Review of Straw Dogs (2011) by James W — 13 Nov 2013

Kate Bosworth killed the whole movie when she willingly chose to expose her breasts to the roof workers. At that moment whatever happened would be her fault and would be partially warranted. I'm not stating an attack on her or her spouse would be right, but when you make the choice to sexually gratify another to spite your husband, you're asking for trouble.

That brings me to James Marsden aka Cyclops from X-Men. Marsden spends his time being distant from the townspeople, refusing to partake in a friendly drink and leaving part way through a church sermon.

Mind you he is a city boy married to a Mississippi girl (Kate Bosworth) where polite manners count. 45 minutes into Straw Dogs I saw no indication that anyone was attempting to disrupt the livelihood of Marsden's cushy lifestyle.

At this point there should have been a potential threat that made him uneasy and a slow unraveling of his manhood being tested. As far as it was shown there was no harm being done toward Marsden or Bosworth for the first half.

In fact, Bosworth's ex, one of the roof workers, talked to Marsden about his standoffish attitude. It's possible the directors' intent was to show malice on behalf of the ex toward Marsden but I felt it came off polite and honest.

In the first half I liked the ex more than I like the man who is supposed to go through a psychological alteration and take back his masculinity. Aren't I supposed to hate the ex and root for the new guy? Marsden plays his character like a douchebag with pretentious high society ways that are slowly leaking out every time he speaks.

It needed to be hostility brewing, instigated by the townspeople against the city boy. In the beginning the city boy should be played as a polite person who is trying hard to make a good impression but is being thwarted.

He should be learning their customs because he is on their turf. Eventually the couples' lives become tested but it comes to late and its not clear why. Another thing not made clear is why the wife exposed herself.

It never comes back up and in fact she despises her ex afterward. Also, Bosworth and Marsden do not appear to have the happiest marriage. She thinks he's not manly, he thinks she is scantily clad at times and blames her for enticing the workers which prompted her breast exposing.

It's not until late I begin to hate the ex, as his motivations get hostile but for really no reason. It feels like an hour of film was cut because no character makes any sense. First there are no signs of any animosity, then all of sudden lives get threatened with no precursor to have caused it.

Add to the pot the most unnecessary part of the movie which was a mentally challenged man who has a fondness for a teenage girl. One night this man accidentally kills the girl, he flees and is hit by Marsden's car.

For God knows what reason he protects this man and fights for him inside his home. That's right. It's not an attack against Marsden personally but they are just after the man who killed the girl.

How do you protect a child killer? I don't give a shit what your rationale or what the aggressors intention is toward the mentally challenged man, give him up and let it go. All they wanted was the man who killed an innocent girl and instead a war is set off.

Marsden made just about every bad decision a person can make and protecting a killer makes you a worse criminal. It was shocking that the home invasion was based upon him aiding a killer. How do you feel justice? How do you sympathize with the protagonist when he lacks common sense? What's worse is that the sheriff gets involved and is shot and killed by the murdered girls' father because the father did not trust the sheriff to enforce the law.

Who am I supposed to be rooting for? Was this an exercise in making all parties guilty and focusing on the negative nature of human beings? Or was this really just a horribly unbalanced work of up and down mixed emotion.

Regardless of a story of someone going good to bad or bad to worse, there needs to be a defining characteristic or burning motivation for one to care about a bad guy that is the primary focus. Breaking Bad's Walter White had humble beginnings before he turned into a merciless drug dealer with no compassion for killing children.

Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men had a sauve, silky smooth charm despite him being a heartless killer. I have no clue if I'm right about my observation but what is certain is that no one is likable in Straw Dogs whether they be good, bad or both.

A weak movie that needed to be left in the classic hands of Dustin Hoffman.