It seems to hit all the right notes: a quirky story that appears to make use of Carell's penchant for both heartfelt characters and masterful comedic timing. It looks like the kind of story, about a man overcoming his PTSD, that seamlessly blends laughs and touching emotional moments.
It doesn't, though.
I. What is It?
Artist Mark "Hogie" Hogancamp was viciously beaten one night. He lost his memory and his ability to draw and write. He has since adapted and become a photographer. He created the world of Marwen, and peopled it with intricately detailed dolls, and uses this town and these dolls to tell stories. He also uses them to help understand and conquer his PTSD.II. What Should Be Sweet Comes Off More Than a Bit Creepy
This movie should be sweet. It should be heartwarming. It should be touching.
Instead, it is creepy. Between Mark's regressive treatment of women (calling them "dames," and fetishizing the dolls in miniskirts and fishnets), and the film's lack of clarity on Mark's predilections for women's footwear (is it a fetish? Is it part of a queer identity?), what should be a story of a man quietly conquering his problems seems like a strange tale of a sad little man and his dolls.
Then there's the doll nudity. Yes, doll nudity. One of the women of Marwen's shirt is ripped off and we see her strangely incomplete doll tits. A lot. It is uncomfortable. It feels like it was supposed to be funny. It isn't.
Carell, for his part, is doing great work. He is acting, and he is acting well. But the script gives him precious little to actually sink his teeth into. When Mark talks about "finding the essence of a woman," it rings hollow, given his objectification of them through his dolls. When Mark triumphantly dumps his medication down the drain (enough with the ham-handed anti-medicine narratives, Hollywood), there is no discernible difference between who Mark is ON the meds and who he becomes OFF them. He just... stops taking them. And is better now, I guess.
Mark's misguided complete and total head-over-heels fall for his neighbor also rings stalkerish, where it desperately wants to be sweet. He watches her out of his window with binoculars and creates a life-like doll of her that he engages in strange romantic stories with his own doll avatar. And then proposes marriage. After what feels like two days in-film. It's a story that if Mark were a teenager might feel earnest, but, when Mark is a man in his fifties, it feels gross.
This movie felt like the prequel origin story for a slasher flick. You know, a prequel for that movie about that creepy serial killer who creates dolls that resemble his victims and peoples an intricately detailed recreation of his hometown with their murder scenes.
And I don't think it was supposed to feel like that.
And let me be clear: the creepiness has nothing to do with Mark's wearing women's shoes. I have no problem with that. I celebrate anyone who finds what makes them comfortable and unapologetically pursues those things. I think, though, that the film is so tonally off that what it wants to celebrate, it muddles, confuses and makes strange. I fully admit that as a cis-gendered straight white male, I may not fully appreciate Mark's character, and I may not fully understand what is going on there. But the film feels off. It feels weird. It feels like it could have done better.
Instead, it is creepy. Between Mark's regressive treatment of women (calling them "dames," and fetishizing the dolls in miniskirts and fishnets), and the film's lack of clarity on Mark's predilections for women's footwear (is it a fetish? Is it part of a queer identity?), what should be a story of a man quietly conquering his problems seems like a strange tale of a sad little man and his dolls.
Then there's the doll nudity. Yes, doll nudity. One of the women of Marwen's shirt is ripped off and we see her strangely incomplete doll tits. A lot. It is uncomfortable. It feels like it was supposed to be funny. It isn't.
Carell, for his part, is doing great work. He is acting, and he is acting well. But the script gives him precious little to actually sink his teeth into. When Mark talks about "finding the essence of a woman," it rings hollow, given his objectification of them through his dolls. When Mark triumphantly dumps his medication down the drain (enough with the ham-handed anti-medicine narratives, Hollywood), there is no discernible difference between who Mark is ON the meds and who he becomes OFF them. He just... stops taking them. And is better now, I guess.
Mark's misguided complete and total head-over-heels fall for his neighbor also rings stalkerish, where it desperately wants to be sweet. He watches her out of his window with binoculars and creates a life-like doll of her that he engages in strange romantic stories with his own doll avatar. And then proposes marriage. After what feels like two days in-film. It's a story that if Mark were a teenager might feel earnest, but, when Mark is a man in his fifties, it feels gross.
This movie felt like the prequel origin story for a slasher flick. You know, a prequel for that movie about that creepy serial killer who creates dolls that resemble his victims and peoples an intricately detailed recreation of his hometown with their murder scenes.
And I don't think it was supposed to feel like that.
And let me be clear: the creepiness has nothing to do with Mark's wearing women's shoes. I have no problem with that. I celebrate anyone who finds what makes them comfortable and unapologetically pursues those things. I think, though, that the film is so tonally off that what it wants to celebrate, it muddles, confuses and makes strange. I fully admit that as a cis-gendered straight white male, I may not fully appreciate Mark's character, and I may not fully understand what is going on there. But the film feels off. It feels weird. It feels like it could have done better.
III. Too Little Time in Either World to Tell Any Meaningful Story
The conceit that we watch Hogie's adventures in Marwen as a way to explore Mark's trauma is a good one. But the film doesn't do anything meaningful with it. If the film spent more time in Marwen, there might be a fairytale-like quality to it. If the film spent more time in Mark's real world, there might be an interesting character study of a man and the community that cares for him. But THIS movie tries to have its cake and eat it, too, and ends up splitting its time between both worlds, diluting both stories.
Everyone, Mark included, feel like cardboard cut-outs and that makes it difficult to become engaged in the arcs. If, indeed there are any.
In particular is the use of Julie London's (apparently original version of) "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy." It's a weird song. And it's used in a weird spot. And it made me squirm in my seat.
Everyone, Mark included, feel like cardboard cut-outs and that makes it difficult to become engaged in the arcs. If, indeed there are any.
IV. The Needledrops are Strange and Painful
There are a number of odd, inappropriate songs used as needledrops in this film. They distract from the story and really contribute to that creepy vibe I talked about earlier.In particular is the use of Julie London's (apparently original version of) "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy." It's a weird song. And it's used in a weird spot. And it made me squirm in my seat.
V. They Cast Janelle Monae and Then Didn't Use Her
How are you gonna cast Janelle Monae in your film and criminally underuse her like this?
For that matter, how are you going to cast Merritt Wever and criminally underuse her like this?
I mean, you can say this about all of the women of Marwen. They are reduced to sexy, fetishistic idols of Mark's imagination. It's weird. And these actors deserved better than they got.
For that matter, how are you going to cast Merritt Wever and criminally underuse her like this?
I mean, you can say this about all of the women of Marwen. They are reduced to sexy, fetishistic idols of Mark's imagination. It's weird. And these actors deserved better than they got.
VI. It IS Well Made
Robert Zemeckis knows how to make a good film. His framing is great, his use of imaginative transitions from the doll world to the real world are fun, and the doll CG is pretty good and detailed.
But everything at the core of this film is all wrong, and it doesn't matter how well you shoot a terribly told story.
Robert Zemeckis knows how to make a good film. His framing is great, his use of imaginative transitions from the doll world to the real world are fun, and the doll CG is pretty good and detailed.
But everything at the core of this film is all wrong, and it doesn't matter how well you shoot a terribly told story.
VII. Should You Watch It?
Either way, if you find yourself at the cineplex soon, go see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. Stay away from this one.
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