One adapting the work of the other? I was always going to be in.
Flanagan adapting the sequel to King's towering horror achievement, The Shining (1977), and marrying it to Stanley Kubrick's seminal genre film, The Shining (1980), was a gamble that I couldn't wait to see play out.
You see, King, famously, hates Kubrick's adaptation. In many ways, Doctor Sleep (2013) was a way for King to take back ownership of his own work. To have the last say on the characters. To reinforce his own vision, and version, of events.
So Mike Flanagan was always going to be in a tough spot.
How'd he do?
I. What Is It?
This is the story of Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), a man with a special gift and a traumatic past. It's the story of Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a young girl with the same gift, who needs guidance. And it's the story of The True Knot, a group of vampires that feed off of people with this gift. Will Dan be able to guide Abra and protect her from the villainous True Knot? Will he delve into the darkness of his past and use the monsters there to fight the monsters in the present?II. A Mediator of Two Visions
Like a great lawyer, Mike Flanagan plays the role of mediator between two staggering works of genius. His love and respect for both King and Kubrick are on full display. There is perhaps no filmmaker who so deftly understands King's themes and ideas more than Flanagan. There are few filmmakers today capable of paying homage to Kubrick's style without resorting to flagrant visual plagiarism or schmaltzy fan-boy-ism.
Flanagan, who writes, directs and edits this film, nimbly threads the needle, marrying the legacies of both the novel and the film. The film traffics in Kubrick's trademark visual flair, but steeps itself in King's thematic ideas and ideals. History doesn't repeat itself; it rhymes. Flanagan knows this and uses it to incredible effect. He recreates famous shots from the original film but twists them slightly, putting his own stamp on them. Story beats from the original story find parallels in this new iteration, namely in Dan's struggles with addiction (just like his father), but also in his apprenticeship of a new shine wunderkind (himself playing the role to Abra that Dick Hallorann played so many years ago). And then there's the way that Flanagan has the score to Kubrick's original, composed by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, remixed and reintroduced into a newer score by The Newton Brothers.
Doctor Sleep is an excellent blend of nostalgia and new ideas. What's more, it feels like Mike Flanagan's attempt to reconcile two major influences of his own art. And I think he pulled it off.
Kyliegh Curran is a revelation. She brings Abra to life in spectacular technicolor, matching her costars charisma and commitment at every turn.
The film turns, however, on Rebecca Ferguson's portrayal of Rose the Hat. She's the leader of The True Knot, and finds monstrous depths to plumb. She is at once a dangerous predator and a protective mother. Ferguson sells the fantasy elements with conviction, making otherwise silly comments about "steam" (what they call the vapor that leaves the tortured bodies of people who shine) truly sinister.
The cast is rounded out with A-plus players as well. Zahn McClarnan is Rose's suitably villainous right hand, Crow Daddy. We even get to see Henry Thomas in a skillfully acted cameo that I won't give away, here.
One of Flanagan's enduring gifts is finding actors that bring his stories to life in vivid detail. With Doctor Sleep, he manages another ensemble of dedicated talent.
- If you are a fan of Kubrick's original film, or King's two source novels, this film nimbly honors both. In many ways it feels like going back home again. You know, if home is the world's most haunted hotel.Flanagan, who writes, directs and edits this film, nimbly threads the needle, marrying the legacies of both the novel and the film. The film traffics in Kubrick's trademark visual flair, but steeps itself in King's thematic ideas and ideals. History doesn't repeat itself; it rhymes. Flanagan knows this and uses it to incredible effect. He recreates famous shots from the original film but twists them slightly, putting his own stamp on them. Story beats from the original story find parallels in this new iteration, namely in Dan's struggles with addiction (just like his father), but also in his apprenticeship of a new shine wunderkind (himself playing the role to Abra that Dick Hallorann played so many years ago). And then there's the way that Flanagan has the score to Kubrick's original, composed by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, remixed and reintroduced into a newer score by The Newton Brothers.
