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Sloppy ‘Saw’ riddled with minor faults

Sloppy ‘Saw’ riddled with minor faults

2.5 stars out of 5

‘Saw’ is the kind of movie your friend who doesn’t know a lot about movies is going to strongly recommend you see.

To the naked eye, the film has a lot going for it: unflinching gore, the look of panic in the eyes of a victim who knows time is running out and Danny Glover. But while your friend will be understandably blinded by the peaks of the movie, a discerning eye will recognize the film for what it truly is: a well-made, but inconsistent, psychological horror flick that aims high and fails to follow through.

Ultimately, ‘Saw’ writes checks it can’t cash. Director James Wan banks the success of the movie on a complex mythology involving a plethora of characters who are all hooked into the web of one calculating, maniacal serial killer. Unfortunately, as the last frames frantically draw to a close, it is not that there are any connections completely unmade, but the bonds that hold many of them are weak at best.

For a movie so seemingly obsessed with detail, pivotal scenes are handled with maddening sloppiness. A seasoned police officer fails to physically subdue a suspect leading to his almost-too-easy escape; a photographer insists on using his flash as a way to light his darkened apartment when he hears a series of noises and finds a demonic-looking doll cackling in the night; a mother holds her assailant at gunpoint only to allow him close enough to grab the firearm. These are small details which could be forgiven in a lesser film that did not hold itself to such high standards, but when ‘Saw’ demands the viewer pay extra-close attention to everything going on, they stick out like a sore thumb.

Stylistically, the film also seems unsure of itself. At some points, Wan appears determined to create an eerie air of creepiness, but turns on a dime sporadically to rely on ultra-fast motion, quick-cut editing and roaring heavy metal riffs to exaggerate brutality or suspense. It’s almost as if he can’t decide if he should shoot for ‘Se7en’ or a Slayer guitar solo.

The faults of the film really can’t be laid on Wan’s shoulders completely, though. It’s clear he has a talent for this kind of genre, and perhaps the success of this film will allow him to garner bigger budgets (‘Saw’ only cost a sparse $1 million), and a more impressive cast (preferably with the same amount of Danny Glover) the next time around. For horror fans, Wan should be a name to watch over the next couple years, despite the shortcomings of his debut offering.

But, then again, your excited friend also recommended ‘The Grudge,’ so what does he know?