Waking up blindfolded, handcuffed, and with no idea where you are or why you're there could be very scary. The start of Closet Land is filmed in black as Madeleine Stowe discovers her surroundings. Not until her blindfold is taken off does the screen show anything but darkness. The first thing she, and we, sees is Alan Rickman's very handsome face. Nothing can possibly go wrong!
Well, in this two-person psychological drama, that's not exactly the case. Alan plays mostly villains in his career, and as Madeleine is clearly the victim, there doesn't leave much room for him to take a heroic part. How cute is it, though, for Maid Marian and the Sheriff of Nottingham to be locked in a room together for ninety minutes? In theory, it's very cute. This movie is just about as far from cute as you can get. Madeleine is accused of inserting political propaganda into the children's books she writes, and to get her to confess, Alan uses any number of imaginative torture techniques. He tries being the good cop, the bad cop, blindfolding her and disguising his voice so she'll think there is more than one interrogator in the room, as well as physical violence. Some of these scenes are extremely tough to watch, and I don't recommend this movie for squeamish viewers with sensitive hearts. However, if you sat through Goya's Ghosts and lived to tell the tale, you'll survive this one.
Inserted into this dark script are a few very dry one-liners intended to be jokes. Madeleine complains of her treatment, and Alan quips that she's not enduring anything very bad, since most people endure cigarette burns. Then, when he does resort to that tactic and she cries out, he says, "You're not one of those anti-smoking activists, are you?" I don't think anyone's really supposed to laugh during this sadistic movie, but the jokes are probably supposed to show how terrible a villain Alan is. I will say this for the film: it's very difficult for a movie with a two-person cast to keep the audience's attention, and Closet Dark does. The two leads give very raw, upsetting performances, if you're prepared to watch them.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There are several scenes that employ canted angles or swirling camera movement that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to psychological torture and adult content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
Well, in this two-person psychological drama, that's not exactly the case. Alan plays mostly villains in his career, and as Madeleine is clearly the victim, there doesn't leave much room for him to take a heroic part. How cute is it, though, for Maid Marian and the Sheriff of Nottingham to be locked in a room together for ninety minutes? In theory, it's very cute. This movie is just about as far from cute as you can get. Madeleine is accused of inserting political propaganda into the children's books she writes, and to get her to confess, Alan uses any number of imaginative torture techniques. He tries being the good cop, the bad cop, blindfolding her and disguising his voice so she'll think there is more than one interrogator in the room, as well as physical violence. Some of these scenes are extremely tough to watch, and I don't recommend this movie for squeamish viewers with sensitive hearts. However, if you sat through Goya's Ghosts and lived to tell the tale, you'll survive this one.
Inserted into this dark script are a few very dry one-liners intended to be jokes. Madeleine complains of her treatment, and Alan quips that she's not enduring anything very bad, since most people endure cigarette burns. Then, when he does resort to that tactic and she cries out, he says, "You're not one of those anti-smoking activists, are you?" I don't think anyone's really supposed to laugh during this sadistic movie, but the jokes are probably supposed to show how terrible a villain Alan is. I will say this for the film: it's very difficult for a movie with a two-person cast to keep the audience's attention, and Closet Dark does. The two leads give very raw, upsetting performances, if you're prepared to watch them.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There are several scenes that employ canted angles or swirling camera movement that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to psychological torture and adult content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.