Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Richard Bates, Jr's directorial debut,'Excision' really knocked me out, in a good, damaging way. Traci Lords and AnnaLynne McCord just hit some perfect notes concerning parental dysfunction and creeping, pathological mental illness. Traci Lords was really impressive as the upper middle class domestic hausfrau, with little bits of warmness crackling through her cold exterior. While AnnaLynne McCord's performance as the disturbed and quirky Pauline was the major character on display, she just wouldn't have been as effective without Traci Lord's oddly moving, subtle performance. 'Excision' aspires to black comedy and social satire but descends inexorably into grim painful nightmare. For most of its duration it's a horror film in embryo. Behind every madcap demented joke or reference is painful melancholy reality ready to break through the surface. The movie's never comfortable-- never really lets you adjust and just laugh at human folly and weirdness, or allows you some hip detached appreciation of this quirky 'coming of age' tale. That said, the film can be blatantly derivative and bad at times (it owes a lot to Todd Solondz's films, esp. 'Welcome to My Dollhouse'). To be expected perhaps from a first time director. But these stylistic flaws (or homages) enhance the overall effect of the movie, rather than detract. The ending is perfect, and hits you with all the raw and emotional power any true horror fan deserves. I was really impressed and will give it another watch soon.