves along fairly standard possessed child lines — though one does wonder why none of the adults question the creepy old ring the kid is wearing, even though it appears to be turning her finger gray.
It takes the requisite amount of time, disasters, death and experts to come up with what’s makng Em behave so strangely. But at least the business is well-done and leads us to the more interesting territory of trying to find a Jewish exorcist, which turns out to be a young fellow named Tzadok (played by Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu, who turns in a credible and engaging performance). The exorcism jazz is OK and while the filmmakers realize the film needs something more, no one involved seems to have any idea what that something might be. As a result we end up with a second dose of pretty much the same stuff. On the plus side, Danish director Bornedal (best known for the English language remake of his own Night Watch — a nicely creepy thriller from Ewan McGregor’s full-frontal nudity era) does manage to generate an effective mood, and the film is better acted than many genre works. The problem is that it’s ultimately too much of the same old demonic possession thrills. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving violence and disturbing sequences (re-rating on appeal).
Now you’re sending me your best wishes
Signed with love and vicious kisses
You lack lust, you’re so lacklustre
Is that all the strength you can muster?
Possession
Elvis Costello is not a Hasidic reggae rapper.
Elvis Costello is not a Hasidic reggae rapper.
Give him time. As Dennis Crouch said to me once, ‘Elvis is a part of everything’.
I am a soupcon skeptical.
I am the urban spaceman.
I’m the urban space man, baby; I’ve got speed
I’ve got everything I need
I’m the urban spaceman, baby; I can fly
I’m a supersonic guy
Now, Neil Innes may indeed be a part of everything. Or he should be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLDI5lNdRQ
Meh, I’d knock it down half a star. Mrs. Orbit liked it.
Have we ever talked about why horror movies are not being released around Halloween? I know this was at the top of the box office, but surely it would make more money in October when people are in the mood for a fright.
Well, for years the Saw movies were the Halloween standard. Then they were replaced with the Paranormal Stupidity rubbish — and there’s one of those down for Oct. 19, while Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is down for Oct. 26. (Different director and much resultant skepticism from me.) They probably didn’t want to go head to head with those.
But why is there room for only one horror film? If I were the studios I would load October each weekend. I guess they don’t see the hordes of people like I do renting horror movies that month.
I think it has to do with the desire for everything to be The Next Big Thing. (Then again, maybe it’s like the Beatles and the Stones very carefully coordinating not to bring albums out at the same time.) At the same time, we both know that what people will rent and what they’ll shell out for theater tickets for is not the same thing. What’s a rental? $3? A movie ticket’s about $10 — and that’s per person.
If anyone is interested in an interesting view on Jewish mysticism there is a trilogy of excellent sci-fi books by Kathleen O’Neal. Starting with “An Abyss of Light”. Yeah it might sound weird but I really got hooked on the series. Definitely worth a read when you aren’t surfing the MountainExpress website.
You’ve been so quiet of late that I was wondering you still were surfing the site!
Retirement has kept me much busier than when I was working. At least then I had time to surf while my programs compiled.
Well, for years the Saw movies were the Halloween standard.
DrSerizawa can proudly announce that he has never seen one Saw movie. Not one. Ever.
My wife and I have discussed it but faced with the choice of traipsing to the theater to see that schlock or simply inserting The Black Cat or even Bride of the Monster into the DVD player…. well, there really is no choice is there? Not being a movie critic I don’t have to watch that crap.
What does it say about horror movies when something like Saw is considered a “standard”? Pretty depressing.
I cannot really argue with your assessment of the situation, but what I find even more depressing is that the Paranormal Stupidity movies make miss the Saw series.