The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (DVD review)

Rated: R/UNRATED (strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content)
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Written by: Sheldon Turner
Starring: Jordana Brewster, R. Lee Ermy, Andrew Bryniarski

I watched the Golden Globes this past week and unsurprisingly found myself in dismay over who snagged awards. Somehow Dreamgirls won Best Picture and Eddie Murphy got Best Supporting Actor. I saw Dreamgirls and was extensively unenthused – there’s NO way it should’ve triumphed over Little Miss Sunshine, and Jack Nicholson was clearly the deserving candidate over Murphy. What does any of this have to do with this review you might ask? Well see, I quickly dashed to my favorite genre to find catharsis for my troubles: horror. And so here’s your review for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning!

The original ‘Chainsaw’ is one of the granddaddies of horror cinema, not to mention independent film as a whole. When the 2003 remake came about I was equal parts keen and vexed. As it happened, I loved the remake. So now to continue the franchise they’ve made a prequel. I can’t say I love this installment as thoroughly, but I’m far from hating it.

The story is the same salvaged tale we’ve heard in excruciating detail countless times before – kids drive through a remote part of the middle of nowhere to find themselves at the not-so-tender mercies of deranged, psychopathic hillbilly-types. The core threat here is manifested in the form of Leatherface, named so due to his penchant for wearing the faces of his victims, which he obtains via his trusty chainsaw, which is always ready and willing to dismember and miraculously never runs out of gas.

This time around, the focus is on Leatherface’s kin – the Hewitt family – and the origins that lead to his ultimate iconic status. The film does an incredible job of tying everything together and really connects to its immediate predecessor. We learn how the family became as they are and even, in a profoundly grotesque opening scene, witness the birth of baby Leatherface.

Part of what made the 2003 ‘Chainsaw’ so good was its director, Marcus Nispel. This time the reigns have been given to Jonathan Liebesman (Darnkess Falls). While not nearly as artistically inclined or aesthetically polished as Nispel, he holds his own and actually somewhat channels the gritty, visceral, unrefined immediacy of Tobe Hooper’s original film.

The acting is adequate, considering how one-dimensional the kids/victims are. Jordana Brewster gives a genuine performance, constantly sporting an expression of pure mortification. The cast that portrays the Hewitt family is solid, but the MVP clearly goes to the man himself, R. Lee Ermy (Full Metal Jacket) as Sheriff Hoyt – he’s a sadistic joy to watch. And Andrew Bryniarski is something of a frightening genius as Leatherface, emoting a complex blend of rage meets misunderstanding through darkly charismatic body-language.

The film severely hurts itself in that there’s nothing revolutionary or surprising. It’s a prequel, so if you know the series you already can surmise the family lives and the kids all die. And the script just doesn’t do much of anything. But God help me it’s so fun to watch.

The DVD has the usual trailer, behind-the-scenes, and several deleted/extended scenes (including multiple alternate endings) which rightly belong on the cutting-room floor. The film comes in your choice of R-rated and Unrated cuts. I missed this one in the theater, but watched the Unrated version, which runs about five minutes longer and reinstates the material that originally earned the flick an NC-17 rating. And that’s one thing the movie yields no shortage of – gore. It’s often a downright bloodbath that can get savagely brutal to watch.

This is a movie that’s going to ultimately appeal to fans of the genre, and even then it will evenly divide them, as it’s fairly easy to love or hate. I have to say I’m a fan, and would readily throw it a vote before giving Dreamgirls such undeserving recognition. Did I just go on a tangent again? Crap, I guess I have to start my DVD over now…

My Rating: B -

The Departed

Rated: R (for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material)
Runtime: 152 minutes
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: William Monahan
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin

I love Martin Scorsese. I’m of the firm mind that the man’s a cinematic genius, and it’s a sin that he has yet to win an Oscar. Granted he’s made his share of films I find lackluster (i.e. Bringing Out the Dead). But with gems like Goodfellas, Casino, Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ, it’s easy to forgive the man his occasional flaws. When I first heard they were remaking the wildly popular Hong Kong cop thriller Infernal Affairs I was mildly intrigued, hoping they would do it justice. When I heard Scorsese wanted this to be his next project I readily became giddy like a virgin on prom night. And the cast attached? Marvelous! So I plopped my butt down at the theater recently to see how my expectations would line up with this media-blitzed film. I’ll get to that soon…

The Departed is a densely woven spider web of double-crosses, betrayal and deceit centered around Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has worked his way up the ranks in the police force, but is secretly working for Costello. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a cop recruited to go undercover within Costello’s gang. When Costigan, Costello and Sullivan learn of the respective rat on the other side of the fence, the opposing forces begin a modestly epic cat-and-rat hunt for one another where identity quickly becomes cause for death.

From an acting standpoint the film is spectacular. Nicholson is in top form and seems right at home playing Costello with a devilishly delightful intensity. DiCaprio really shines and offers strong proof as to why Scorsese continues his trend of casting him in leading roles. Damon isn’t quite as dynamic as I know him to be capable of, but still turns in a far from flawed performance. Wahlberg is effective and enjoyably foul as the ever-insulting Dignam, but is frustratingly underused. Other characters are at times enjoyable but the story is overpopulated, and several roles seem unnecessary.

The Departed bears all the markings of a Scorsese film, from the vintage soundtrack, to the dramatically kinetic camerawork, to the gritty and commanding narration, to the extravagantly brutal, crimson-raining violence (this movie hosts some of the most graphic and realistic headshots I’ve seen). And for the most part it all works. But some of the emphasis is too heavy-handed. The camera repeatedly closes in on any utterance of the word “departed” and the final shot of the skyline with a rat crawling in the foreground along the railing is a wee tad much (however tongue-in-cheek and appropriately amusing).

The film suffers greatly from both its narrative structure and lack of character development. Scenes, while often brilliantly executed, feel disjointed and abrupt. Costello’s character is never fully orchestrated despite Nicholson’s charismatic ferocity. And Costigan and Sullivan’s tales aren’t brought to a satisfactory completion. I did like the multilayered double-crossing twists at the end, some of which were mildly surprising, but when all was said and done the final resonance didn’t quite live up to expectations. As was the case for me with Gangs of New York, the ending of The Departed was severely anti-climactic, despite a progressive swell towards something of foreshadowed epic proportions. The important characters who die (I won’t say who) aren’t given what feels like an appropriate exit. True, the harsh reality of a sudden and unexpected death, however simple or garish, does ring appropriate in Scorsese’s world, but after two-and-a-half hours with these characters, one tends to want something… more. More attachment to and development of the story’s inhabitants. I never connected on the level I did with Goodfellas or Casino, where you knew nearly every facet in the characters’ lives.

Overall I did thoroughly enjoy the film. The seemingly epic opening is particularly strong and for such a lengthy runtime the tale rarely falters and never bores. Scorsese has always had a master’s panache in working with long narratives. But there’s a certain spark… that magical flare that exists when Scorsese crafts something genuinely unique that The Departed lacks. It’s nearly impossible to explain. This year has been so dismal cinematically that this film does stand as one of the best. But… my prediction stands: expect to see some acting recognition come awards time, but I fear that once again for Marty, this one may depart empty-handed.

My Rating: B