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The antithesis of the summer blockbuster. The summer blockbusters have invaded theaters, and it's only May. Case in point: my local Regal Cinema has twelve screens, but only five movies showing. f*ck a duck. Luckily, though, one of those was Bug. Directed by William Friedkin (of The Exorcist fame, though he has directed other films, trust me), this film is the antithesis of the summer blockbuster. If Spidey 3 and POTC: AWE are like lemonade on a hot day, Bug is like a shot of whiskey after a hard night. Ashley Judd is Agnes, a tired, lonely, honky-tonk waitress. She lives at the Rustic Motel, and is dealing with the decade-old bereavement of a lost child and the all too current menace of her violent ex-husband being paroled early. In walks the mysterious Peter. He eschews the alcohol and drugs that make up Aggie's world, and claims to be celibate. The loneliness that these two exude are palpable. I was made uncomfortable by just how raw they were. They're reaching out in the dark, through the awkwardness, ready to open up to somebody. Anybody. After an encounter with Jerry, the ex-husband (played expertly by the unexpectedly buff Harry Connick, Jr.), they finally DO open up to each other, in both a more emotionally honest way and the regular old physical way. Even though this is not a horror movie, the sex is the catalyst for all hell breaking loss. Suddenly Peter is seeing bugs. Aggie doesn't at first, but does soon. Their world starts crumbling as the menacing insects take over their lives. Trouble is, no one else can see them. Not Jerry, not RC, Aggie's only real friend, not even the dermatologist that Aggie goes to see. Are the bugs real? Or is insanity catching, like a virus? This movie was adapted from a play, and it shows. There are only six people in the cast, and one is only a voice heard through a door. The action is tight and the spaces confined, and tension drips off the screen like melting ice cream off a cone in August. The stakes are raised with every new scene, leading to an inevitable conclusion. This is not a date movie. It is quiet and sparse, skeletal, really. Bare bones. Friedkin and scripter Tracy Letts (also the playwright of the source material) trim away all the fat, and what you are left with is a mouth full of something that doesn't always taste good, but will certainly leave you full as you exit the theater. So, if you are looking for a movie bereft of all but the barest of special effects, but high on character-study, this is a good choice. Other than a few editorial flubs, this is a strikingly real and honest movie. As dangerous and crazy as things get at the end, let me just assure you that I have seen similar situations with my own eyes. PS: I sensed an odd religious theme in the film. If anyone else ends up seeing it, I would love to discuss what would be spoilers here. Thanks. email this review to a friend
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May 27, 2007 12:37 PM
There is one funny moment where Judd says she's playing Devil's Advocate. That made me chuckle.
May 27, 2007 3:39 PM
May 27, 2007 9:06 PM