Frailty

Rating:
Summary: Dark and Disturbing
Review: Frailty is the first movie that I've seen since Seven that I've left the movie theatre with a deeply affected air. This movie is not a traditional screamer that freaks you out. It is more in the vein of a Poe short story or even one of King's darkest novels. It follows the story of Finton Meeks a man who apparently knows who the hand of god killer is and wants to tell a Sheriff at the F.B.I. headquarters in Dallas, Texas. As he unfolds his story it becomes more apparent that he is telling the truth but also that he is hiding something. The ending is absolutely brilliant. This movie is so good that it will actually blur the lines between good and evil and what is real and unreal. All the actors gave great performances especially the boy who played Finton Meeks as a young person. Also Bill Paxton did an excellent job with directing the film. This is a classic horror movie that is on the same level as "The Shining" and "Pet Semetary." This movie is not recommended to those who can not stand disturbing movies with Religious themes. But it's a great horror film that is reccommended to all other adults.

Rating:
Summary: What a good outing for Paxton
Review: It wasn't until the opening credits rolled I realised Paxton both stars and directs this film. And what a good opener from him on the big screen.
McConaughey plays a disturbed man who turns up one storm-ridden night (bit of a cliche) at an FBI office to unburden his guilt over the God's Hand murders. He claims his brother was the murderer.
In a confessional way the film continues as a flashback with Paxton playing the father to McConaughey's young self and his brother. To cut a long story short and not give the ending away, Paxton is visited by an angel telling him to kill demons. However, these demons appear in human form, can only reveal their dark nature when he touches them and must be killed with three weapons - though we only seem to see two in the film. As the story is told from the disbelieving eye of the eldest son, Fenton, we are inevitably setup to view Paxton with almost a horrified pathos, his younger son Adam as a very impressionable child who go around murdering people in the belief that they have been instructed by God.
There are 4 twists to the film, two are instantly guessable but don't detract at all.
Paxton's directorial and the acting from both him and his 'sons' is excellent. Whilst I wouldn't say, it's a must-see, it is definitely one to watch if you're looking for a good film of the psycholgical, supernatural horror genre.

Rating:
Summary: I still get goosebumps!
Review: This rates as high as Psycho on a scare scale! I still can't shake the uneasy feeling I had when I left the theatre. It is a very disturbing movie.... Mathew McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks (is it really Fenton?) who shows up at the FBI to talk to Powers Booth pleading guilty conscience, more or less. He tells the story of the God's Hand killer who initially was his father (Bill Paxton) who had a vision one night that he was chosen by God to kill Demons who appeared as regular people, but he would see their deeds by the touch of his hand. Bill Paxton did such a wonderful job with this role, he had me almost believing him. This is a shocker and full of twists almost at everyturn. The cinematography was painfully faded in order to convey the stark realism of this story. It worked wonders. If you're looking for an intensely disturbing psychological thriller, then this movie will do it. Ebert gave it a thumbs up and for one of the few times in my life, I agree with him.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie - could have been better
Review: I thought the movie was very good. Acting was on a very high level, and the plot was great. Still, at times I found myself wishing it was not quite so slow and dragged out. Also, I don't quite like the message it leaves you with. According to the creators of the movie, is it ok to kill someone just because you think (or you think you can prove) that they are a demon? In light of recent world events some might doubt the moral content of the movie. I did.

Rating:
Summary: Bill Paxton's awesome directorial debut.
Review: Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) goes to the FBI to tell them he believes his brother is the "God's Hand" kill, the name for a string of murders in Texas. Fenton recalls when the murders began to happen, back in 1979. Fenton's father (Bill Paxton) had a vision while sleeping that God told him that demons are walking the Earth in human form and Fenton's father and others like him are the only ones to stop them. Fenton's father then takes up the task of killing these demons while embroiled in a fight with Fenton. Fenton however believes his father has gone crazy, though Fenton's brother, Adam, does not think so and believes what his father has told him.

Bill Paxton's directorial debut is great. He uses odd camera angles, sound effects, and very limited special effects to provoke a feeling. Paxton uses what he has, saying that the movie is relatively low budget for a theatre release, and really gives you a movie that you are going to think about after you have walked out of the theatre. Another great part of the movie is the soundtrack, it may not be the great piece of music ever written but it used very well.

