THE TALL MAN

The Tall Man (15)

Director: Pascal Laugier
Screenplay: Pascal Laugier
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland

Fear Takes a New Shape

Pascal Laugier’s “The Tall Man” was released on UK DVD last week, and I caught up with the film (having missed it at the Frightfest All-nighter and other Film Festivals). Laugier has a short but impressive filmography, including the much-acclaimed “Martyrs”, which divided genre fans right down the middle, due to its hyper-violence and philosophical intent. For the record, I found it a very impressive piece of work, and all the elements worked for me.  Laugier was also pencilled in to shoot the proposed “Hellraiser” remake/reboot/whatever at one point. On watching “The Tall Man”, it becomes apparent that “Martyrs” is not the only divisive film that Laugier was destined to make…

The film takes place in the run-down and remote Township of “Cold Sore”... Sorry … “Cold Rock”. Once a mining town, the recession and closure of the mine has reduced it to a few streets of mostly closed shops and trailers.  In this town works Julia Denning (Jessica Biel), a local nurse who keeps the surgery open and helps the poverty stricken families with children. However, it seems this town keeps mislaying their kids, as a number of them have gone missing. Enough in fact to foster an urban legend regarding the mythic figure of “The Tall Man”, who comes in the night snatches children, and spirits them away to an uncertain fate. Some locals believe in the myth, others are sure that it’s an unidentified paedophile or child serial-killer (Daily Mail readers obviously …). After listening to gossip regarding the boogey-man in a local diner, Julia returns to her large home that she shares with her young son and nanny. However, late at night she sees a shadowy figure carry her boy off, and a frantic chase begins… So far, so effectively-spooky and thrilling, but all is not what it appears …

Revealing more of the Rubik’s-cube plot would be tantamount to saying “He’s dead all through the film you know…” to someone who hasn’t seen “The Sixth Sense” yet (It’s been 14 years! Don’t get pissy!). So I won’t. Suffice to say, the plot changes directions so many times that if it had a Sat-Nav, it would have been smashed after the first 45 minutes. Sympathies are tested, allegiances are questioned, and moralities are uncertain. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on a character’s motives, the plot challenges you yet again. This is necessarily a “bad” thing, and it’s good to have intelligent film-making and to be confronted with a narrative that won’t follow convention. However, just like Beyoncé on stage, a big “but” is sure to appear …“But” the chicanery in this film is too much. Instead of challenging your expectations, it simply ignores common-sense (Why do two opposing characters dress the same way for no apparent reason, for example) and creates narrative holes the size of King Kong.

On top of this, there are some profound messages at its core, which the plot has been literally built around as oppose to just accommodating them. Basically it queries the effects that our life decisions have on our children, and what we should do to ensure their safety and a better future. The answer that the film gives doesn’t really sit well (with me at least), and seems trite and unforgiving, and to be fair the film does acknowledge that viewpoint.
At the centre of it all sits the marvellous performance of Jessica Biel. It has to be a multi-faceted performance and sometimes ambiguous, but Biel does indeed pull it off. It’s a real shame that she doesn’t get more parts like this, and that this role plays second fiddle to the mind-bending elements of the film, because she is terrific. Whatever else may be lacking in the film, it isn’t for her want of trying. The soundtrack and the opening credits are also wonderfully “doomy”.

I know I’ve been waffling about aspects of the plot (as oppose to details)and suchlike, and it may be that other people find this a brave and enchanting film, but personally I finished watching the movie with a sense of being “cheated”, and unsure as to how I felt about the messages therein. Maybe that’s a good thing, that I felt so strongly about it, but in terms of enjoyment and opinion of the experience, it’s only a 2 from me I’m afraid.  It may be, like “Martyrs” that your opinion totally differs.
Extras: Nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero … not even a trailer! WTF?

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A film that’s too concerned with mind-tricks and slippery twists, than providing a decent plot. Despite a superlative, but ultimately wasted, performance by Jessica Biel, this is a truly divisive film. You WILL love it or loathe it.