Frailty

Rating:
Summary: Great concept, dangerous notion
Review: I mostly loved this movie. The acting of Bill Paxton and the two boys playing Fentin and Adam Meeks was top notch. The plotline for the first 90% of the movie was harrowing and compelling. I felt cheated by the "twist" ending, however. (Don't worry, no spoilers here.) Another movie, the "Sixth Sense" had a twist that enhanced the overall story, and left you in wonder at how clever the whole thing was (and emotionally beautiful and true). Frailty's ending left me feeling cheated and angry that somebody would consider this a valid idea for a story.

Rating:
Summary: A Dark and Disturbing Thriller that will Keep You Guessing
Review: "Frailty" is a dark and terrifying film that surprised me so many times. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the next scene would prove me wrong. This is a very complex film with such a creative (and believable) story and realistic characters to form one of the best horror movies in recent years.

A series of murders has been contaminating a small town. The case is known as the "God's Hand". The movie starts with McConaughey entering the FBI station, claiming that he knows who the "God's Hand" killer is. With this, he tells his story and we witness shocking flashbacks to when he was a kid.

Paxton, who is also the director, stars as a very religious and loving father. His two sons, (remember, this is all McConaughey's story, so this entire part is the flashback) mean all the world to him. Everything seems perfect, until Paxton wakes his sons, telling him that an angel visited him at night, telling him that there were demons lurking around and they took the form of human-beings. He instructs his sons that they must "destroy" them. (Meaning, "killing.") The oldest son thinks his father has lost it, but he has no idea how far things are about to go. I cannot tell you anymore, otherwise it'll ruin the movie for you. Know this, however, you will be shocked, and you will feel disturbed when you leave that theatre.

Bill Paxton does an outstanding job as a first time director. This is they type of movie that really requires talent from famous and acclaimed directors, but Paxton proves to us that not only can he act, but he can direct. Every shot in the movie is very well planned and laid out. He also proves exactly what kinds of emotions he wants his actors to show us. That task, I'm sure, is not a very easy one.

Yes, this film is very disturbing and very violent. Not in graphic detail; there's hardly any blood or gore. It's just the overall idea and the way the "destruction of the demons" are presented to us. Be warned; this is not for people with weak hearts or stomaches.

I really enjoyed this film, and I believe that it may even become classic. Like I said, the acting and directing is really great in this movie. This movie really did remind me of "The Shining" at times. If you want to see a quality horror film, (not the poor quality slasher films that have been recently released), then see "Frailty." If you want blood and gore and a stupid story line, then maybe you should see "Jason X." I'm sure that the movie is less complex and you won't have to think too much. I loved "Frailty," and I look forward into seeing it again. Be warned; you will leave the theatre with a very disturbed and uneasy feeling inside of you.

P.S. SLEEP TIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: God's Voice Can't Be Wrong
Review: Expecting to see a "triller", this movie was anything but. The kids should have stayed the main focus. What was the message? It's alright to kill if you hear "the voice of God"? The ending was too obvious - give the audience a little credit. It reeked of the Andrea Yeats murders with reverse parts for the kids.

Rating:
Summary: Great flick!
Review: Fenton Meiks walks into an FBI office and states that he knows who the "God's Hands" killer is-- his brother. From there, he tells the story of how his boyhood was destroyed when his loving father suddenly announces that God has instructed him to kill "demons" that look like humans.

Having read some reviews, I was prepared for a twisted ending, but I still didn't guess that! What needed to be told was told, but what was left untold makes it even better.

