Spider
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Movie Reviews of Spider
Movie Review: Underappreciated Cronenberg Gem Contains Fiennes At His Best
Summary: 5 Stars
David Cronenberg.
Anyone familiar with the name automatically begins to visualize all sorts of grotesque cinematic scenes, ranging from a woman licking a fetus clean in "The Brood" to James Woods shoving a gun in a newfound bodily orifice growing in his stomach in the film "Videodrome." If they're not thinking of this, they're reminded of the exploding head in "Scanners" or the metamorphosis of Jeff Goldblum into 'Brundlefly' in
The Fly."
However, despite the man's penchant for shocking and often gory imagery, he is also a master helmsman of dark emotional currents, seen throughout many of his films (notably "Dead Ringers" and the vastly underrated "M Butterfly") where he takes viewers into deep recesses of their own minds, forcing them to confront thoughts and underlying desires which normally go suppressed, denied or never realized on a day to day basis.
As such, Cronenberg was the perfect choice for this film, a dark tale of a very disturbed man named Dennis "Spider" Cleg who is trying to make sense of the events in his life that have left him traumatized and asylum-bound, seemingly from paranoid schizophrenia. Recently released from an institution and sent to a halfway house under the rule of a seemingly tyrannical housekeeper named Miss Wilkinson, Spider spends the majority of his time rolling cigarettes, mumbling to himself as he wanders boyhood streets in London, and writing in frantic scribbles in a small notepad which he keeps hidden under a rug in his room. His frenzied writing activates a travel through his memory, doing a house cleaning of sorts as he is forced to confront head on the things that have made him the way he is.
The particular genius of this film is how it quickly establishes Spider as being a very disturbed individual, thus making the viewer accept that he is obviously not the most reliable narrator. As such, the travels through his memories cannot really be taken as gospel or truth, and in many ways, the viewer is likewise experiencing these visions for the first time, much like the one manifesting them. Another stroke of genius was how Cronenberg places Spider in the midst of these flashbacks, leaving the disheveled man standing in the background as the young Spider undergoes the experience. It's a technique similar to one used by the director in his earlier film, "The Dead Zone," where Christopher Walken's character is contained within his glimpses into the future. This works to a great effect, as it forces the viewer to experience firsthand the journey Spider is going through in his mind, and it produces some great visuals and haunting moments.
The true strength of the film, outside of its beautiful camera work and a brooding score from Cronenberg regular Howard Shore (aided by the Kronos Quartet, the soundtrack is worth tracking down if you can find it), is the stunning performance of Ralph Fiennes. This is a true actor, one of the finest I have ever seen in all honesty, but despite knowing how good he was before watching this film, I was still in shock at how solid he is throughout by the end credits. One literally forgets he is acting, and becomes convinced that he is indeed a man named Dennis Cleg. With his mussed hair, medicated posture, nicotine-stained fingers, and shifting eyes, Fiennes literally looks the part of a seriously disturbed and tragic individual. This is definitely his finest hour, a hard thing to imagine from the man who brought brilliance to "The English Patient" and "Schindler's List." The rest of the cast is great as well, including Miranda Richardson in three astonishing roles and the always reliable Gabriel Byrne, who with one look can express all the dissatisfaction of his character. Weaker actors would have to use dialog, yet Byrne can do it with a simple turn of the head or a twist of the mouth. The addition of John Neville as another resident of the halfway house only makes the impressive performances that much stronger. Honestly, this is one of the best casts I have ever seen for a small-scale art film.
As a fan of the book, written by screenwriter Patrick McGrath, I was definitely not let down by this release. In many ways, the film improves on the book, downplaying some elements of Spider's personality which reeked of misanthropy and thus made him more sympathetic. It is also much more sparse and less hallucinatory, allowing for one to have a clearer grip on where things are headed, and ultimately, the film makes the tragedy of Spider's life that much more palpable. The film also ends on a decidedly less grim note than the book, which is brilliant in its own right. Altogether, it is a film that is faithful to the source material despite several changes which alter its outcome throughly. Anyone who wants a good read should check the book out, as should those who count themselves fans of this movie.
