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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Although it becomes a bit
predictable by the end of the second act,
"Vacancy" breathes new life into the suspense
thriller genre by taking an unusual premise, a
married couple at the end of their relationship
and mixing it up with dazzling techique to create
a great little thriller. Director Nimrod Antal and
the writer take an unsual tact by actually
creating characters we care about that are having
major martial problems. Although it becomes
predictable by the second act, I was sucked in to
the film enough so that I was willing to stick
around and finish the ride.
David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox (Kate
Beckinsale)are stranded in the middle of nowhere
while on a trip. They end up staying at a ratty
looking motel. The creepy manager (well played by
Frank Whaley in a role that echoes both "Psycho"
and "Touch of Evil")and dilapated appearence of
the motel hint that it isn't going to be a quiet
night for the couple. What David & Amy don't
realize is that the survival of their marriage is
the least of their concerns.
A taunt, well directed thriller, "Vacancy" isn't
deep--it's a nail biting thriller that doesn't
take the easy like a lot of slasher flicks that
rely a bit too heavily on blood and gore.
"Vacancy" works due to the appealing work of Luke
Wilson, Kate Beckinsale and the creepy performance
of Frank Whaley. Unlike a lot of thrillers, the
backstory for the characters is actually
interesting.
Using his skills in film technique Antal manages
to create suspense electing NOT to take lazy
approach that we see in all these torture porn
films (yes Eli Roth I am talking about your films
"Hostel" and "Hostel II") simply putting more gore
on screen. The film reminds me of "Identity" and
"Breakdown" (and, of course, the granddaddy of all
these films "Psycho") in that the director digs
deep into the characters to help create suspense
during the first half of the film. Sure the film
has a couple of cheap thrills but on the whole the
makers of "Vacancy" opt for using their characters
and the situations to generate suspense as opposed
to just throwing blood and guts at the audience.
Those expecting a film like "Hostel" or "The Hills
Have Eyes II" will be disappointed but those
expecting solid performances and skillful
direction will enjoy this film.
"Vacancy" reflects the skill that John Carpenter
or even Hitchcock might have displayed at the top
of their game. What makes the film unique is that
the director and writer doesn't make this into
your typical slasher film developing the main
characters so that we can identify with them and
root for them once they are on the run from the
killers.
The transfer is top notch with solid blacks, a
sharp looking picture and bold colors. The extras
on the disc are a bit disappointing. We get a
deleted scene, a couple of the "unedited" films
that Amy & David see when they put the videos on
their room and a short featurette on the making of
the film. I'm a bit disappointed that there isn't
a commentary track from the writer or director
but, really, the film kind of speaks for itself
with its marvelous set pieces. We do get a lot of
previews for forthcoming flicks. I didn't watch
the pan & scan version included on the same disc
so have no comments on how it looks, sounds, etc.
You might want to check into this motel. You won't
get any sleep but you will get a suspenseful
filled thrill ride. The film takes some unexpected
twists and turns in its plot that will keep you on
the edge of your seat. 3 1/2 stars. |