Overall, this movie is a horror movie but not like the other horror films in the genre, like Blade 2 or Jason X. This movie was created to provoke emotion, not scare you, but it does both.

Overall : 5/5

Rating:
Summary: Bill Paxton directs a fine movie....
Review: Do you want to see one of the most compelling movies of the year?
Look no further than this dark tale. It will make question what is real and what is not. Beware: it may even make you question your own sense of values. Twisted, horrific, and absolutely loaded with irony, Frailty is a must-see modern day classic with all the nuances of a horror movie of old and the mastery of cinematography. The actors of the film border on psychotic, but are they really? Who is who? You will have to see for yourself...walk in to the realm where fiction is fact and the truth could be a lie...is it "God's will?"

Rating:
Summary: McConaughey's cute, but Paxton does not deliver
Review: First of all Bill Paxton delivers his lines like he is made out of stone. He is unbelievable at best. Secondly, what is meant to be a plot twist fizzles and leaves the audience still wondering what happened. We are supposed to believe that Fenton, who is so against his father's killings, grows up to be a serial killer. This just doesn't work. The only thing that would have saved this movie is if Matthew took his shirt off.

Rating:
Summary: ***1/2, but it's not The Shining.....
Review: Though FRAILTY has been compared to Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING, it is nowhere nearly as scary, but it has its moments. This is Bill Paxton's directorial debut, and while it's entertaining, he has work to do before earning comparisons to Kubrick or even Sam Raimi, who said this was 'one of the scariest movies ever.'

The storyline which has been revealed in part in movie trailers both on TV and in theatres, resembles several episodes seen over the years on TV's The X-Files. I have read that it is based on a short story by Stephen King, but I don't remember seeing a credit in the opening titles. It is an interesting premise, and NO, I'm not going to give away any more details than those already revealed. Why go see the movie if I tell the reader everything??

Matthew McConaughey plays Fenton Meek as an adult, retelling an FBI agent the story of the God's Hand Killer. When Fenton was a young man of maybe 12 years of age, his father was involved in these killings that were inspired by a vision from God. There's much more to the story than his father, so you'll have to see FRAILTY to find out what all happens.

The young actors who play Adam and Fenton Meek are very believable, and hold their own with Bill Paxton, who plays their widowed and very demented father. There are some very intense and briefly violent scenes, which shouldn't be seen by very young children. Thankfully, Bill Paxton had the good sense to not use gore and special effects: rather he uses flashing shots of the murders which really heighten the suspense, keeping you guessing until the last few minutes.

Those last few minutes unravel very quickly, with an interesting and clever twist that I had almost guessed halfway into the story. However, the ending did surprise me!

Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey as well as Powers Boothe all give very powerful performances in what is essentially a character-and-story-driven plot. This is not a gorefest if you're looking for something a la Sam Raimi or Dario Argento. This is good old-fashioned suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat!!

Rating:
Summary: This is a comedy.....
Review: I feel used and taken advantage of. They lured me in and I bit. I followed the reviews and the stars to a movie which is only slightly better than "Don't Say A Word". Slightly meaning the begining, the first few minutes were pretty good.
Unfortunatly I have had to rethink this movie, trying to figure out what I didn't like about it. These are in no particular order.
1. The dye job on the older kids hair? I don't understand. I am not stupid and I am not a stylist. There are how many child actors in this world and they just have to cast the blonde? "we'll just color it, no one will know, we need this kid"

2. The older kid ( i don't remember the names......) says he is scared of his father. I didn't see any fear at all. none.

3. The Sherif... what was that?

4. The clothes. Where were they shopping in 1978? The Gap?

5. So he locks his son in the cellar. He has no family besides his brother and father. He apparently has no friends and no neighbors as well. Summer break maybe? He has no other family so where did they say he went for the few weeks he was down there?

6....

Rating:
Summary: Greatest horror movie in years
Review: This movie is a dynamite directorial debut for Bill Paxton. As a film student and fan of the horror genre, I have never found a movie to be as exciting, disturbing, and frankly, scary, as Bill Paxton's "Frailty." The plot is on of the most original and thought provoking to come out of Hollywood in the last few years, the acting (particularly Matthew McConaughey and Bill Paxton) is very good, and the directing is fantastic with a strong nod to Mr. Hitchcock. It is in no way a slasher movie but a first rate psychological thriller - Mr. Paxton is a worthy successor to the Master of Suspense. "Frailty" is a slice of cake!