If I have one complaint, it would be the pacing of the film. The first third seems to take forever to move through, and with such soft-spoken dialog, it seems to take a good thirty or forty minutes to really get to the meat of the tale. However, there's a good reason for this, which is namely Cronenberg's studious approach to detail and restraint, placing the viewer within a similar mindset of anxiety to get to the bottom of things , a feeling obviously consuming Mr. Cleg. If you can make it through the first third, you will easily finish the film with little regret, but for those with short attention spans, you may want to look elsewhere for your entertainment.
Is this my favorite work from Cronenberg? No. It is definitely one of his better films, however, and one that shows the type of mastery of filmmaking that has allowed the man to make so many brilliantly executed pieces of cinema. A dark, haunting, and lingering experience, this film is highly recommended.
Movie Review: An epiphanic experience
Summary: 5 Stars
Every once in awhile I like to watch a David Cronenberg film. One thing you will always get from a Cronenberg film is a serious look at how technology and human beings interact. Like science fiction author J.G. Ballard, Cronenberg's films embrace a synthesis of man and machine that is exceedingly grim, an outlook usually complimented with generous helpings of gore. The overarching theme in his cinematic examinations seems to be that humans simply do not know enough about the technology they develop, or if they do, their arrogance in the ultimate abilities of mankind always leads them charging into experiments despite the risks. That we are just not far seeing enough to predict the outcome of using new drugs or messing around with human genetics may be a good message to take from a Cronenberg film. "Spider" is a departure from the above traits, resembling "Dead Ringers" more than it does "Scanners," "Shivers," or other Cronenberg films. The film is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Patrick McGrath, a novel that takes as its central theme the devastating consequences of mental illness.Meet Dennis "Spider" Cleg (Ralph Fiennes), a guy with more problems than you could possibly fathom. Spider is mentally ill, a result of a problematic childhood and a horrific incident that caused his fragile mind to finally crack. When we first meet Spider he's just gotten out of the asylum and is checking into a half way house in the hope that he is finally ready to rejoin society. It's difficult to imagine Spider is ready for anything seeing as how he barely talks, spends most of his time scrawling doggerel into a tiny notebook, and has occasional outbursts of hysteric hostility over such mundane incidents as a small whiff of heating gas. Still, what do we know about mental illness? Maybe he really is ready to confront his dark past and the complexities of the modern world. In the meantime, Spider deals with the stern taskmaster in charge of the halfway house (Lynn Redgrave) and its kooky residents. As he lives in his largely internal world, Spider begins to remember his early life, the world he knew before the darkness stole over his mind and robbed him of his faculties. It's a dark world indeed, a world Spider needs to recall if he is to become healthy again.
It turns out that Spider's father and his mother had a highly unpleasant relationship. The mother adores her son, fondly nicknaming him "Spider" and doting on him whenever possible. His father Bill, on the other hand, is a cold, aloof man who seems as though he cannot stand the banalities of living with his wife and his son. Spider soon learns his father is up to no good when he sees his dad at the pub associating with a grotesque, bleach blonde prostitute of decidedly icky appearance named Yvonne. One thing leads to another, as adultery often does, and the elder Cleg and the tart consummate their relationship in a particularly sordid way (check out what she throws into the river! Yuck!). Then the madness begins. The prostitute and Spider's father decide to live together as man and wife, a definite problem considering there is already a spouse living under the Cleg roof. Murder is the answer, and murder becomes the solution as Spider's mother dies at the hands of her husband and his new lover. Even worse, Bill and Yvonne want Spider to accept them as his parents, something the boy adamantly refuses to do. Young Dennis decides to take matters into his own hands using his knowledge of making "webs" out of household twine, thus concocting a little surprise for Bill and Yvonne. I'm not going to tell you anything more beyond this point except to say you simply MUST watch this movie. Go out right now and rent it, this second, so you can watch it right away.
