Review of The Brood (1979) by Diana S — 12 Feb 2006

Ever since Videodrome, I've been in the throes of a David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence") obsession. [b]The Brood[/b] is not helping matters. A woman is undergoing experimental psychotherapy during the break-up of her marriage while her husband cares for their young daughter. Each time the wife enters a session with her doctor, the object of her rage is attacked by what seem to be angry midgets, physical manifestations of the woman's rage. When the creatures take away his daughter, the husband seeks answers. This is a tense thriller. The mood is dark, and never lets up from it's morbid path. As husband confronts wife, Cronenberg delivers one of the grossest things I've ever seen on film.

I'm pretty wishy-washy on [b]Thumbsucker[/b]. It wasn't a horrible movie, but it dragged on. And I watched it last week and have already forgotten most of it. But the acting was very strong. I'll at least give it that. Lou Taylor Pucci ("The Chumscrubber") stars as Justin, a high school misfit who still sucks his thumb. When his dentist hypnotizes him out of this habit, his world begins to crumble and he latches onto any suggestion to restore the structure.

What I didn't care for was the way Justin would take one sentence someone said to him and change his whole life for it. They said Ritalin would help him focus, so he begins popping pills. Then another kid says, Oh, that's just speed. And he stops taking it. And so on. My fiancee says that's what high school was like. But I like to believe that most people are stronger than just one suggestion. It wasn't like everyone he met said, take Ritalin. I guess the director is just showing a generalization, a boiling down of peer pressure and the desire to fit in. And it could be that I'm too old now. I remember the horror or high school. But I don't really feel it any more.

Anyway, the supporting cast was fabulous: Tilda Swinton ("The Chronicles of Narnia") who I always want to see more of, Vincent D'Onofrio ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Vince Vaughn ("The Wedding Crashers") and way more. I'd also like to see more from director Mike Mills as I enjoyed the style of the film. I just found the subject not so fresh.

And then there was [b]Jersey Girl[/b]. I finally broke down and watched it after hearing so many negative things. Two disclaimers for this rating. I love Kevin Smith ("Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back") so I tend to cut him more slack that normal. But I hate Ben Affleck ("Surviving Christmas") and tend to cut him no slack. All that baggage aside, Jersey Girl was neither as bad as I had heard, nor as good as I wanted it to be. Affleck stars as a successful career man, who loses his wife in childbirth and then commits a terrible faux pa on the job. He gets fired and returns to Jersey to live with his father and raise his daughter. But he can't let go of his big city dreams. There are a few moments where we see the Smith humor, but this is mostly an average, by-the-books film. The two delights are Raquel Castro as the young Gertie and the performance of a scene from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street for the elementary school talent show.