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Frailty 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Bill Paxton
R, 97 min. (language, violence) |
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Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matthew O'Leary, Jeremy Sumpter, Luke Askew
Producers: David Blocker, David Kirschner, Corey Sienega
Screenplay: Brent Hanley
Cinematography: Bill Butler
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Released: 4.12.02 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Frailty is maybe the perfect example of how parental influences can shape, whether good or bad, the minds
of their children - in this case warping and psychologically destroying two young boys' lives before they're barely old enough
to comprehend what's occurring. Interpretation of what's good or bad, right or wrong, is inherently taught through the
actions and the examples of parents, with varying degrees of acceptance. Here, one loving father's psychosis wreaks
destruction upon his two young children, forever changing how they perceive the world around them. The tragedy is, at
least for a short while, that one child comprehends that their actions are an abomination and not natural, only to eventually
give in to a father's unrelenting voice. This is a complicated, yet carefully-constructed effort from first-time director
Bill Paxton that haunts the viewer long after the film has ended. It's a frank commentary on the art of persuasion and
how moral or immoral judgments are made from one's perspective and not from a consensus, single-minded majority.
The story is told in flashbacks. It opens with a visually-disturbed man, Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey), arriving
at FBI Headquarters in Dallas, Texas. There, he informs special agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) that he knows
the identity of the "God's Hand Killer," a serial killer who has already claimed six lives in the state of Texas. Fenton
claims his younger brother, Adam, is the killer and begins to tell a hauting story of supernatural proportions that involves
himself, his brother, and his disturbed father (Bill Paxton). A family, normal at first, is turned upside down when its father
has a supposed vision from God - to hunt down "demons" in the form of humans who have committed atrocious acts of
evil while on earth. The younger Fenton (Matthew O'Leary) and Adam (Jeremy Sumpter) takes opposing sides in this
battle for the mind with their father. While Adam accepts his father's mission from God, Fenton is appalled and frightened
by the father's sudden acts of what he perceives as clear murder. Fenton begs Adam to run away with him, but Adam
remains steadfast, and, with the help of the father, eventually irrevocably turn Fenton's mind for the worse.
The film's strength comes from its commentary on the psychological warfare between father and son, in this case Fenton
and his dad. The horror of realizing that your father has lost his mind and is now a vicious killer is too much for a boy's
mind to comprehend. When Fenton confronts his father's actions, the father responds, "If you tell anyone, the angel
said I would die." How does a son react to this statement? He's torn - he could save others but lose his father. Coupled
with the fact his father is lost to him forever, his own brother, Adam, claims to "see" these demons when his father touches
them. Only Fenton's "lack of faith" keeps him from seeing them also. Fenton is tested, both mentally and physically, and
predictably is broken down by his own incapacity to go on. This is compelling filmmaking at its best.
While the psychological aspects of Frailty are at the forefront, it has some weaknesses that keep it from perfection.
Mainly that it falls prey to several clichés in the horror genre, specifically the surprise "twist" and convenient wrap-up that
leaves one feeling somewhat cheated are significant problems with an otherwise solid plot. The film does follow its own
logic to the bitter conclusion, but throws in an unnecessary "Sixth Sense"-type revelation to further spice up the storyline.
In this case, it's icing on the cake that's simply not needed.
The performances are all first rate. Paxton's dual role as director and actor are impressive as he fully realizes how a confused
but loving father must convince his children that what he's doing is unavoidable. "This is our job now, son. We've got to do this."
Paxton effectively portrays a torn father, battling his own mind to move forward with the killings. He has convinced himself,
and Adam, that these are not murders, merely killing demons. McConaughey plays an atypical role for himself, and it pays
off handsomely. In maybe his finest performance on screen, he's able to portray the dark, disturbed psychotic mind lurking
just beneath the surface while imparting his story. He's also the film's narrator, thereby shaping the story through his own
mind. Finally, Matthew O'Leary's effort as the younger Fenton is powerfully haunting, accurately showing the shattered
innocence and ultimate betrayal of a father's love with an intense hopelessness. He has a promising career ahead of him.
Frailty is ambiguous on two counts. First, intelligently, it avoids showing much gore or blood at all while invoking
the viewer to imagine the worst. This is a very effective technique. Secondly, the film is unclear about whether these
"visions" of demons are true or imaginary. The viewer is left to decide for his/herself. Wisely, the film avoids making a
statement on the accuracy of such supernatural issues. But mainly, Frailty is a test of the mind - one that challenges
the viewer to place themselves in Fenton's shoes and to imagine their response accordingly. It's a haunting film that's
hard to forget.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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