"Spider" is a film that punishes you for complacency. I should have known better considering my experience with Cronenberg films, but I simply popped this disc in the player, set back, and accepted on face value everything I saw. BIG MISTAKE. Nothing is what it seems in "Spider," absolutely nothing. Not until the movie neared the explosive revelation at the conclusion of the film did I begin to grasp the reality of the whole thing. Then I howled with surprise and understanding, suddenly remembering all of the clues Cronenberg placed at strategic points throughout the film to help his audience figure it all out. You will probably do the same thing, and that's o.k. since it's what makes the whole thing so much fun. Until you understand what the heck is going on, enjoy the blasted landscapes of London and the phenomenal performances from the stellar cast. Gabriel Byrne plays Bill Cleg like a pro, Miranda Richardson turns in the performance--actually three performances, by the way--of a lifetime. Ralph Fiennes as the disabled Spider really steals the show. We all know he can act because we saw him in "Schindler's List," but he trumps even that performance here. His acting is Oscar worthy, and that's an understatement.
The DVD edition provides plenty of extras explaining nearly everything you would want to know about the movie. There's a lengthy Cronenberg interview where the director explains the difficulties he encountered bringing the film to fruition, a commentary track, a behind the scenes featurette, a trailer, a widescreen picture transfer, and interviews with the cast. Don't even listen to the people who say they hate this film; they simply don't know what they're talking about. "Spider" may well be Cronenberg's best film in his long career, and that's saying something. Brilliant, this one, and well worth owning. Now get out and watch it!
Movie Review: WITHOUT A DOUBT, CRONENBERG'S MASTERPIECE...
Summary: 5 Stars
...and that takes absolutely NOTHING away from the stunning contributions from everyone involved in this project. As soon as I read Patrick McGrath's incredible novel a few years ago, I knew I had discovered something wonderfully unique - then I read that there were plans for a film, with McGrath writing the screenplay - and when the pieces began to fall into place (Ralph Fiennes in the title role, along with Miranda Richardson and Lynn Redgrave, with David Cronenberg directing) I knew that the film would be something very special indeed. I was almost afraid to see it when it appeared in theatres (delayed for months in the US after its European release, evidently to keep it from being confused with SPIDER-MAN) - I feared that I had built up my expectations to a degree that they could not be fulfilled. I needn't have worried - the film floored me completely, from the performances by the great actors named above, to Cronenberg's masterful direction, to the perfect set design, Howard Shore's dead-on score, everything. This is as perfect an adaptation as a film could be. I couldn't wait for the DVD to come out, so I could view the film and have the ability to stop it and run it back in order to absorb all of its nuances.It's also a difficult review to write - the plot twists are so delicious, and so perfectly rendered in the film, but to reveal too much about them would spoil it for any potential viewers. I'll try my best not to do that - I don't want to deprive anyone of the full effect. I have to agree wholeheartedly with another reviewer below when he states that `Hitchcock would have killed' to direct this story, and that it quite possibly surpasses anything that Hitchcock ever did (how many contemporary films could you say THAT about, and mean it...?).
According to Cronenberg's commentary on the DVD, when the script was sent to him, Ralph Fiennes had already decided that he wanted to play the part. Cronenberg stated `...two pages into the script, I knew that no one else could do it'. Plagued with financing difficulties - the director said that the financing actually had to be acquired a second time, after some sources backed out - it's a wonder the film was made at all. The cast and the director deferred their salaries, making it possible - and turning the project into a true labor of love. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedication and sacrifice.
