Fuji reviews Maniac

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Fuji Vice

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Maniac



Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but he harbors a deadly secret, he's a serial killer with an affinity for scalps. Seeking out victims in public and on the internet, Frank continues his killing ways until his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank's obsession escalates, it becomes clear that he has some form of feelings for her, but will they be enough to repress his compulsion to kill?



Maniac, released in 2012, is a remake of an earlier film that truly offers a brand new perspective on the original. That’s partially because it’s shot entirely from the perspective of the maniac in question, allowing the viewer the chance to occupy the mind and body of a madman for a brief yet terror filled time. However, aside from the change in camera angles, the film is also a true remake in the sense that the filmmakers took inspiration from the original yet also made this one their own. Having long been a fan of that earlier film, I was worried that this would end up being a mockery of it, but the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. This film forges its own path, makes its own name for itself and stands above many other remakes that rely on the source material too closely. From a more focused look at the madness of the maniac in question to a greater sense of empathy with him, the differences between the two films are profound. More than anything else though, this film is truly something eerie, as it offers the audience a chance to literally get into the mind of a killer, something that I can honestly say I’ve never seen before. Maniac is dark, twisted, disturbing and vile, all of which combine to make it one of the better horror films that I’ve seen in quite some time.



"I warned you not to go out tonight."

Directed by Franck Khalfoun (P2) and written by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur (the team that brought us High Tension, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors and P2) the film draws its inspiration from Joe Spinell’s 1980 film of the same title. However, as I’ve noted above, that’s pretty much where most comparisons end, save for some shots inserted as tributes. I would have commended the filmmaker’s decision to shoot the film entirely from the first-person perspective even if it didn’t work, but the fact that it does so well is nothing short of incredible. Before seeing the film, I felt that the gimmick would wear thin on my patience about halfway through but amazingly, it never did. Khalfoun also manages to come up with several unique camera angles in this format, particularly through the use of mirrors. It’s not often that we see this maniac in the flesh, as we inhabit his body throughout, but when we do we’re instantly taken aback at how normal he looks. The most dangerous people are those that seem the most harmless, and these mirror shots tend to give that impression each time they appear. Meanwhile, there are also some other creative camera angles here, including a fantastic car accident sequence that literally has you flying head over heels along with the killer. The script is pretty bland, but it’s only meant to allow our main character the chance to move around freely in his world so I’m willing to give it a pass for the most part. At the very least it’s not filled with the tawdry sort of dialogue that seems so prevalent in horror films these days; a welcome change of pace from the norm.



"He ain't calling Samwise Gamgee."

Playing odd characters is nothing new for Elijah Wood. After all, he has previously played a Hobbit, a penguin and the bizarre and ultra-creepy Kevin in Sin City. Wood just seems to have the look of a weirdly unadjusted fellow, which probably means that he’s the nicest guy in Hollywood! Here he is anything but nice, particularly when he’s removing the scalps of his victims or tormenting them with his twisted psyche. Yet, even in all his madness, it’s hard not to feel some sort of sympathy for the character of Frank. It’s almost as if you wish you could do something to help him even if it was simply killing him to end his misery. As evil the acts are that he commits, one gets the impression that he is completely powerless to stop them and Wood does an admirable job of getting this across to the viewer. Considering we’re seeing the film through his eyes and hearing it through his voice, the casting had to be flawless for this film to work and I firmly believe Wood was the best choice. This is undoubtedly his finest performance I’ve seen, although I’ll admit that his work in Sin City was equally as brilliant. The short of it is I want more creepy Elijah Wood; he’s just so damn good at it! The object of his affection, Anna, is played by Nora Arnezeder and aside from being totally hot she’s also sympathetic enough to identify with. Arnezeder gives a solid performance, as does the rest of the supporting cast, but let’s be honest; it’s Wood’s film and his alone.



"The object of his (and my) affection."

At the heart of Maniac is a tragic tale of a man who has gone completely off the deep end, though the film doesn’t bother to waste its time passing judgment on him. Rather it simply shows you this man’s life, the good and (mostly) bad of it, and allows you to make your own decisions about him. Of course, being the occupant of his body for the duration makes things hit a little closer to home than normal and I believe this was the intention of the filmmakers. In modern times, the serial killer has been somewhat glamourized and put on a pedestal, some even achieving status as pop culture icons. Here we get the chance to see just what it’s like to BE a serial killer, and believe me, what we see is not glamorous nor deserving of any sort of accolades or praise. Instead, it is dark, depraved and despicable, exactly as it should be, with no fanfare, no pomp and circumstance accompanying it. The film also attempts to make a statement regarding madness and how it relates to “civilized†society. Too often we pass off the mentally ill as people who are somehow less than us and therefore deserving of our help and pity. This character deserves no help or pity; he simply needs to be better understood. Maybe if we learn the difference, we can prevent more of these killers from becoming superstars and ending up on t-shirts. 8/10.



"Tomorrow....worst cruise ever."