Warning! Contains
spoilers!
Solace was one of those
quiet releases where you see only a few TV slots before it hits the
screen. With nothing better to do on a Sunday it was an easy choice
with its big names and thrilling premise. Before I get started there
is one thing I want to get clear – Anthony Hopkins is a superb
actor. That's not saying much. We know this just by seeing his name.
Its gone past reassuring to become just plain standard. Cows go moo,
dogs go woof, Anthony Hopkins is a great performer. So lets not go on
about it.
FBI
agents Merriweather (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Cowles (Abbie Cornish)
have a serial killer on their hands. But with no clues as to the
assassins identity they have to turn to the one thing that can help.
Not a multi billion dollar CSI lab. A psychic. Not just any psychic,
but one played by Anthony god dam Hopkins. As the body count rises he
gets to walk around crime scenes touching things with his hands.
Unable to get a read on the killer, our heroic spoon bender realises
that this is no ordinary case. How can the murder stay seven steps
ahead of the cops? Why is each crime perfect with no contamination?
How does he have information on the victims that no one else knows?
The realisation is chilling – the killer also possesses psychic
powers of his own but ones he has chose to use for evil. Or has
he...?
Yes,
he has. Well kind of. Maybe not now I think more about it. Its
complicated. You see "Solace" isn't really a serial killer
film. Its not even that much of an action or supernatural flick.
Quite timely it toys with the subject of euthanasia or specifically
if the death of a terminal patient can provide solace to the
aforementioned family and friends. Our serial killer (Colin Farrell)
is painlessly killing people before they suffer from a long, drawn
out and agonising deaths. As a psychic he precisely knows what pain
they and their families with go through over months or even years.
Once confronted, the dialogue between Hopkins and Farrell simply asks
over and over again if he right to do this. That question can stir up
quite a discussion even amongst chums. But don't let the debate get
out of hand or you and your friends might get dragged from Burger
King still clutching your ketchup stained movie review note book. I
digress. This question is at the very heart of the film and I would
even say is its very premise.
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| Be careful when asking to borrow the sugar in America |
"Solace"
maintains a creepy “Se7en” like vibe throughout. There was one
shit your pants jump scare early on that made me think the film was
going to play hard ball with my fears but it never really came to
anything. The whole process by which Hopkins could 'see' alternate
possibilities unfold was interesting but no particularly ground
breaking. The same thing was used in a White Stripes music video.
That said I like the 'cool bits' of a film, that first scene you and
your mates bring up as soon as the credits role. In “Solace” at
one point Farrell leaves a recording for the FBI. As Agent Cowles
paces the room taking in the message she suddenly realises that the
killers eyes are following her footsteps. Once again, not ground
breaking but the intensity from Farrells eyes and that dawning moment
in Cornish's performance when her character realises helps keep it
rather spooky and memorable.
A
mild niggle comes from the directors choice of pacing. “Solace”
divides into two half's with the slower more thoughtful beginning and
the sped up action filled (kind of) ending. The water shed moment is
the introduction of Farrell who doesn't appear on screen until mid
way. Its like someone fired a gun in the air and cried “Twice the
number of psychics now at twice the speed!” A tense ending doest
come just because you introduce some gun play and a mild car chase.
Also, this is a cop film. After being burned by many a Hollywood
detective story our minds are subconsciously searching for clues on
screen. This heightened state of awareness that you have induced
doesn't cope well with spinning cameras. Its enough to make a man
spill his M&M's.
Solid
performances from Morgan and Cornish frame the card counting duo of
Hopkins and Farrell comfortably in this low carb thriller. A stout
three Brian faces out of five.
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