The Box

 The Box 2009

• Director: Richard Kelly
• Seen by this director: Donnie Darko
• Based on the story by: Richard Matheson
• Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Celia Weston, Holmes Osborne
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Cameron Diaz – Holiday, In Her Shoes, Gangs of New York, Being John Malkovich, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, A Life Less Ordinary, Feeling Minnesota
• James Marsden – X-Men et al, The Butler
• Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon, Good Night and Good Luck, The Ninth Gate, Dave
• James Rebhorn – here and there
• Celia Westin – Far from Heaven, Igby Goes Down, Snow Falling on Cedars, Dead Man Walking, Stars and Bars
• Why? Good reviews (and some very bad, so I’m curious)
• Seen: 23 July 2022      

       Norma (Diaz) and Arthur (Marsden) live a luxurious bourgeois life – Corvette, big house, prestigious jobs.

       A mysterious man with a badly scarred face (Langella) shows up with a box and tells them that if they press the button he will give them a million dollars in cash, but someone unknown to them will die. After some hesitations and misgivings Norma presses it.

       Then it gets weird.

       I’m trying to decide if it’s good weird or bad weird. It’s intriguing, I’ll give it that. It raises the classic question: SPOILER ALERT…

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-        Are we humans worth saving or should an alien power destroy us?

I find that the film tips onto the good weird side. But why is it always the women?

 

3 ½ * of 5