Frailty

December 10, 2004

Rated: R Runtime: 100 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Frailty marks the debut of Bill Paxton as a director. We’ve long loved Paxton’s roles in front of the camera especially in James Cameron movies. And we’re happy to say that his first effort as a director is quite good. He goes places that many accomplished directors would not dare risk with this film.

Frailty

This is also one of those movies that is best viewed cold. In other words go into the theater knowing as little about the movie as you possibly can beforehand so as not to ruin any of the surprises. However, to paint a very broad stroke about the plot, the story is about the investigation of a series of murders called “God’s Hand”.

Paxton both stars and directs in this film, and does both wonderfully. He’s quite believable on screen in what I would consider to be a very challenging role. Matthew McConaughey is what I would have to call the co-star in an equally complex role and also does a great job. Strong performances all around and a very different kind of edgy story makes this a very well made film despite the fact a rookie is directing.

We only had a few disappointments with this film. First off, notice our beloved vital stats bar. For a thriller, especially one about murders that is R-rated, we expected it to be a bit more graphic. Sure, we can respect opting to push the story instead of the gore, but hey, we’re guys, we know what we like! Let the blood splatter and let the bodies hit the floor!

The other problem with the film is a bit more serious. It has become popular in thrillers to put some radical plot twists into the storyline to try to shock and surprise the audience. Unfortunately many movies are becoming predictable with their attempted unpredictability. Maybe we’re just jaded from seeing so many movies, but every plot twist in Frailty seemed to be telegraphed, and we saw them coming from a mile away.

We give this movie 3 stars, but it is a very strong 3 stars. You’re going to definitely want to see this one. If you do not catch it on the big screen, be sure to look for it on DVD.

Posted by Billy Bob | Filed Under 3 Stars, Bill Paxton, Jeremy Sumpter, Luke Askew, Matthew McConaughey, Matthew O'Leary, R, Theatrical, Thriller