[yasr_overall_rating]
A psychologist who begins working with a young boy who has suffered a near-fatal fall finds himself drawn into a mystery that tests the boundaries of fantasy and reality.
Some things – most things – are better in their original forms, and horror director Alexandre Aja’s “The 9th Life Of Louis Drax” is one of those things. Why this film was even followed through past its pre-production is a wonder, as its marketing and publicity are as good as nil, and most moviegoers have never even heard of the title, scheduled for release on September 2nd. That factor, along with a number of other issues, makes the film a loss – unfortunately for both its studios (Antcolony Films, Brightlight Pictures and Miramax) and its viewers.
Starring relatively unknown, but experienced child star Aiden Longworth as the protagonist, “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” explores the various perceptions of the events that led up to Louis’ “death” and subsequent coma. Throughout the course of the film, the lens through which we observe the cause of his death changes; that is, perhaps, the most intriguing aspect of the film. One depiction of the “accident to end all accidents,” is the public perception, or simply put, the version of the story that the outsider, the viewer, is made aware of. The second perception is the prominent one, Louis’ own, which unravels piece by piece as he narrates the circumstances in which events occurred. The marvel of the narration is that not only is Louis’ own insight examined through it, but, in turn, also his father’s. The conflicting versions of the story that we see playing out on screen makes one thing clear, there is nothing certain about Peter Drax – played wonderfully by “Breaking Bad” and “The Path” star Aaron Paul – until the end of the film, when all is revealed.
Performances are, for the most part, average and sorely disappointing for anyone hoping to be engrossed by the story. But how can one find such satisfaction when he/she cannot relate to the mostly shallow, outdated, and stereotypical characters that occupy the most screen time – Louis’s mother, Natalie, and Dr. Allan Pascal (Dornan)? The most notable performance from the cast is that of supporting actor Aaron Paul, who, despite earning the viewers’ distrust based on his unreliable representation by other characters in the film, manages to make us sympathize with him through and through with his powerful portrayal as a caring father who seems to love his son to no end. Louis Drax, himself, Aiden Longworth, undoubtedly grows on you as his character develops from beginning to end. Jamie Dornan, however, shines in no more than one climactic scene towards the end of the film, in which he becomes Louis’ character, in a sense, and acts a little childish, which is memorable. Sarah Gadon and Barbara Hershey deliver performances that are entirely typical of them, not breaking the mold even once, wherein Gadon plays her signature role as the seemingly innocent, naive victim, and Hershey plays a strong-willed opponent. The only things even remotely interesting about Natalie Drax (Gadon) are her “specific lies,” which is all that can be said on the topic without spoiling much. A minor supporting character who manages to have as natural a performance as Paul’s Peter Drax, is “House of Cards” alum Molly Parker as Inspector Dalton. Parker has a powerful presence in every scene she’s in and makes a lasting impression with her convincing act.
As for the script, written by actor Max Minghella – whose father was originally set to write the screenplay 12 years ago, before his passing – it is almost as forgettable as the film. The dialogue that does set the script apart from most others is pulled straight from Liz Jensen’s book. Upon viewing, one might recognize them as the cheeky remarks that make you smirk during the otherwise bland experience of watching the movie.
As in every mystery, manipulating perception(s) is key to deceiving the audience and maintaining suspense until the end. And that’s exactly what “Louis Drax” does; the only problem is that it offers nothing original, or captivating, apart from a decent musical score and beautiful but unoriginal cinematography (if you’ve seen the British drama “Broadchurch,” you’ll surely recognize the familiar beach shots), for the audience to cling to during the film. Fortunately, the steady pacing of the screenplay keeps the viewer from completely detaching from the visual narrative. Other than that, everything from the characters, to their clichéd actions, to the structure and plot are reminiscent of various content we’ve seen on screen before, which reduces the movie into a collage of the fiction and films that came before it. Even the commendable central messages of the movie – one of which is that in order to survive, one must choose to live – conveyed masterfully by the very embodiment of a young child who blames himself for his parents’ separation, cannot save the movie.
Though the original story did not need a visual retelling by any means, it has one, and it is one that might have been better if the predictability was eradicated from it. If you miss the PG-13 suspense thriller disguised as a sophisticated R-rated drama, you haven’t missed much, save for a few scenes worth of Aaron Paul’s flawless performance.
In theaters September 2nd