McConaughey and Paxton and the kid who played young Fenton did a great job. I was surprised that the story revolved more around the kid than the adults. The adults did a great job supporting the young actors.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Bill Paxton's first outing as a director is amazing. Lets hope he can live up to this movie if he tries to direct again. Now i'm ont goin to give a summary of the movie because u can just read some other peoples reviews and they'll tell u so why waste time. This is a truly frightning movie. The subject matter is a touchy one, it confuses u alnog the lines of what is good and evil. Some like to compare this to 'The Shining' i can't understand why. The book was good a lil to long of a beginning and the movie was too long. Excelent preformances by Jack Nicholson and all others in the cast but the movie never really delivered n e thing other then Jack's manic presence. Now comparin this to Exorcist would be better both religious movies but Exorcist is the far more superior movie but don't let that stop u from watching this chilling tale.

Rating:
Summary: LIONS AND TIGERS AND MEN
Review: FRAILTY is much more than a horror film, at least in the way we've come to identify that genre. But it certainly is a horror story--a loving and responsible father who falls under the spell of religious hysteria and goes on an 'execution' spree with his two pre-teen sons in tow is certainly not family-hour fodder. But it is a deeply felt, beautifully acted (Bill Paxton as the father and Matt O'Leary as the eldest boy offer Oscar-caliber performances)and heartbreaking rumination on the tenuous (or frail) nature of family devotion and happiness.
First-time director Paxton proves more than up to the task, while the disturbing Brent Hanley screenplay and haunting Brian Tyler score, compliment his mastery of the camera and the superb actors. Hopefully, those tired diatribes about the 'overhyped' Matthew McConaughey can be laid to rest; his work is as commanding and powerful here as any other actor of his generation. While FRAILTY should not be recommended to everyone, it is a one-of-a-kind experience for those with strong stomachs, iron wills, and challenged consciences. How many other films of late can warrant such praise?

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly funny
Review: I saw this movie yesterday, and the more I think about it, the more the plot seems like one of those Simpsons Halloween shows. Ned Flanders starts killing people saying he's destroying demons and then. . . TWIST --- the joke's on you.

The tone of the film is actually pretty serious, involving child abuse and decapitation, with lots of rain and fog and shadows, and very scary music. I was terrified during the credits at the beginning. I was chuckling at the end.

It almost feels like the director couldn't decide if he wanted to make a truly disturbing psychological thriller, or a camp horror/comedy. I feel certain that the very final scene was played for laughs.

By the way, I don't normally find violence amusing. I cover my eyes during Itchy and Scratchy.

Rating:
Summary: TEDIOUS first hour builds up to a SATISFYING twist
Review: If an inferior version of "The Usual Suspects" was crossed with a religiously-themed "Unbreakable," "Frailty" would be the result. The structure is based on a series of flashbacks, the story ends with a twist, and the subject matter deals with the supernatural.

I found the film to be more of a family drama than a horror film - at least for the first hour or so. The main struggle of the film is not finding a killer or running away from a monster, but the tension between a seemingly deluded father and his conflicted son. Paxton creates a nice claustrophobic atmosphere but he fails to utilize the premises' full potential. It's not his fault though because he doesn't have much to work with. The story progression is minimal, the setting doesn't change, and the characters are few in number (the same obstacles of "Panic Room" now that I think about it). The thin script relies too much on the twist ending, and so the buildup is slow, lacking, and at times boring. And yet I still enjoyed it.

Although "Frailty" failed to scare me (except for one seat-jumping moment shortly before the twist), it managed to intrigue me and creep me out with its great sound effects and its well-ambienced music. The twist in the film isn't the kind that wows you (like the ones in the films mentioned above) but it does manage to completely change your perspective of the events that have gone before it. In other words, it makes you want to see it again.

Whether you like "Frailty" or not will depend on your expectations. Some key words to keep in mind are "meditative," "spooky," "psychological" and "low-key." This isn't "Jason X." It's not an action-packed gore-fest with gratuitous nudity for good measure. In fact, there are no women characters to speak of. And a lot less blood than you'd expect. Call me crazy, but I went in expecting a light supernatural thriller, and by golly, that's just what I got!

"Frailty" is definately worth a matinee or rental, if not the full price of admission.

