Synopsis
This horror drama is about a family that takes upon a sinister history which overwhelms their very existence. The show captures the timelines well and depicts a human touch between grief and an unwavering obsession.
The sudden death of India Stoker’s (Mia Wasikowska) father during her 18th birthday leads India into a world full of darkness and grief where she loses all control over her emotions. Her world was already upside down due to the loss of her father until she met her uncle for the very first time, actually when he visited them, rumor has it that her family friend went missing, with so many layers to her story, India has to untangle the appeal she finds in him. All she has are unshakable instincts and a past that she cannot escape.
The STOKER grabs the attention right at the start but fails to deliver at the climax but you can’t help but appreciate the gripping cinematography and the intense portrayal of the characters making it a delightful watch!
Cast & Crew
Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker: Kidman casts aside her traditional glamorous persona to better exude passion and a temper. Kidman helped adapt the cinematography style that was better suited to the character she was to play, a widow devoid of joy.
Matthew Goode as Charlie Stoker: Goode’s ‘Uncle Charlie’, is both alluring and devoid of emotion in stark contrast to Stoker who with every other breath exudes fantasies.
Nicole Kidman as Evelyn Stoker: Weaver plays the role of Aunt Gwendolyn who goes out of her way to scorn the shady undertones of her family, all while playing a small role.
Jacki Weaver as Aunt Gwendolyn: Gwendolyn was played by Weaver in a small role. In her impeccable acting, she expresses deep concern over the nefarious activities of her family.
Principally administered by Park Chan-wook the film embodies Chan-seong’s symbolism imagery and unsettling framing style. Wentworth Miller served as the main cinematographer attempting to replicate the psychological intricacy to films such as Shadow of a Doubt.
Themes and Analysis
Nature vs. Nurture:
Coming of Age and Self-Discovery: India’s journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about finding the puzzle that is her family. She is shown transforming from vulnerability to strength, in both visual and narrative aspects, especially the hunting and nature themes. The Allure of Danger: Charlie’s charisma is unpredictable, and there is something dangerously seductive about him – the danger and the attraction he holds for India is a constant inner conflict with regard to whether to fall in line with what society dictates or be who one is. Dysfunctional Family Dynamics: The tussle between India and her mother, the fragility of Evelyn’s emotions and the return of Uncle Charlie is a case study on how loss and buried anger can evolve in a family. Cinematography and Visual Style: The vivid color and lighting techniques used by cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon complement the chill aspect perfectly. The difference between the dullness of Indian’s world and the symbolic imagery – for instance, the blood on ‘her’ saddle shoes is an array of great symbolism for this movie which is about the loss of childhood. Pans and closeups are slow and emphasized to create tension, and then there are the clever cuts, such as Evelyn’s hair which turns into a field of grass, that bring out a lot of character out of the world.
Combining the eerie score with the sound design provides a great feeling of disturbance with the aid of repetitive piano sound.
Critical reception:
Stoker was commended because of its atmospheric visuals, eerie mood and amazing acting performances. Most of them praised Park Chan-wook here for his amazing inclination in The Australian developmental storyteller as a fictional novelist. Indian’s intricacy is captured well, so much so that massive praise was heaped upon the performance from Mia Wasikowska.
On the other hand some reviewers criticized maintaining of the ambiguous nature of the narrative and also slow pacing of the film against a very stylistic film. However, in spite of this, a large number of people have polarised opinion as it easily has the best art-horror section and is comedy-horror in cult following.
Audience Reception
The audiences enjoyed aspects such as the Gothic nature of the film and its strong level of detail. There is violence and thought as to where the violence fits within the sphere of how should violence be depicted through the lens of action between India and Charlie. To some degree fans of slow-burn psychological films loved the unending tension amount the film offered the middle and the ending of the film as dark and unfulfilling all together.
Summary ‘Big Girl’ is a coming of age biopic about Jessica O. Mattson, who was born intersex in Singapore in 1982 and raised as a girl, but who came out as non binary in 2015 while identifying as a gay man. Mattson rejects the gender binary and embraces being non-binary, and the film focuses in part on the maturation of her personal and feminist identity. The documentaries Mattson filmed are woven throughout a multi-layered plot that captures the eye with its touching and emotional moments. It is great to see a piece dedicated to sexual minorities; Jessica as a character is interesting and captivating.
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