Doctor Sleep is an excellent blend of nostalgia and new ideas. What's more, it feels like Mike Flanagan's attempt to reconcile two major influences of his own art. And I think he pulled it off.
III. Performances That Sell
Ewan McGregor is offering some of the most nuanced and subtle acting I have seen all year. There are hints of Jack Nicholson in his voice and facial expressions, but he never settles to caricature. He roots the ghoulies and fantasy elements in real-world emotion and pathos. He doesn't belabor Dan's addiction, but he never let him off the hook, either.Kyliegh Curran is a revelation. She brings Abra to life in spectacular technicolor, matching her costars charisma and commitment at every turn.
The film turns, however, on Rebecca Ferguson's portrayal of Rose the Hat. She's the leader of The True Knot, and finds monstrous depths to plumb. She is at once a dangerous predator and a protective mother. Ferguson sells the fantasy elements with conviction, making otherwise silly comments about "steam" (what they call the vapor that leaves the tortured bodies of people who shine) truly sinister.
The cast is rounded out with A-plus players as well. Zahn McClarnan is Rose's suitably villainous right hand, Crow Daddy. We even get to see Henry Thomas in a skillfully acted cameo that I won't give away, here.
One of Flanagan's enduring gifts is finding actors that bring his stories to life in vivid detail. With Doctor Sleep, he manages another ensemble of dedicated talent.
IV. Design
This movie is a technical achievement. The set designs are lush, credible, and a wonder to look at. Flanagan's editing keeps the multitude of plates in the air and spinning, never crashing to the floor. Michael Fimognari's photography finds beauty in the ghoulish, and offers picturesque images cavalcading across the screen.
It is a testament to Flanagan's filmmaking that the movie is as affective as it is, while never delving too much into celebratory gore. There is a torture sequence that is downright difficult to watch, not because Flanagan lets the guts and blood flow, but because he lets the actors, detail-oriented sound design and clever framing tell the story. The sequence fills the viewer with dread and horror, but not cheaply and not by resorting to immature violence.
The scares in this movie are more rooted and substantial that most horror fare. I appreciate that. It turns the film into something other than just a horror flick. Flanagan's designs are higher than that.
It is a testament to Flanagan's filmmaking that the movie is as affective as it is, while never delving too much into celebratory gore. There is a torture sequence that is downright difficult to watch, not because Flanagan lets the guts and blood flow, but because he lets the actors, detail-oriented sound design and clever framing tell the story. The sequence fills the viewer with dread and horror, but not cheaply and not by resorting to immature violence.
The scares in this movie are more rooted and substantial that most horror fare. I appreciate that. It turns the film into something other than just a horror flick. Flanagan's designs are higher than that.
V. Bonkers Third Act
It is no spoiler to say that we go back to The Overlook hotel. But the circumstances of getting there, and what happens when our characters traipse those hallowed halls is something special indeed. You'll marvel at the art department's recreation of the iconic sets. You'll get chills as the storied hotel stirs in the Colorado snow, coming to life to take one more crack at Dan Torrance.
It takes a while to get to it, but when the film, and Flanagan, lets loose in The Overlook, I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time.
It takes a while to get to it, but when the film, and Flanagan, lets loose in The Overlook, I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time.
Why You Should See It
- The performances are top notch and compelling.
- It is a strikingly beautifully crafted film.
Why You Shouldn't See It
- There's a scene of child torture that is quite awful, and may disturb some viewers.
In Conclusion
Miscellany
- The office in which Dan interviews for the hospice job is inspired by the office that Jack Torrance interviews with Mr. Ullman in the original film.- The art department recreated the sets of The Overlook using blueprints obtained from the estate of Stanley Kubrick.
- There are a few references to The Dark Tower sprinkled in throughout the movie; Hallorann mentions ka, and the Baseball Kid's jersey number is 19.
- Doctor Sleep is five minutes longer than its predecessor, The Shining.
- The Lasser Glass, from Oculus (2013), can be seen in The Overlook.
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