The Box [Blu-ray]

Awww the 70’s. Turtle necks, plaid, boots. Throw in a Breck commercial or Charlie perfume and you’ll all set. I loved this movie and decided to buy it. Suspense, tragedy, and biblical references. Even if you pick option two, you’ll still end up in purgatory.

THE BOX is a masterpiece of ethical and moral dilemma masquerading as an ominous sci-fi suspense thriller. It may seem obscure and incomprehensible, but it's essentially just a story about the Golden Rule: What we do to others we do to ourselves.The story is taken form an ironic little gem of a story by Richard Matheson (of TWILIGHT ZONE fame) called "Button, Button." The movie expands it into a Gordian Knot of obscure, seemingly unrelated events that inevitably, well... you'll see.The central theme is altruism, which is basically the practical application of the Golden Rule (you know, do unto others as you would have them do unto you). The basic equation is that if enough people choose selfishness, eventually no one will be left. Yet I'm amazed by all the diverse interpretations and reviews, especially since the substance of the story is clearly stated at one point as the "altruism coefficient," that is, unless people learn to be altruistic they will either destroy each other or be destroyed by the mysterious extraterrestrials. A not uncommon sci-fi theme, but presented here as a brilliantly enigmatic and ominous fable that is never boring, but rather, perplexing and mesmerizing. It may have been more popular as a dark comedy, but then it would have lost much of its impact.Unfortunately however, when a story is presented as enigmatically as this, people tend to see what they want to see, like the reviewer who totally misinterpreted it as a "scathing attack on altruism," quoting Ayn Rand's absurd, distorted definition of it. (Ayn Rand, the master of rationalization of the selfish and self-serving, nursed a lifelong disdain of altruism and empathy. Her books rationalize and justify selfishness, opportunism and exploitation, and still inspire those who exalt such traits.) But this movie is in fact a scathing indictment of selfishness.Self-sacrifice and selflessness have been the most powerful themes in all of literature and art, including the ultimate story of self-sacrifice, that of Christ (though you'd hardly guess it judging by today's Christians).Selfishness, on the other hand, is the primary characteristic of evil.The quote by John Paul Sartre near the end of the movie sums it up beautifully.

Did not see that ending coming

Ok interesting

This is a rental DVD and the price dropped dramatically when the Blu-ray just now became available.Pretty intriguing movie and concept. It really makes you think about your choices and what you would do it you really knew the consequences. The DVD version does not allow you to skip trailers. Wished I had waited for the Blu-ray version.

This movie is worth even more than 5 stars! I'm going to make this review straight to the point, but yet, "brief" The reason why is because: Manytimes, regardless of how much a review is broken down and expressed to the readers of that review. Ultimately, as to rather if a movie gets purchased then liked or not, solely depends on what the purchaser looks for in a movie! For instance, I could brag about this movie all day long! Because it had/has all of the elements which I happen to deeply respect!Now these elements which I highly respect in it are: The Highly Metaphysical,The Highly Mystical, It possesses certain "Esoteric" content. When dealing with the mystery man's essence accompanied with his associations/workers/contacts. Along with the main 2 couples later connection involvement. Though alot more could be said about this wonderful treasure found! One still finds it more fair for the reader of this review to make their own decision about the movie if they choose to purchase it. I'll just say this much: Any purchaser who in which either studies Metaphysical Literature,Mysticism,Esoteric Literature, Etc; Well, such a person as this'll deeply respect this movie to the fullest!And a purchaser who in which has experienced or does experience- The Realm Of Metaphysics,Mysticism,Esoteric Insight,Etc; Well,such a person as this'll both deeply love and respect this movie! "By One" looking at this beyond just being interpreted as just another movie. They can possibly gain more profound insight! Before haphazardly making a wrong choice in life- which can cost a person everything- When dealing with the veil of the unseen.P.S. This movie is for those who can respect its profound message involved! It's "One Of The Best Movies" to ever be made! It far exceeded my expectations!

