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Friday, 28 September 2007 |
  Hollywood has an obsession with genres. Every movie simply must fit into one of a handful of convenient little definitions. They have to be "Action", "Drama", "Horror", "Thriller", even when they defy description. Director William Friedkin has probably been victim of this shortsightedness as much as any other director. After all, he made The French Connection, one of the most popular action films of all time, so he must be an "Action" director. Then he made The Exorcist, which is commonly considered the greatest Horror film of all time, and followed it up with a film titled Sorcerer, which had the gall to NOT be another Horror story. So, with his latest venture, Bug, the studio decided to promote it as another straightforward horror flick, when it is anything but. It is horrifying, but in an eroding sanity way most horror fans will find far too ponderous, outlandish and dull.
Ashley Judd plays Agnes, a Texas cocktail waitress on the down slide after a tragic loss and the imprisonment of her obsessively abusive husband (Harry Connick Jr.). She lives alone in a ragged hotel and seems to have nothing except her job and R.C. (Lynn Collins) her only friend. One night while at work, R.C. introduces her to Peter (Michael Shannon) a sheepish young man whose unthreatening demeanor is quite appealing to the extremely insecure Agnes. Unfortunately, Peter has a rather odd and all-consuming obsession which soon takes over them both.
Viewers who try to take Bug literally are likely to end up yelling at the screen, or simply shutting it off. In fact, those who don't take it literally may do the same. This is an outrageous film which is probably more metaphorical than anything, about two extremely damaged people coming together so they can lose their minds. By "lose their minds" I don't mean they go a little batty. They go so far over the edge it becomes almost impossible to believe there is an edge.
On my first viewing, I found Bug to be just a bit overwhelming, but in the day or two since, I keep thinking back to it. What originally seemed like a somewhat over the top gimmick may actually be a rather engaging story of loneliness and outright insanity. Connick and Shannon are both excellent, but it is Judd who really shines. On one hand, it is a bit difficult to imagine a woman like Ashley Judd in this situation, but she pulls it off. Her vulnerability is at times devastating and there were several scenes which were so completely outrageous I kept thinking I should be chuckling at them, but I wasn't. They probably won't work quite that way for a lot of others though. Chalk this one up as another seriously unusual, disturbing, but well done movie.
Starring: Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr., Lynn Collins.
Director: William Friedkin
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Rated: R
Running Time: 102 minutes
Release: 2007
Reviewer: John Rice |
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