From the opening scene, it’s apparent that
Stoker is no cookie-cutter film. The whispery voice over and highly textural
sights and sounds certainly create an immediate sense of foreboding, and spark
curiosity. You
know the old saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it?” That sort of
applies here.
So, the plot… an odd young girl named India (Mia Wasikowska) -- who’s fully embraced the whole
somber, Wednesday Addams, goth vibe -- has just lost her beloved father (DermotMulroney), and is left to wander the halls and grounds of her grand Connecticut
manor like a ghost. She and her mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), cannot relate
to each other in the slightest, and this relationship further deteriorates when
long-lost Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), suddenly arrives for the funeral. He’s
an impossibly handsome and charming man, but with a severely disturbing and
mysterious aura. Evelyn is smitten, India is both drawn to and repelled by him,
and a sense of danger invades the already-morose household.
But what’s going on here? He’s an excellent
cook who never eats. He’s always got a smarmy grin on his face. And he seems to
just appear out of thin air. Is he a vampire? A serial killer? An apparition?
Or just a twisted dude who may or may not be hot for his brother’s widow… and
possibly his niece?!
Ew.
While the audience is left to wonder what
exactly is amiss, the movie treats us to some gorgeous, stylish photography
accompanied by captivating audio. There’s certainly a horror aspect to the
movie, but it’s treated quite artfully. It’s creepy, but not campy. There’s a
great deal of suspense, but it’s never heavy-handed or overly dramatic.
In his English-language film debut, acclaimed South Korean director Chan-wook Park creates a visceral appeal that keeps us engaged
as we’re teased by the allure of an explanation that remains just out of reach
for much of the movie. While the resolution is not quite as satisfying as I’d
liked for it to have been, the whole experience is still rather enthralling.
I call it form over function, but a no-nonsense
Cajun friend of mine in the movie business summed it up thusly, “At first, I
didn’t think I’d be able to sit through that crap. But, for some reason, I
couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.” (He’s got a way with words.)
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