Heart in chains: a review of the film “Gerald’s Game” (2017)

An elderly couple, Jessie and her husband Gerald, secluded in a cabin on the lake to try to revive the dying feelings. For this Gerald comes up with a role play – he catches wife handcuffed to the bed, and then pretending to sneak into the house of a stranger. Jesse is such a fantasy don’t like: she firmly refuses her husband, and that suddenly has a heart attack and he falls dead. Hero is one hidden from the eyes of the house in the woods, unable to break free and escape – and there are steps already heard terrible night visitor.

First in reviewing new work of one of the most notable horror Directors of our time suggests a brief analysis of his previous activities. Mike Flanagan does not just write the script – it creates a full-length novel, with the obligatory prologue and epilogue, with a deep understanding of each character, with a clear structure of the plot. Because of this, his films sometimes seem too slow, and the hour and a half tape there for all three hours. But this comfort has its own charm – good stories are not being told hastily. And Flanagan clearly have something to tell and show the most demanding audience. And, as revealed in the case of “Gerald’s Game”, ready and served on a silver platter subjects the Director is drawn not so gracefully. Even if you enjoyed this story by Stephen king.

Contribution Flanagan in the transfer of the novel to the screen is obvious – he gave the history of several unique and phantasmagoric vision of a little lower degree of realism of the original and removing the maximum voltage of the key episodes. Any viewer involuntarily shivered, seeing a huge silhouette in the corner of the bedroom Jesse. But at the same time strongly feel the lack of some important link, because of what the final picture looks a little bit empty and just begging to fly out of memory after a couple of days after viewing. Show us the hard fate of Jesse, from which logically follows its current situation – but what really pushed her to fight? That gave her a second wind and began life-saving twig? The answer to this question scenario carefully avoiding, skipping ahead already terrible graphic violence. Which, thank you for this, perfectly executed.

Again, the Director’s tradition, the denouement of the story occurs approximately twenty minutes before the final credits, and the vacant seat is given to afterword. In this part of his work Flanagan caught between two extremes – here the viewer is waiting for, or sugary, like vanilla frosting, dot, hopeless or dark dot. How to end “the Game Gerald” – I will not spoil, but under one of these categories, the picture fits like a glove, leaving the plot virtually no issues.

On the plus side the film is also worth a bet casting. Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood is enough professional in order to safely limit the film only by their presence (even if they are here and not alone). The only remark goes on sometimes too measured tone of the narrative, which from the next monologue, of Greenwood, maybe shes pulling to sleep. The same Moon man, seems to be done effectively – but all the tension personally, I have collapsed once a few seconds I recognized him as a harmless giant from “twin Peaks”. However, in fairness, that scene with him went the most entertaining in the picture. To be scared does not work, but I will run a couple of times.

Flanagan the film is shot competently and confidently, but the main catch here is that “the Game Gerald” do not need a film version. This story is much better perceived if the measured reading on the screen we see a retelling that barely catches the basic essence kingovskoy ideas. To put it simply, as is customary in the Internet – “the book is better”. And the result is sturdy, but disposable Thriller, which is far from “new word”, but which is still rather happy.

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