Split - Review
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley
If M. Night Shyamalan's career had to be encapsulated in one phrase, it would be; Publicly tumultuous. He entered the ring strong with knockouts such as The Sixth Sense and Signs. However, his performance started to wane with flicks such as The Village and Lady in the Water until he eventually took some major blows with The Last Airbender and After Earth. But the director wasn't out for the count, delivering the surprise hit The Visit in 2015 and his latest endeavour, Split, is reigning over the box-office. Shyamalan is back, folks - and he's not pulling any punches.
Three teenage girls, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) are kidnapped by "Dennis" and kept captive in a basement. However, it soon becomes apparent that "Dennis" alone wasn't responsible for his actions as "Dennis" is just one of 23 personalities co-existing in Kevin Wendell Crumb's (James McAvoy) body. The girls face a race against time to escape their captor who claims that they will be sacrificed to the mysterious "beast".
Split has to be one of the year's biggest crowd pleasers, and if you're going to watch it, ensure you're with an audience as their collective energy will only enhance the viewing experience. A psychological thriller about the kidnapping of three young women is bound to circulate tension and suspense. Factor in the split personality disorder of the captor and it becomes something you can really have fun with. Within Kevin's body are 23 completely different identities, including the 9 year old "Hedwig" and matriarchal "Patricia". The vast differences in these characters and their respective mannerisms are the source of endless humour, and the emergence of Patricia was always particularly welcomed amongst the nine personalities performed by McAvoy as the audience hooted with amusement at her refined, but creepy, manner. Some people have criticised the portrayal of dissociative identity disorder (DID), positing that it would attach negative and unsavoury conditions to the stigma. But Shyamalan's primary goal is to entertain, and he does just that.
Playing a character that inhabits a plethora of different identities must be an actor's dream, or the equivalent of an actor's playground. It is also no easy feat, but McAvoy throws himself into the role(s) with vigorous gusto and isn't precious about what the part demands of him. Whether he's affecting a British RP, Brooklyn or lispy childish accent, the Scottish actor is always convincing as the personality taking control of the host body. He's scary, enigmatic, dynamic, funny, and his enigmatic and reverent approach to the material is a joy to watch. Speaking of Joy, Anya Taylor-Joy, who had her breakout role in 2015's supernatural thriller The Witch, delivers another standout wonderful performance within the genre. Her large, expressive eyes truly captivate a stirring sense of fear and thoughtfulness, even when her character, Casey, is seemingly the least affected by the disturbing incident than her peers. Shyamalan provides the character with a surprisingly mature and complex backstory that is gradually formed via flashbacks that gives compelling explanation for the actions her character takes. Hopefully Taylor-Joy won't find herself confined to the one genre for her career's foreseeable future as her talent deserves more exploration.
M. Night Shyamalan sure does love to surprise his audience and he has become a master of shock twists, supported by a mere glance at his filmography. Split adheres to this tried and tested formula in riotous fashion. Intended to stir excitement for another possible feature film, the film's ending largely succeeds in drawing quizzical expressions and laughs of derision. It was only after a quick Google search once the film was over that I understood the meaning of that pivotal moment: Unless you're a die-hard fan of the writer/director, the seismic significance of the final few seconds before the credits roll will go right over your head, leading you to question everything you have just watched in the two hours prior.
Although a tad silly and self-indulgent, Split proves to be a rowdy good time and Shyamalan settles comfortably back into his forte. It's not a complete KO, but he's most certainly made a bruising and rewarding effort.
EB
Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley
If M. Night Shyamalan's career had to be encapsulated in one phrase, it would be; Publicly tumultuous. He entered the ring strong with knockouts such as The Sixth Sense and Signs. However, his performance started to wane with flicks such as The Village and Lady in the Water until he eventually took some major blows with The Last Airbender and After Earth. But the director wasn't out for the count, delivering the surprise hit The Visit in 2015 and his latest endeavour, Split, is reigning over the box-office. Shyamalan is back, folks - and he's not pulling any punches.Three teenage girls, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) are kidnapped by "Dennis" and kept captive in a basement. However, it soon becomes apparent that "Dennis" alone wasn't responsible for his actions as "Dennis" is just one of 23 personalities co-existing in Kevin Wendell Crumb's (James McAvoy) body. The girls face a race against time to escape their captor who claims that they will be sacrificed to the mysterious "beast".
Split has to be one of the year's biggest crowd pleasers, and if you're going to watch it, ensure you're with an audience as their collective energy will only enhance the viewing experience. A psychological thriller about the kidnapping of three young women is bound to circulate tension and suspense. Factor in the split personality disorder of the captor and it becomes something you can really have fun with. Within Kevin's body are 23 completely different identities, including the 9 year old "Hedwig" and matriarchal "Patricia". The vast differences in these characters and their respective mannerisms are the source of endless humour, and the emergence of Patricia was always particularly welcomed amongst the nine personalities performed by McAvoy as the audience hooted with amusement at her refined, but creepy, manner. Some people have criticised the portrayal of dissociative identity disorder (DID), positing that it would attach negative and unsavoury conditions to the stigma. But Shyamalan's primary goal is to entertain, and he does just that.
Playing a character that inhabits a plethora of different identities must be an actor's dream, or the equivalent of an actor's playground. It is also no easy feat, but McAvoy throws himself into the role(s) with vigorous gusto and isn't precious about what the part demands of him. Whether he's affecting a British RP, Brooklyn or lispy childish accent, the Scottish actor is always convincing as the personality taking control of the host body. He's scary, enigmatic, dynamic, funny, and his enigmatic and reverent approach to the material is a joy to watch. Speaking of Joy, Anya Taylor-Joy, who had her breakout role in 2015's supernatural thriller The Witch, delivers another standout wonderful performance within the genre. Her large, expressive eyes truly captivate a stirring sense of fear and thoughtfulness, even when her character, Casey, is seemingly the least affected by the disturbing incident than her peers. Shyamalan provides the character with a surprisingly mature and complex backstory that is gradually formed via flashbacks that gives compelling explanation for the actions her character takes. Hopefully Taylor-Joy won't find herself confined to the one genre for her career's foreseeable future as her talent deserves more exploration.
M. Night Shyamalan sure does love to surprise his audience and he has become a master of shock twists, supported by a mere glance at his filmography. Split adheres to this tried and tested formula in riotous fashion. Intended to stir excitement for another possible feature film, the film's ending largely succeeds in drawing quizzical expressions and laughs of derision. It was only after a quick Google search once the film was over that I understood the meaning of that pivotal moment: Unless you're a die-hard fan of the writer/director, the seismic significance of the final few seconds before the credits roll will go right over your head, leading you to question everything you have just watched in the two hours prior.
Although a tad silly and self-indulgent, Split proves to be a rowdy good time and Shyamalan settles comfortably back into his forte. It's not a complete KO, but he's most certainly made a bruising and rewarding effort.
EB
Comments
Post a Comment