Review of Stoker (2013) by Spangle — 23 Nov 2016

Within the first half hour, it becomes clear that Chan-wook Park had just finished watching Alfred Hitchcock's classic Shadow of a Doubt and decided, "That is my next movie." From naming a character Uncle Charlie and making him a very mysterious figure, Park's film plays like a remake of Shadow of a Doubt until he hits the halfway point and turns it into a movie Hitchcock never could due to the Hays Code. That said, I would not be surprised if this were the film Hitchcock wished he could have made. Perverse, sick, and decidedly twisted, Stoker landed far better for me than the only other work I have seen by Chan-wook Park, Oldboy, but still feels like a largely hollow experience.

Symbolic and emotionally withdrawn, Stoker stars Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker. A weird, dark, and emotionally disturbed teenager, India is grieving the loss of her father, Richard (Jacki Weaver). Her grieving process is interrupted by the arrival of the mysterious Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) who immediately starts coming onto both India and her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Given the reaction of the teenage girls to seeing Uncle Charlie, it is hard to imagine that the pair did not want the attention given to them by Charlie. However, as people keep missing that would expose the mystery that lies behind Charlie's past (which he claims was all over-the-world due to business), things become all the more unsettling and creepy. Here, Park has a lot of fun with the symbolic elements at play here and really just likes disturbing his viewer.

Early on, we can tell that India is quite mentally ill. Evidently, so can Uncle Charlie who is shown to have taken a liking to India since she was very little. In his equally depraved mind, it is apparent that he knew the two of them were both disturbed, unlike India's father Richard. Now, Richard could certainly tell as well as he strove to keep them apart. Once together, however, it clear that they were meant for one another. Charlie, in many ways, is grooming India. Not sexually (okay, sexually), but deviously. Since he was a boy, Charlie killed. India did as well, but her father sought to keep it be restricted to birds. Unfortunately, with Charlie in the picture, she is introduced to the concept of killing people and, given a shower sequence, the thought really turns her on. Of all the disturbing sequences in the film, this one is certainly up there as one of the most chilling.

The chilling nature of their relationship is amplified by the great acting from Wasikowska and Goode. Neither are ever appreciated by the mainstream as they should be, in spite of both being terrific actors. Wasikowska plays the very restrained and inward-focused India with zero emotion, which is perfect for the character. Watching her as India and in other films such as Tracks or Crimson Peak is honestly night-and-day, given the emotion she displays in those films and the complete lack of feeling she demonstrates here. Goode, meanwhile, plays Uncle Charlie with more emotion, but still it feels as though something were missing. From the very beginning, he emanates this mysterious vibe of the character, as you can tell something is very off about this man and he may not be what he seems. While this is certainly the Shadow of a Doubt influence and for those who have seen the film, you undeniably know that Charlie is not all that he presents. But, even if you have not seen Hitchcock's film, Goode plays the role in such a way that this lack of clarity as to who he is and where he is actually from becomes incredibly clear.

On the other side, Kidman is most certainly depraved, but in a different way. She plays the role of Evelyn akin to how Wasikowska plays India, yet older. She is wiser, more mature, and as such, more restrained. She does not display emotion, other than to express her general disdain for her daughter. Evelyn is incredibly chilled and withdrawn into her own shell and Kidman brings this element to life with brute force in the film. The cinematography, of course, is also gorgeous. The main highlights being three sequences that truly stick out. The beginning with Wasikowska in the field, narrating the opening is breathtakingly shot with the sun behind her as she walks through this field. Secondly, when India is brushing Evelyn's hair. The camera seamlessly and breathtakingly flows from Kidman's bright red hair to the green of the leaves as India describes to Evelyn the feeling she gets from the hunt. Honestly, seen in conjunction with the end of the film, the scene is also quite revealing about India's character, as it demonstrates the impact hunting has on her and certainly foreshadows to her desire to change her game. The third shot that sticks out is the ending. With blood spraying on leaves and the gun trained to India's eye, Park truly captures the odd, perverse beauty of the moment with sickening skill.

All of this said, Stoker is still imperfect. In many respects, it may be too withdrawn.