Following the death of her father, India Stoker (Wasikowska)
meets her charismatic uncle; a man she never knew existed. When he moves in to
comfort India and her mother, Evelyn (Kidman), the two find that the newest
member of the family might actually be their worst nightmare. It’s clear from
the start that there’s more to this family than meets the eye, and the arrival
of Charles (Goode) stirs up trouble for the entire clan. Everybody is acting
strange and Park Chan-wook takes great pride in stirring the pot, adding extra
spice to the darkness bubbling under the surface.
India is a curious beast, somewhere between Clare Danes and
Winona Ryder. In fact, there were times when I expected Christina Ricci to
knock on the door and introduce herself as a distant cousin. Mia Wasikowska
(Jayne Eyre) is extraordinary though, putting the capital ‘P’ in peculiar.
India is a solitary girl, socially inept, distant and unsociable. Much like all
of the characters, India struggles to make a connection with the people in her
life, and the awkward sexual tension between her and Charles is the closest we
get to raw emotion. Creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, Mia injects Alice
with malice and drags her kicking and screaming out of Wonderland.
Park Chan-wook is a master behind the lens and Stoker
overflows with exquisite camera angles and cinematic flare. It’s the little
things that matter in life and Park doesn’t waste a single shot; strands of
hair that turn into cornfields, harvest spiders haunting every frame. Park
treats the camera as an artist would his canvas, painting regular strokes of
grandeur over the cracks of a creaking screenplay.
Thirst was a fresh twist on the vampire sub-genre but Stoker
– despite some obvious references – refuses to walk that path. Wentworth Miller
(Prison Break) wears his Hitchcockian influence like an all-encompassing
tattoo, despite citing Dracula as his main inspiration. There’s a touch of
Psycho thrown in – though that could have more to do with Park’s own obsession
with the master of suspense – but Stoker is more or less a reimagining of
1943’s Shadow of a Doubt. The first act walks a fine line between abstract and
intrigue, before loosing its way to familiarity and convention. Park finds
himself in comfortable terrain as the final act descends, but the ending
disappoints with its lack of wonder.
Ambiguity is lost in favour of indolent plot mechanics and
well-worn traits. It’s not like Park is new to this game, his vengeance trilogy
hit upon similar beats time and time again. Stoker however remains artful not
essential. The violence is more restrained this time out, almost as though the
Korean auteur is all too aware of his new surroundings. Anyone expecting the
final act intensity of Lady Vengeance will be disheartened by the lack of
invention, humour and heart. Stoker unfortunately, like most of its characters,
is an empty vessel in need of true essence.
Park and Miller have created a nightmarish world that revels
in darkness and distance. The imagery is sublime but the characters are lacking
in human touch. Everybody is so damn bizarre, so disengaging; it’s impossible
to connect with them on an emotional level. Stoker is seductive, creepy,
twisted and cruel but a lack of realism softens the blow of apprehension.
Performances can’t be blamed; Goode’s smarmy seduction shtick is expertly sold,
and Kidman walks a fine line between domineering and desperate. It’s the lack
of connection that hampers Stoker’s attainment.
The ending falls flat but the same can’t be said for Park’s
direction. Provocative, majestic and richly rewarding, Park is the reason
you’ll want to check this out, not for the love of hackneyed plotting.
Intriguing but ultimately disappointing, Stoker is blessed with stunning lead
turns, a wonderful score and awe-inspiring visual splendour. Miller’s script
touches on greatness at times but loses its way down a vacuous rabbit hole,
lacking in genuine warmth and wonder.
The good outweighs the bad, and this English language debut is still a considerable success, but Park’s previous prosperity is also his undoing. We expect more from him in this genre and his time will come again. Whether we will see it watered down in Hollywood remains to be seen. AW
The good outweighs the bad, and this English language debut is still a considerable success, but Park’s previous prosperity is also his undoing. We expect more from him in this genre and his time will come again. Whether we will see it watered down in Hollywood remains to be seen. AW
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