Review of The Jacket (2005) by Craig E — 23 May 2009

Something akin to Donnie Darko meets Altered States, The Jacket is a mind-bending and trippy suspense thriller that is better than average but not without serious flaws. Adrien Brody pulls a strong performance out of what is a very bland role proving yet again that he is one of his generation's best actors.

The story follows Jack, a veteran of the first Gulf War who comes back after a serious head injury only to be pinned for the murder of a police officer. Sent to a mental institute he is then turned into the lab rat of a psychologist who puts him in a straight jacket, drugs him and locks him in the body cabinet of a morgue for hours at a time. But Jack finds himself traveling 15 years into the future every time he is put into the cabinet and soon learns details of his death which is to occur in the coming days.

The concept is unique, the direction is strong and the cinematography is quite something to take in. However, the film does not really cover much ground and ultimately is not as fulfilling as one would hope. Unlike a film such as Donnie Darko where the characters learn a great deal about themselves while the audience takes in a whirlwind of events, The Jacket contends itself with the simplest aspects of its premise while failing to turn its driving actions into anything beyond gimmicks to pass the time. Instead of actions being part of a bigger picture, they become simple curiosities.

The film is not a bad film but rather one that fails to live up to its potential. The talent across the board is strong, however the writers should really have flushed the story out and connected the pieces together in more compelling means if they intended the film to be anything more than just a neat film.