Split

Guess who’s back! After what could only be described as the week from a nightmare and a brief soiree in Bankstown Hospital I am back on my feet and ready to review the shit out of this movie. Come at me Shyamalan.

Split follows the stor(ies) of Kevin, a man who has spent his life living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, with 23 different personalities inside his head. His dominant identity, ‘Barry’, has been treated for many years by his therapist, Dr Fletcher, who has a fondness for people who suffer with DID and believe they possess abilities that other humans could never achieve. However, things start to go sour when three of Barry’s ‘banned’ identities, nicknamed ‘The Horde’, start to take control. ‘Dennis’, an obsessive compulsive with a desire to watch girls dance, ‘Patricia’, a mother hen and religious enforcer, and ‘Hedwig’, a nine year old boy with a penchant for Kanye West, all begin to hatch a plot to bring about a possible 24^th identity, known only as ‘The Beast’. This plot involves kidnapping three young teenage girls and holding them prisoner until ‘the Beast’ arrives, as well as silencing Kevin’s other identities so they cannot find help. Can the girls gain an identity’s trust long enough for them to escape?

The positives: This movie is genuinely a really interesting and engaging film that really explores its subject matter in the sense that they don’t try to rush anything. The moments of suspense really keep you on edge and you become invested in these characters. James McAvoy does a great job convincing us that he is multiple people and this film is a testament to his acting ability. The 3 girls Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) are also great at showing what typical people would do when faced with this situation, with a shoutout to Anja who’s role as Casey is both haunting and intriguing (and definitely one of the best characters in the film). As well as this, Dr Fletcher (Betty Buckley) is also a surprisingly interesting character, as a person who does not try to ‘fix’ Kevin but rather tries to understand him. Thinking back, I’m not sure there was bad acting from anyone, so props to the casting director.

The negatives: They really push the idea of ’23 personalities’ but only about 8 are fully explored: I don’t quite understand what the drive behind the number 23 is (aside from that shitty Jim Carrey horror movie, sorry Jim). They really shove it on the movie posters and in the trailers but it never really impacts the film: there are about 4 personalities that ‘take the light’ and another 4 that are discussed/viewed briefly, but why the need for another 15? There were also a few issues with the plot here and there: things that you only notice afterwards when you’re finally able to process the film as a whole. As well as this, although I doubt most people will feel this way but it bears mentioning: this movie is in no way a reflection of people who actually live with DID. Seriously, this films portrayal of the actual disorder is very much a Hollywood-ified version, and I know it sounds stupid to bring it up, but considering that a talking orange is currently running the US forgive me if my faith in humanity is a little lax.

In the end, the movie is an entertaining thriller that Shyamalan fans or thriller movie fans are going to enjoy. Although its not his best work, its certainly a step in the right direction for him. He seems to be getting his groove back and that’s good news for the film industry, I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table next.

The Edge of Seventeen

My first review of 2017! I can’t believe that the first week of this year has already flown by. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to see this movie, only because I’m not always the biggest fan of coming of age or romance films. But as my close friend is really into films like this and I’ve made her sit through countless horror/thriller films I figured I owed her one. So here we go.

Set in American suburbia, The Edge of Seventeen revolves around the life of Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), a high school student who has felt as though she was an outcast her entire life, owing to her unorthodox and sometimes brash personality. Dodging awkward advances from her classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto) and secretly crushing on school bad boy Nick (Alexander Calvert), her only saving grace is her best and only friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), who she met in primary school. Things begin to get complicated when, after a party night at her house, Nadine awakes to find Krista in bed with her older brother Darien (Blake Jenner), whom she has always felt inferior to because of his popularity and charm. Feeling as though she is going to lose her best friend to her brother as well as the burden of her overprotective and misunderstanding mother, Nadine begins to confide in her high school teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson). As her life slowly begins to unravel, Nadine begins to wonder: can anything in life really be perfect, or will high school never end?

The positives: Above all else, the acting in this movie is one of its biggest selling points. Standouts have definitely got to be Woody Harrelson as the sarcastic teacher who really gives zero shits (but c’mon, we all saw that coming from the trailer) and Hayden Szeto who brings the perfect amount of awkward and charming to the character of Erwin. Hailee Stienfelds’ Nadine was also a really refreshing twist on the coming of age protagonist, moving away from the usual passive and introverted main character to someone who is overdramatic, selfish and frankly, a loudmouth, having spent her life in her brother’s shadow. But in terms of the story, one of the best running themes in this film has to be the reminder that not everything is always what it seems, and that life can throw things at you without warning. The storyline was interesting and made me care about the characters and their relationships to one another, so I can definitely say the movie was genuinely entertaining.

The negatives: I wish I could say that this movie hit the nail on the head in its entirety, but once again pacing begins to have a really big impact on this film. The amount of different locations, different plot points and character development happening at the same time make it begin to feel a bit crowded after a while. As an audience member I felt at times that certain parts of the story deserved more attention. As well as this, a lot of people have been comparing this film to ones such as Clueless (1995) and Mean Girls (2004): this is nowhere near that territory in my opinion. If you were into films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Breakfast Club (1985) and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005) (and I may have revealed just how old I am with that last one) this will be for you. But be warned, while this film has a feel good vibe at the end, it’s not always as chipper as the trailers might like you to think, so if you’re gonna take your 10 year old to see it, maybe think again?

In the end, this film is fun, relatable and will definitely become a classic. Its witty writing and entertaining plot will make it worth your money if you’re into these kind of films, and also remind you of the times when you were young and stupid and made mistakes that seemed as though they’d last a lifetime (if you’re old like me that is). Although its not perfect, its certainly worth a watch.