The Box (2009)

Red Stripe

Director Richard Kelly

Stars Cameron Diaz, James Marsden & Frank Langella

Things You Might Like

• Moving melodrama for the first half
• Intriguing mystery in the second
• Solid acting lifts a heavy script
• The Richard Kelly touch in brief

Things You Might Not Like

• Almost two different stories only just held together
• Kelly’s imagination at odds with the script’s family drama
• Not the easiest watch if you’re not a fan

With a cult classic debut (Donnie Darko) and a poorly received sophomore effort (Southland Tales) under his belt, director Richard Kelly faced a crossroads with his third film.  The result sits squarely between the two; it’s low key and concerns a small cast but threatens world changing consequences.  The Box is a distinctly Kelly film, revolving around confusing and overlapping narratives while building tension and revealing the unexpected.

Based around a Richard Matheson short story, and heavily influenced by an eighties Twilight Zone adaption, The Box concerns the delivery of a mysterious…box…to the Lewis family.  The box has a button which, when pressed, will earn the pusher one million dollars but someone they don’t know will die.  As the family consider their decision, questions are raised over exactly who knows what.Watching The Box is a strange experience, it is at once an intriguing mystery and overacted melodrama.  The intrigue arises from the high concept idea behind the plot, just how much money would it take for you to kill someone you don’t know?The first half builds this tension and the second looks behind the box and asks what kind of people would make such a thing.  Following the Twlight Zoneversion for the opening act, the mystery is whether or not the Lewis’ will push the button.  This is later replaced with more typical Kelly existential plotting, replacing the question marks with awe.  We’re not supposed to question the second half, more to look on in wonder.

Marsden and Diaz do well with a heavy script, making their decision making believable and garnering sympathy where required.  They don’t seem particularly well matched as a couple but make for effective parents and hold a exposition-heavy final act.  More impressive is Langella, acting through half a CGI face. His dark stranger delivers more exposition than anyone else, explaining the rules of the box as much to the Lewis’ as to us.  Yet he is never weighed down by his responsibilities, bringing a lightness of touch that stops the drama from getting too bogged down in its own concept.

Though far from perfect, and certainly Kelly’s least impressive film to date, The Box is entertaining throughout.  A mixture of taught drama and twisting narrative ensures that you want to find out what happens and are emotionally engaged with the fate of the leads.  Some may be put off by the turns of the final act, but those familiar with Kelly’s works will no doubt appreciate the logic he creates.

More than just one for the fans, The Box is a gripping Sunday afternoon melodrama with a twist.  It’s not a strong as Kelly’s original works, and hopefully just a bridge to another after the commercial failure of Southland Tales, but holds up well on the foundations of an interesting concept.  It’s clear the director has a passion for the story and does manage to put his own stamp on the fleshed out second hour but it can never be as good as a wholly original piece.

Buy The Box from Amazon