| Directed
by Neil Labute.
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Stacy Edwards, and Matt Malloy. |
| This
movie gives new meaning to the term “mind fuck” (pardon my French).
Not only does Chad (played by Eckhart) convince Christine (Edwards) that
he loves her, he also connived Howard (Malloy) his co-worker, and myself
(the viewing audience). Chad is a person who has glided through life
on his good looks and ability to bullshit. He tells us he is bored,
which for Chad means he needs to hurt someone, psychologically that is.
He talks Howard into seducing Christine, in conjunction with himself, in
a twisted psychodrama intended to teach the female sex a lesson in pain
(like we need one!).
Never does the movie hide the fact that Chad is an asshole, a monster, a back stabber, etc., but I still couldn’t give up the hope that he would change. Somehow, he really might fall in love with Christine and that would conquer evil, or something. This movie plays on that notion over and over. The notion, that is, to complete the circle with a happy ending. There is no happy ending in this movie. Turns out, Chad doesn’t even have an axe to grind with women; he just likes to be mean. So he screws (literally and figuratively) Christine, Howard, and the viewing audience, but the director gave us enough clues to know this would be the end result. We have only ourselves to blame, and Chad of course. I give this movie four stars, despite the mean spirited theme, for trapping me so completely in the fantasy that people are good. |