`Spider' is Dennis Cleg - a man just released from a mental asylum to live in a halfway house in London's East End, very near his childhood neighborhood. Fiennes slips into the role completely - he pulls every ounce of the character's fiber out of the script, and added some touches of his own (the constant muttering was his idea) to round it out perfectly. Spider had a troubled childhood - as is evident from the memories that haunt him. The question is, which ones are real and which ones are manufactured...? As the story progresses, the web gets more and more intricate. Cronenberg films Spider in various environments - the halfway house day room, as well as his private room; on the streets in his neighborhood; in a local café, as well as the pub his dad used to frequent. All of these places trigger memories in him. He sees the characters from his past - his dad and mum, the `cheap tart' Yvonne - appear before him as if it were yesterday again. We see the adult Spider looking in through the kitchen window of his boyhood home, watching his mum and dad and himself as a child having dinner. He eavesdrops on their conversations, mumbling lines from each character before they speak them. Each place that he goes caused more doors of his memory to open - he tries desperately to put the pieces together, and it's a painful struggle, very difficult to watch.
I can't stress enough how mesmerizing Ralph Fiennes is in this role - watching him, it's very easy to completely forget that it's an actor playing a part. Miranda Richardson is stunning in multiple roles - she plays Spider's mum, as well as the tart Yvonne...and she makes an appearance, briefly, as a third character (watch for it!). Lynn Redgrave has long been admired as a masterful actor - she brings the perfect combination of authority and coldness to her portrayal of Mrs Wilkinson, with a dash of cruelty and seductiveness thrown in. The subtleties she invokes are amazing. Gabriel Byrne does a very nice job indeed in a difficult role as Spider's dad - he has to portray his character both as he is and as he is imagined and remembered, and he does it with a naturalness that betrays the daunting task. Bradley Hall, the young actor who portrays Spider as a child, combines loneliness, vulnerability, desperation, fear and an aching need to understand what is going on in his family and his world - amazing work from one so young. John Neville is very effective as Spider's fellow halfway house dweller Terrence - `...we're not to be trusted, are we, Terrence...?' muses Mrs Wilkinson when she introduces the two. Terrence speaks a line that is very evocative of the isolation and pain felt by victims of schizophrenia, when he tells Spider, `...it's a loud world.'
I can't say enough about this incredible film - but I know I don't want to inadvertently give too much away, and I know I'm approaching my word-count limit. Pass it by at your peril - the DVD is beautifully rendered, with great bonus material - but should you ever get the chance, see this one on the big screen. It wasn't a box-office smash - and the public once again has ignored a masterpiece.
Movie Review: Hanging from the edge of the web
Summary: 5 Stars
The rainy,grim,grey streets of East London,dominated by the Gasometers,streets of bricked-up windows and doorways,or unpeopled.Set in the late 50s of post-war desolation.Ralph Fiennes plays Dennis Clegg,inching his way slowly from the train to the half-way house for the mentally ill,between hospital and community,run by Mrs.Wilkinson(Lynne Redgrave),the formidable matriarch of fear.He mumbles hesitatingly.John Neville plays the loquacious,grandiose Terence,with the humour of the institutionalised who welcomes him to this Dickensian, ramshackle home.Clegg has been away in a mental institution for years.He is now returning to explore his memories, delusions,paranoid thoughts and fears of the trauma of his schizophrenic past.His notebook is used to record this journey into time and trauma.Jig-saw pieces filled in by conjecture.Isolated,lonely,with no friends to dispel his webby thoughts.As the sights and smells of a dank landscape permeate his fractured consciousness, Spider begins to recall his turbulent boyhood as the only child to an abusive plumber (Byrne) and his wife (Richardson).He explores the outer environment of café's,pubs and canal seats,near to the environment he grew up in on the silk of memories.
