Review of The Voices (2014) by Lewis E — 07 Apr 2015

See it's impossible to go wrong with talking animals. That's why 'Cats & Dogs' and 'Dr Dolittle' remain part of a very prestigious DVD/VHS collection in my living room and part of the reason why 'The Voices' makes for an intriguing watch.

Other more significant reasons include Ryan Reynolds who impresses as he rises to the challenge of a complex role different from his usual 'Green Lantern' or 'RIPD' crap but one that still allows him to exercise his comedic instincts.

He plays Jerry, on the surface a nice, softly spoken guy but secretly a schizophrenic struggling to control disturbing influences from his cat and dog who act as a devil and angel on each shoulder. Some may find it sickly how this movie combines humour with dark tones in addition to suggesting sympathy for a killer.

While it may not represent a great comedy or in-depth insight into mental illness, 'The Voices' shows sufficient perspective on people battling inner demons in an empathetic and entertaining manner by intertwining heartfelt moments with a fair amount of hilarious features.

Kind of annoying how it doesn't use the quirky comedy it often displays to the fullest but it entices through the director's fine details in bringing rational irrationality to its troubled main character, or in other words, creating an opportunity to understand his craziness.

Dark comedy is intrinsically not for everyone but I'm a fan of these bold story-lines and I think 'The Voices' proves successful by executing on both fronts. Though not having much bearing on the rating, I do wish American comedies would stop including the exploding 'boom' fist bump.

So cringey and not cool anymore peeps.