Ten out of ten. Other viewers can complain all they want about this film being 'tedious' or 'bland', or slightly missing the mark or opportunity, but I strongly disagree. Makes me wonder if they got the true point of the novel, even. Stephen King is NOT a horror writer, so much as he is a writer of characters and extraordinary events that they go through, and most importantly, he writes about the deep emotional experiences that people endure in their lifetimes here on this earth. He tends to throw in dark elements, to be certain, and some of those are downright creepy, frightening, or straight-up horrific; this does not make him a horror writer. And anyone expecting a horror film here will subsequently be disappointed and, I guess, apparently bored. I was not bored, I was riveted the entire time. It's not easy to do what Mike Flanagan does with this adaptation. He nails the mental struggles and fractured psyche of the main character, Jessie, under the strain of what she faces. He also delivers on the heart of King's story, which isn't the present situation she finds herself in as an adult, but rather, dealing with secrets and ghosts from her past that have haunted her all her life, without her truly even knowing 'til her current situation arises. It's a beautiful novel of pain, suffering, secrets, abuse (on multiple levels, by multiple people), and the struggle to not just survive, but also heal and thrive, if possible. Flanagan's film captures the heart of King's story, and it is beautifully rendered, and many scenes are equally visually stunning. I cried at the end of the movie. Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino turn in excellent performances, among the best I've seen from both of them. Henry Thomas is equally and fittingly gross. Very well done. Even younger Jessie, played by Chiara Aurelia, was exacted with nuanced grace and heartbreak. This is just a terrific movie. And I find every scene featuring Carel Struycken to be extremely creepy, so I'm not certain how other reviewers find this movie lacking in creep value. I just can't disagree more. I love this movie, it's instantly and already in my top fifteen, maybe even my top ten favorite films of all time. Well done. I'll be watching this one more than once.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Decomposing Tony Maslow
(2009)
Decomposing Tony Maslow is a Sinister Delight!
10 December 2010
I recently had the pleasure of seeing the world premiere screening of "Decomposing Tony Maslow," in the Chaplin Theater at Raleigh Studios, on September 14, 2010. At 92 minutes running time, this film is listed under the genres of drama, mystery and thriller. However, I spent the first 30 minutes of the film laughing in almost every scene. This film was funny! Then, it turns dark, in a very sudden and almost jarring manner. Suddenly the viewer is plunged into the full mystery and thrill of this wonderful story.
Tony Maslow (played by David O'Donnell) is a ghostwriter, who, after a heart-wrenching break up with his girlfriend, is stricken with a terrible bout of writer's block. His agent, Phil (played by Ryan Matthew Bollman) is desperate to help Tony produce pages by deadline, and rents a fully furnished house for Tony to work in, complete with a caretaker, in the hopes that this will solve Tony's plight. The caretaker, Arthur (played by Micci Toliver) quickly gets Maslow settled into the house and leaves.
Tony Maslow is played by the wonderfully talented David O'Donnell, who brings such life to the character, you truly feel Maslow's pain. O'Donnell's incredible comedic delivery of scenes where Maslow continues to be stricken by writer's block is hilarious. His endless pacing, playing with random objects, throwing a ball and staring at his laptop, while drinking glass after glass of Haitian rum is so funny, the entire audience was cackling. The entire comedy routine comes to a crescendo as Maslow lays on the floor of his kitchen, drunkenly leaving long messages on his ex-girlfriend's answering machine.
Then suddenly, laughter gives way to intrigue, as the story takes a turn. The entire film is carried by scenes alternating mainly between Tony Maslow and Phil the agent, with a few other characters coming on and off throughout. The main theme of this movie is that nothing and no one is as it would seem. Characters are finally revealed in their full disposition and motive, and no one can guess what the truth really is.
This film truly delivered a good mystery. Just when you think you know a character, they surprise you.. Up until the very end, you never know who is really dead, who is alive, what is a dream or what is real. One can only guess as to what has truly taken place, and the ride is both uncomfortable and thrilling.
This film, directed by Sacha Parisot, was a total delight to watch. Rendered in a masterful way by a director who clearly has a firm handle on how to build a mystery, Sacha Parisot knows how to tell a good story. Parisot co-wrote the script for this film along with Michael Phillip Edwards, and the story was told in beautiful undertones conveying the true agony and ecstasy of the art of writing.
Plain and simple, Decomposing Tony Maslow was a thrill to watch. It was highly entertaining. This film will make you laugh, cringe, sink down in your seat, and keep you guessing all the way up until the very end. Parisot really knows how to deliver a good mystery thriller.
Tony Maslow (played by David O'Donnell) is a ghostwriter, who, after a heart-wrenching break up with his girlfriend, is stricken with a terrible bout of writer's block. His agent, Phil (played by Ryan Matthew Bollman) is desperate to help Tony produce pages by deadline, and rents a fully furnished house for Tony to work in, complete with a caretaker, in the hopes that this will solve Tony's plight. The caretaker, Arthur (played by Micci Toliver) quickly gets Maslow settled into the house and leaves.
Tony Maslow is played by the wonderfully talented David O'Donnell, who brings such life to the character, you truly feel Maslow's pain. O'Donnell's incredible comedic delivery of scenes where Maslow continues to be stricken by writer's block is hilarious. His endless pacing, playing with random objects, throwing a ball and staring at his laptop, while drinking glass after glass of Haitian rum is so funny, the entire audience was cackling. The entire comedy routine comes to a crescendo as Maslow lays on the floor of his kitchen, drunkenly leaving long messages on his ex-girlfriend's answering machine.
Then suddenly, laughter gives way to intrigue, as the story takes a turn. The entire film is carried by scenes alternating mainly between Tony Maslow and Phil the agent, with a few other characters coming on and off throughout. The main theme of this movie is that nothing and no one is as it would seem. Characters are finally revealed in their full disposition and motive, and no one can guess what the truth really is.
This film truly delivered a good mystery. Just when you think you know a character, they surprise you.. Up until the very end, you never know who is really dead, who is alive, what is a dream or what is real. One can only guess as to what has truly taken place, and the ride is both uncomfortable and thrilling.
This film, directed by Sacha Parisot, was a total delight to watch. Rendered in a masterful way by a director who clearly has a firm handle on how to build a mystery, Sacha Parisot knows how to tell a good story. Parisot co-wrote the script for this film along with Michael Phillip Edwards, and the story was told in beautiful undertones conveying the true agony and ecstasy of the art of writing.
Plain and simple, Decomposing Tony Maslow was a thrill to watch. It was highly entertaining. This film will make you laugh, cringe, sink down in your seat, and keep you guessing all the way up until the very end. Parisot really knows how to deliver a good mystery thriller.
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