Sundance '13 Review: Park Chan-Wook's STOKER was Amazing!
Stoker - "Personally speaking, I can't wait to watch life tear you apart."
Director: Park Chan-Wook
Screenwriter: Wentworth Miller
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, and Nicole Kidman
Official Synopsis: After India’s father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie, whom she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother, Evelyn. Soon after his arrival, India begins to suspect this mysterious, charming man has disturbing ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, the friendless girl becomes
This was at the top of my list of movies to see at Sundance, and it was freakin' incredible! Stoker has jumped up to the top of my list of films I've seen here so far, and even though it's possible something will knock it down a peg, I don't see it happening. This is also easily one of the best films I've seen of 2013 as well.
I'm a huge fan of Park Chan-wook's twisted films, and anyone that's seen his previous films knows what they are going to get. I thought it was great listening to audience members talk about the film before and during the film because the majority of them had no idea what they were getting themselves into. So when the story started to play out on the big screen a lot of people were shocked by what they saw.
The film was beautifully jacked up. I've always loved the Park's direction, but I think this is could be his best film production to date. It's his first English language movie, and he nailed it! His direction in this movie is brilliantly mesmerizing! I was sucked right into the story the moment that the movie started, and it never let me go. Hell, I wanted to see the story continue after it was over! The script was fantastic, and the cinematography was incredible. I loved how most of the storytelling was done through visuals.
This is a true Park film, with that incredible intensity that we love in his films. I have no doubt that fans are going to love Stoker, and I can't wait to see it again.
Performances:
The characters in the film were written so well, and all the actors that played them were at the top of their game. The chemistry between them was also pretty amazing. I'm not really a big fan of Nicole Kidman, but she gave a great performance in the movie. Matthew Goode ended up giving the best performance of his career, as did Mia Wasakwoska. In fact, She was amazing, and her performance was flawlessly haunting. She blew me away, and it's definitely the best performance from an actor I've seen at Sundance so far. I honestly hope people remember her performance for the Oscars nest year.
Similar To:
The film has the same kind of tone, vibe, and pacing as The Talented Mr. Ripley, only it's a better film, and much darker. There's really no other film I can think of comparing it to. This movie really kind of stands on its own... damn it was good.
You'll get to watch this film in theaters soon, as it already has a release date of March 1st, 2013, and I highly recommend checking this one out!