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| Saw |
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  (6/10)
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Runtime: 100 |
| Public Rating: 8.70 (418 votes) |
Director: James Wan |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Horror |
Year: 2004 |
| Writer(s): James Wan, Leigh Whannell |
| Distributor: Lions Gate Films |
| Reviewed by: Aaron West |
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Starring: Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Dina Meyer
Saw has a lotta hype heading into this Halloween weekend. Just today I heard a rumor that paramedics will be stationed outside of theaters during Saw screenings. Wonder who started that one, eh? The internet trailer alone is enough to attract the extreme horror fans and to (thankfully) ensure that the squeamish stay at home. I don't think any film can live up to hype of this level, so before I go any further, let me assure you that Saw most definitely does not. Those expecting a horror thrill ride will be painfully disappointed.
Saw is about two men, trapped in a strange room together, oblivious as to how they ended up there. They are chained on the opposite side of the room from each other, with a dead body lying in a pool of blood between them. Next to the dead body is a gun, possibly the source of his demise, and a walkman cassette player. The men each find a small audio tape in their pockets, and with the help of a thick shirt, the younger prisoner (Leigh Whannell) manages to drag the player to his side of the room. He plays the tape, which reveals that both of the men are the pawns of some demented game. He throws the player to the older of the two, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes), who is told that he must kill his cellmate within a certain time frame, otherwise his family will be butchered.
The sadist in question is dubbed "Jigsaw" by the police, because instead of outright killing his victims, he makes them decide their own fate. He sets up elaborate puzzles for his playthings that will likely result in their demise, but there is the promise (or illusion) of safety if they succeed. In some cases he sets victims against each other, as he has for the setting that encompasses the film. Some of his schemes are sick, but simple, like the lady with a deadly contraption on her head that will explode if she doesn't find the key. Only the key is hidden inside the belly of her cellmate -- her alive cellmate. Others are more elaborate, but I won't spoil the fun and go into detail. They are the brightest points of the movie, and are few and far between.
As the internet trailer asks, "how f'ed up is that?" (my censoring). How f'ed up, indeed?. It is a wicked premise that could set the stage for a spectacular and original thriller. Saw, unfortunately, only partially follows through on this potential. Most of its strength comes from a crowd-pleasing surprise ending that covers many of the problems with the film. There are only two truly intense scenes, one of which is already available in its near entirety through the internet trailer. The other is shown in bits and pieces in the theatrical trailer. The only other truly chilling scene is closer to the end of the film, and trust me, it could have been a lot more grisly. As it turns out, Saw is not very f'ed up after all.
This is the first picture for Australians James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Both co-wrote the script, Wan directs, while Whannell acts in the lead role. They only had 18 days to shoot, with very little time for pre-production due to visa problems. The rushed nature of the project and their inexperience is noticeable throughout the film. The editing, the flow, and the shot selection all seem amateur. As the movie leads to its final act, the film becomes boring for a 20-minute stretch, which is inexcusable for such a short horror film.
As bad as the filmmaking is, the acting is ten times worse. Cary Elwes is especially disappointing, considering his relatively illustrious career (Glory, The Princess Bride). Danny Glover is fine, but he plays a cop just like all the others he's played for the past 20-30 years, making his character seem like a walking cliche. Leigh Whannell proves that his strength is in writing, and perhaps he should stick to that. He is almost as bad as Elwes . As a result, Saw is one of the worst ensemble acting pictures I've seen this year, and I've seen some bad ones. Considering the collective experience of the cast, the blame must be placed on how they were directed. Such an example of poor acting is a great reminder on how difficult it can be to adequately direct acting.
Saw barely makes up for all these annoying problems with a clever ending; one that solely transforms the movie from silly cliche into a uniquely intelligent movie. The ending is clever enough to stand above some of the better surprise endings in recent film history, including the entire filmography of M. Night Shyamalan. It will win over most audience members, as it did me, even if they are bored to a stump up until that point. It reminds us that, while constantly problematic, this is the type of horror film that we seldom see these days -- a smart one. This is no "guy chases girl with ax" movie. This is not some abominable foreign horror adaptation, like The Grudge or The Vanishing. The ending not only saves the movie, but it leaves a little hope for an otherwise creatively bankrupt genre.
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