Overall Rating
  Awesome: 34.93%
Worth A Look: 26.71%
Average: 7.53%
Pretty Bad: 8.9%
Total Crap: 21.92%
8 reviews, 98 user ratings
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| Frailty |
by Scott Weinberg
"We're on an express elevator to hell, going down!"
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One of the rare perks of the lurching horror resurgence is that we occasionally get a glimpse at something special. Sure, it may be a brutal chore to sit through all the 'Urban Legend 2's, 'Scream 3's, and 'I am Still Aware of What You Did Six Summers Prior's, but if you're not a vigilant horror fan - you'll miss an excellent little movie like Frailty.Any movie buff worth his salt knows who Bill Paxton is. To some, he's the whiney-yet-courageous Hudson from Aliens while some fondly remember the actor from Weird Science - as the evil big brother who gets turned into a disgusting green monster. Whether you remember Paxton from those films, Apollo 13, A Simple Plan or a dozen other projects, odds are that he's an actor you've enjoyed - maybe without even realizing who he is!
Despite my admiration for the actor, I was sure to watch his new flick, Frailty, with an open mind. Paxton's been in his share of turkeys; no actor has a flawless resume. But this time around, we have something unique to look for: Frailty marks the directorial debut of the longtime character actor. (Stalwart children of the 80's may remember a shockingly bizarre music video called Fish Heads. Yes, Bill Paxton directed that!)
As the movie opens we meet Fenton Mieks (Matthew McConaughey), a mellow yet wild-eyed young man who insists he knows the whereabouts of the FBI's latest quarry: The God's Hand Killer. FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) is initially quite skeptical, but Fenton's tale slowly begins to make sense. Mieks claims that his estranged brother is responsible for a series of brutal slayings and that he also has proof.
Fenton's claims require a detailed explanation of the warped childhood experienced by himself and his younger brother Adam, and this is where Frailty really gets cooking. The bulk of the film takes place in 1979 Texas, where Fenton and Adam are being raised by their good-natured and loving Dad (Bill Paxton). (Mom passed away years ago.) The father and sons live a pleasant, albeit unexceptional, life until one dark night when Dad wakes the boys up with some alarming news.
As sanely as explaining how to boil an egg, Dad tells his young sons that he has been visited by angel; that the three of them have been blessed with a sacred duty; and that their next step would be to help rid the world of demons. Dad explains all this quite matter-of-factly, and then tells the boys to go back to sleep. Fenton is disturbed by the incident, while young Adam simply takes the news at face value; surely his Daddy could never be wrong about something like this. The older brother holds out hope that Dad's late-night visit was perhaps a beer-inspired aberration, but those hopes are dashed when his father arrives home one night with an axe...and a struggling "demon" in human form.
I could divulge further details without actually spoiling anything, but in this case, I'd rather not take that chance. Much like other recent horror flicks (The Others and The Sixth Sense), Frailty utilizes a meticulous framework to alternately shield and expose some truly delicious plot twists. Little details that seem innocuous at first take on deeper meaning once the credits start to roll, and the ending offers a sense of surprised satisfaction.
The twisty (but never tangled) screenplay by first-time screenwriter Brett Hanley full of clever duplicity and realistically-written characters. There are no glaring lapses in plot logic or hastily thrown-in contrivances. Up to (and including) the thought-provoking finale, Hanley's script never once rambles, pontificates, or panders. I don't care what kind of movie you're making; a script like this one deserves high praise indeed.
As the docile (yet still spooky) Fenton, Matthew McConaughey (Contact) delivers one of his finest performances to date, and Powers Boothe is surprisingly effective as the untrusting Doyle. The two young actors who play Fenton and Adam as children - Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter, respectively - are gloriously free of the preciousness or unrealistic worldliness so prevalent in most child performers, and Bill Paxton is simply great as "Dad". It's a truly difficult role, in that Dad has to be seen as perfectly clear-headed, responsible, and logical...even while he's wielding an axe and carrying his "demons" to a brutal death.
Considering that he's worked for such talented filmmakers as James Cameron, Sam Raimi, Carl Franklin, and Walter Hill, it should come as no surprise that Paxton has picked up some filmmaking skills along the way. What is impressive is how sure-handed Paxton seems behind the camera. The 1979 period design is authentic down to the most minute detail, yet the specifics are never flashed onto the screen as if to scream "LOOK! It's the seventies!" The spooky bits are handled with entertaining aplomb, evidence that Paxton probably learned something new on every horror flick he ever starred in. Regardless of the fact that Paxton has been in over 50 movies, he's still a first-time director, and with Frailty he delivers a 3-run homer his first time to the plate.OK, I covered all the basics: plot, tone, actors, writers, director, etc. - All that fancy movie review stuff. But here's the deal: I loved this movie. You could chalk some of my feelings up to my being a big fan of Paxton's, but I'd never gush over a movie just because I like the leading man. Frailty works in a dark, gothic, and joyously hypnotic style - one that's painfully absent from most modern horror flicks. I don't know if Frailty will turn Bill Paxton into an A-list director, but he can rest contentedly with the knowledge that he's made at least one damn fine horror movie, one that easily ranks among the best movies of the year.
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=5858&reviewer=128
originally posted: 04/13/02 08:19:07
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USA
12-Apr-2002 (R)
UK
N/A
Australia
30-Jan-2003
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