Rating:
Summary: OH DAD, POOR DAD, GOD'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M SAD!!
Review: If this is any indication what Bill Paxton can do as a Director, then bring him on. This was quite an undertaking for an actor to a first time Director. The subject matter alone could bury a lesser soul and send him into oblivion. The movie was paced and spookie and dark and swirling, and the musical score kept you numb. The idea of a Dad telling his son's, (whom he loves, and in no way mistreats) that they have to help him kill these demons who look like humans, but are not.

"An angel came to me and told me that we have to fulfill God's wish to kill these people" Paxton plays this as a matter-of-fact thing we have to do. There is no ranting and raving and out of control yelling, just the soft spoken Dad, like saying heh, kids were going fishing in the morning. The older son Fenton thinks Dad is just kidding and tells his younger brother Adam not to worry everything will be ok in the am. And as the morning progresses the boys assume all is well. But Dad takes them to school and his parting shot is , be ready boys and remember what I told you last night. That night Dad brings home the first victim.

I was raised in a small town in Calif. and there were scenes in this movie that reminded me of this town. As it was a very religious community and had its Holy-Rollers that would come to town in the summer and pitch huge tents. And on a clear summers-hot night you could hear them way across-town. Breathing fire and damnation. When I looked at the credits for this movie I found out that some of the movie was shot in my home town. ( Sorry I digress. )But this movie really spooked me and made me think of times I was spooked in that town as a 9 yo.

Everyone in this movie was outstanding. Please do not let the reviewers who compare this movie to Resident Evil, ugh,turn you off it is a real thriller without the loud bangs and all the murders happen off screen, so there is no blood except on clothing. Its rated R, but I wouldn't take anyone under 13 to see it. I will never look at an OTIS ax in the same way, again. I gave this much admired film (9) ciao yaaah69

Rating:
Summary: A thought-provoking movie
Review: When was the last time you went to see a movie that made you think, one that stayed with you after you left the theater? Well, Bill Paxton's FRAILTY is such a film and if you like thrillers that are weightier than your average Hollywood fare, there's a lot to recommend it besides its depth of thought.

FRAILTY is a movie about a serial killer (God's Hands) and a man (played by Matthew McConaughy) who claims to know the killer's true identity. Most of the film is told in flashbacks while McConaughy tells his story to FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe), recalling how his father (Bill Paxton) indoctrinated his brother and himself into his bizarre beliefs.

One of the things that first time director Paxton does brilliantly in this film is that he is very careful about the way he depicts violence. There are more than enough opportunities to send even the sturdiest filmgoer screaming from the theater in disgust, but Paxton downplays the visual side of the violence in all but a couple of instances, focusing instead on the reactions of the characters to the murders. Paxton chooses not to go for the cheap "gross-out", opting instead to disturb us on a far more subtle level.

And, to talk about the subtleties of the film, you have to deal with the performances. Paxton, McConaughy and Boothe may be the "stars" of the film, but the film's best (and most disturbing) performances come from the kids. Paxton manages to coax performances from child actors Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter that are not only heart-wrenching, but totally believable, a job that is worthy of praise from any director. The boys' characters never seem forced and their reactions to the horrors they are presented with are very different...and very telling.

Another of the "firsts" in this film, aside from Paxton's directorial debut, is a screenplay from Brent Hanley, who gives us a screenplay with as many twists and turns as a good Texas back-country road, which also happens to be where Hanley sets his story. Going into the film, this was an aspect of FRAILTY that I was very interested in. Since Paxton, McConaughy and Boothe are all three Texans, I was curious as to how the Lone Star state would be depicted. Later I was disappointed to find out that the entire movie was shot on location in California, but many of the scenes in the movie look a lot like what you might really find in Texas. If you were to squint really hard, that is.

But when all is said and done, what matters most is that FRAILTY leaves you thinking about some important questions and the fact that it doesn't give any easy answers. In fact, some of the questions are deliberately (or so I suppose) left hanging, making this a film that will stick with audiences a long time after the lights have come up.