Box, The : DVD Review





Title: The Box
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Director: Richard Kelly
Released: 19th April on Blu-ray and DVD
Certificate: 15 (TBC)

A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, Norma and Arthur Lewis (played by Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) they have no idea where is has come from. Until the next day when a stranger by the name of Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) turns up and he tells Norma that if she presses the button that they will be given a million dollars – the only side effect being that “someone they don't know will die”. Should they push it? Well they will won’t they. Otherwise the film would end after 30 minutes. What will happen?

The Box is a compelling sci-fi thriller, and if it feels a little like an old episode of the Twilight Zone that’s because it is (more about that later). Director Richard Kelly is still waiting to equal, or better, Donnie Darko (2001). His only other directorial effort being the monster that was Southland Tales (2006) and I don’t mean that in a good way. What the hell was that film supposed to be?

Fortunately The Box is far better. Richard Kelly’s screenplay for The Box, inspired by Richard Matheson’s (I Am Legend) short story "Button, Button" (which was a Twilight Zone episode). While
further inspiration also came from Kelly’s own life (if you watch the special features you’ll find out) from his own parents and real episodes from their own lives. This makes the story more poignant yet it still feels like a short story stretched to feature length. The plot is a little thin to be stretched so far and whilst the extra material that Kelly has added improves the overall effect of the film it still feels a little light. It’s not the intricate, expertly woven film that Donnie Darko was. Still maybe Kelly only has one Donnie Darko in him (in a writing sense) and if he does it’s still pretty impressive.

Diaz (The Holiday), Marsden (X Men) and Langella (Frost/Nixon) all produce fine performances and Kelly’s direction is steady without ever being truly inspirational.

The Box certainly looks good on blu-ray. The visuals are clear and sharp as you will have come to expect from HD. It’s not exactly test disc worthy but it’s still a decent step up from general DVD quality and the nice visuals will no doubt draw you deeper into the story.

The Box is certainly worth taking a look into. Go on push the play button on your DVD player now and take a chance.


Special Features:

GROUNDED IN REALITY: Director Richard Kelly is a filmmaker known for his bizarre and unique storytelling. Explore how his own family's experiences-both professional and personal- helped him expand the classic short story into a feature film.

RICHARD MATTHESON: IN HIS OWN WORDS: An intimate interview with a sci-fi legend, Richard Matheson, about his career, his inspirations, the films that have been made from his books and more.

MUSIC VIDEO PREQUELS: Exhibits A-B-C: Go beyond the story with these short, surveillance montages that expand beyond the story and into a secretive world where you are the experiment.

VISUAL EFFECTS REVEALED: Expertly guided by Visual Effects Editor Dylan Highsmith, get not only the before and after shots, but the chronological sequences from the most difficult scenes in the film - Arlington's Face Water Coffins and Transforming Richmond.

Author : Kevin Stanley