Clegg has a deep love for his mother,who is the archetype for all women to him.He was closer to her than to his father.He believes his father(Byrne)Bill,killed his mother and took up with a tart.It seems that his mother(Richardson) and himself are neglected by an alcoholic husband and father.His mother has fondly called him `Spider', because of his love of cat's cradles and spider's webs.She becomes mixed up in his head with Yvonne, the tart,also played by Richardson,who Bill makes love to by the canal or at the allotment.He sees or hallucinates the killing of his mother by Bill.Yvonne comes to live with them,usurping his mother's role.Again what is real and what is delusion are hard to fathom.In the present,Yvonne soon inhabits Mrs.Wilkinson's role in the half-way house.He steals into her room planning to kill her.When she wakes up we see it's Redgrave's Mrs.Wilkinson.We also see the way Spider junior rigs string up to the gas supply and turns it on.The tart is killed but as his father drags her body out in the street,he is crying over Spider's mother's body.Through the protagonist's narrative, truth and illusion intertwine.The psychic events,the subjectivity of an unreliable narrator,drive this film slowly forward,memories distorted by perception.Hanging on a fragile precipice of Spider's creation,the film images represent the beliefs of what happened, to conceal what really happened.
As Spider delves deeper into his past his hallucinations escalate.Fiennes portrayal is his best ever,stripping away all the rhetoric of `acting',to become seemingly a real schizophrenic.The cinematography is 1st rate showing a reductive,realistic,impoverished environment.The music too is beautifully selected.Witness how `Silent Night' captures all the fled tenderness,Spider associates with his mother.Richardson is truly magnificent in 3 roles. Cronenburg has honed his art with a Beckettian austerity,bleak interiors,drab colours,no longer ram-raiding the subconscious,he uncovers and disentangles the psychology of a 'dead soul' beneath layers of paranoid schizophrenia,unravelling the disconnected psyche,spaced out for years on solitary musings in the hinterland of his mind.This has the clarity and sombreness of a masterpiece.Cronenburg's best film yet.
Movie Review: an actors' film
Summary: 5 Stars
"Spider" is a film that should be studied at length by any actor or aspiring actor, as well as by any serious filmmaker. The three main leads - Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, and Gabriel Byrnes - give performances of their careers. David Cronenberg's extremely subtle direction develops from a screenplay written by the original novel's author, and every contributor to the film - photography, lighting, sets and costumes, and music - all come together to make this an incredible experience.
This is no Hollywood movie. There are no explosions or chases or gunfights. The development is slow, as some reviewers have complained. There's very definitely a plot, and a surprise ending, but viewers who may feel they have outwitted the film by having guessed the plot and ending in advance are missing the point, because the film is so much more than these. There are layers upon layers of meaning in every visual frame, every line of dialog, every facial expression and body language.
The film involves mental instability and confusion, but this is never attributed to schizophrenia as a specific diagnosis. If we think about it, how satisfied can we be that the ending has finally given us the "reality" of what has actually occurred? Why do certain characters appear in some scenes but not in others, and how does this relate to the flashbacks we are shown? How do the visuals in the opening credits help set the tone for the film? What is the significance of the jigsaw puzzle, and of the reassembling of the broken window? Do you suppose the window was ever actually reassembled in "reality"? Near the beginning of the film we learn why the title of the film is "Spider", and how this name came to be, but what is the underlying significance of that name, which is not spelled out? How do the family dynamics in the film relate to Freudian theory, and how does the story told by the mother relate of either of these? What degree of reality or misinterpretation can we assign to what we are shown of each of the family members at various times? The role of the father is particularly nuanced and problematic. Can we assume that Lynn Redgrave's character represents a literal reality at all times? And in what way are the end credits deceptive?
This DVD comes with a commentary track and several supplementary extras. I strongly recommend that a viewer should simply watch the movie itself first, and mull it over. Then you should go back and watch the entire movie again, this time with the commentary soundtrack, together with the subtitles displaying the dialog, and then proceed to watch each of the interview featurettes provided. Doing this will address many of the questions you may have, or point out observations you may have missed, but will (or should) still leave many aspects of the film unsettled in your mind, to keep thinking about.