A box with a button that when pressed results in the loss of someone's life, but brings a million dollars to the party pressing the button, seems a metaphor relaying the emotional/ethical stirring that occurs or should occur in pressing the power button on the tv remote and more often than not viewing news footage portrayals of countries ravaged by war, by armies whose front line soldiers also push a weapons release button on the yoke of a fighter plane or the trigger of a machine gun that ends someone's or many people's lives. War is highly profitable for a few and sanitized to the nth degree for tv audiences such that its consequences to the folks watching news footage on tv are unknown or remote since all the action results simply from the pressing of one button or another. The Box seems to argue that those unknown and remote consequences are not so unknown and remote, but press hard on one aspect or another of everyone's life. The film is essentially an anti-war movie that cathartically expresses the sentiments bottled up in the American consciousness bruised and frustrated by years of the country's engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since it is the NSA's Arlington Steward (by Frank Langella) that proposes the arrangement, it is rather obvious that the film is a critique of the United States as a national security state that abuses the moral weakness inherent in human beings as exemplified by the Milgram Experiment.

Buena calidad de imagen y sonido

It is a bit of a mind frack - wife and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was one of those movies where you're thinking about it after .... something to watch again in a week or three, see what we missed the first time through.

What amazes me is how unknown this film is. To this day people are unresponsive or outright dismissive. If I mention it people scratch their earlobes and look over my shoulder, staring blankly, probably thinking, "here's yet another odd-bod movie Zak adores" - that or more accurately that the strangers I question about their having not seen this underrated masterpiece don't want to hold a conversation with me as they try to catch their bus home.We live in an age where movies like The Box eventually find its audience and appreciators. Due to streaming services and also bargain box sales of certain Blu-rays, later in a movies life it will be recognised. Not this one. No one cares. About the film nor the legacy of Richard Kelly as a filmmaker.It doesn't surprise me as a whole. Richard Kelly is an acquired taste. His unstable fusion of surrealism, sci-fi, and pulp isn't everyone's cup of tea. Though their is a wide cult following for his two feature length films, Donnie Darko and Southland Tales, even still, fans of those two films don't mention Kelly's The Box.Even when this came out in 2009, with the poster declaring: FROM THE DIRECTOR OF DONNIE DARKO, people didn't rush to see it, they merely shrugged at it and didn't give it a chance.I saw this in cinemas on the big screen, and that experience I'll forever be grateful for, and though the narrative and themes and actual plot was elusive for my not so cultured 14 year old mind, I left feeling transported. I was gripped. I left both moved, shocked and highly stimulated. I couldn't tell you what it meant to me, not back in 2009, but, I can now.What got me was its tone and its heightened cinematography, where the 70s period was felt, it was textual, and in those layers and costumes and period dressing was an element, one that was so important to the filmmaker behind the camera. That and the warped 1950s old-school bombastic melodramatic score and with it the whole mystery, it had me transfixed.Visually and aesthetically it tapped into something I didn't know I'd soon become obsessed with later in life; weird, strange, aesthetically driven and narratively paradoxical kinds of films. Also I love a 70s movie or set movie.This is tonally more in sync with 2001: A Space Odyssey than people would give it credit. In its pace and complexity. It also is the best onscreen representation and adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel that wasn't written by the man himself.Originally a six page short story entitled Button, Button by Richard Matheson, Kelly pushes this beyond what Matheson would have done as a writer himself, morphing it into a Richard Kelly masterpiece.It is abstract in intent, though dialogue and exposition is applied to try lull the audience into some comfortability, it is still riddled with ambiguity and nuance. Not just in the parameters setup by the character of Arlington Steward, but the whole film as a visual and cerebral experience. It is all about the stimulation and sensorial experience. That Kelly aura his films leave you with.Cameron Diaz hasn't been better than she is in this role, she is stellar. James Marsten is also truly captivating, and together they ground it into a reality we all relate to, or can recognise, that normal surburbian lifestyle and the customs with it.Though it feels like an overt fetishisation of the 70s, it is an ode, a loving ode to Kelly's youth and his own upbringing. The pathos comes from not only the autobiographical but also the need to confound and perplex audiences - not just narratively in how people are meant to compute the preposterousness of the film - but in its ambiguities and abstractions.As you can tell, I love this film. Yes, like most films it has the potential to go further into the rabbit hole, where at the end everything is nicely tied up in a perfect bow. This isn't the films intention. The intention is to confuse, unnerve and open up discussion to the various themes and scenarios and philosophies provided in it.If you haven't watched it before, watch it. If you have done and didn't like it, give it another go. Like Kubrick's 2001, a deserves and needs repeat viewings for an audience member to better study and admire it.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars out of Five.

Cinema d'autore

Mélange de drame psychologique, thriller de haute volée et de fantastique baignant dans le surnaturel, ce film pratique un suspense constant, avec une atmosphère sombre très particulière, qui met encore plus en lumière les événements bizarres qui s’y succèdent et offre une analyse très pertinente sur les divers éléments qui composent la nature humaine. Ajoutez à cela un scénario intelligent et complexe, magnifié par une mise en scène de qualité et des thèmes originaux qui explorent les choix et les conséquences des personnages, qui seront mis à rude épreuve et passeront par toutes les émotions, portés par des acteurs qui jouent à la perfection. Le final ne ravira pas tout le monde, car il est tout le contraire d’un happy end, mais il vient conclure une œuvre parfaitement maitrisée de bout en bout, qui assénera une véritable claque aux spectateurs.1976. Un paquet est déposé devant la maison d’un jeune couple, Norma et Arthur, qui y vivent avec leur fils, contenant une boite et un mot leur indique qu’un homme passera les voir le soir-même. En effet, un certain M. Steward vient leur proposer un marché : soit ils appuient sur le bouton de cette boite et ils gagnent un million de Dollars, mais quelqu’un meurt en échange, soit ils n’appuient pas, la boite sera reprogrammée et la même proposition sera faite à quelqu’un d’autre. Ils ont 24h pour se décider.Ma critique portera sur l’édition Blu Ray en import Belge, qui délivre un très bon master, véritablement digne du support HD. L’image est tout simplement superbe, affichant une netteté incroyable, les couleurs sont belles, pleines de chaleur et le contraste bénéficie d’un noir intense. Le son est quant à lui impeccable, la Version Française est de très bonne qualité, mais ma préférence va à la Version Originale avec Sous-Titres Français, plus dynamique et compacte, les véritables voix des acteurs décuplant encore plus l’intérêt du film. Mais chacun fera selon son choix.Rarement, un film a attisé autant ma curiosité. Et pourtant, il divise. Soit vous entrez de plein pied dans cette histoire très particulière et vous ne pouvez généralement pas abandonner, tant le suspense est maintenu de manière presque oppressante jusqu’à la dernière minute, soit vous décidez qu’il y a trop de genres mélangés et vous ne cherchez plus à comprendre, je dois dire que j’ai opté pour la première solution et je ne le regrette absolument pas, tant l’intrigue est brillante et passionnante.La nature humaine est finement étudiée, avec ses failles, ses inquiétudes, ses contradictions et l’étude des choix qui mènent aux conséquences. L’être humain qui répond en fonction de sa conscience, prendra-t-il une décision altruiste en décidant d’épargner quelqu’un qu’il ne connait pas ? Ou alors choisira-t-il un chemin égoïste et cupide, en prenant l’argent proposé ? Quitte à ce qu’une personne extérieure meure, ignorant à ce moment-là, les répercussions tragiques engendrées pour sa famille, avant la fin de l’expiration du délai. Car c’est au final que l’on se rend compte à quel point le dilemme est cruel.En tête du casting, on retrouve Cameron DIAZ, qui incarne Norma Lewis, professeur de littérature, épouse et mère dévouée, dont la question posée par M. Steward va hanter ses prochaines heures, l’actrice est réellement excellente dans un registre dramatique, où l’on regrette de ne pas la voir plus souvent, tant elle y impressionne par son jeu tout en finesse et sachant montrer les multiples facettes de son personnage par une palette d’émotions très riche, assurément un de ses meilleurs rôles ; à ses côtés, James MARSDEN interprète Arthur Lewis, son mari, ingénieur à la NASA, il est tourmenté par la question de M. Steward et ne sait qu’en penser, l’acteur, souvent sous-estimé bon nombre de fois dans ses précédents films, affiche une performance tout dans la retenue et la sobriété, qui rend très bien compte de la détresse de son personnage, tout en sachant doser impeccablement ses multiples émotions. Face à eux, Frank LANGELLA campe M. Steward, un homme mystérieux et inquiétant, défiguré au visage, qui va changer à tout jamais la vie tranquille de la famille Lewis, le comédien réussit un tour de force impressionnant, il choque et terrifie jusqu’à vous glacer le sang, rien que par sa seule présence, une performance époustouflante qui ne manquera pas de laisser le spectateur sans voix.Un très grand film, malheureusement sous-estimé lors de sa sortie en salles en 2009 et qui n’a pas eu le succès mérité, réalisé par le prodige Richard KELLY. Qui donne à réfléchir et à méditer. Immanquable.