The Box (2009/I)

Director:

Richard Kelly

Writers (WGA):

Richard Kelly (screenplay)
Richard Matheson (short story "Button, Button")

Release Date:

6 November 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

You Are The Experiment

Plot:

A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know.

Plot Keywords:

Box | Button | Young Child | Mysterious Stranger | 24 Hours

Cast

Cameron Diaz	...	Norma Lewis
James Marsden	...	Arthur Lewis
Frank Langella	...	Arlington Steward
James Rebhorn	...	Norm Cahill
Holmes Osborne	...	Dick Burns
Sam Oz Stone	...	Walter Lewis
Gillian Jacobs	...	Dana
Celia Weston	...	Lana Burns
Deborah Rush	...	Clymene Steward
Lisa K. Wyatt	...	Rhonda Martin
Mark S. Cartier	...	Martin Teague (as Mark Cartier)
Kevin Robertson	...	Wendel Matheson
Michele Durrett	...	Rebecca Matheson (as Michele Durett)
Ian Kahn	...	Vick Brenner
John Magaro	...	Charles

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44919) | Finland:K-13 | UK:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boston Public Library - 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Darko Entertainment

Trivia:

Veteran character actor, Basil Hoffman, was also in the original version of this story when "Button, Button" aired on "The Twilight Zone: Profile in Silver/Button, Button (#1.20)" (1986).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When footage is shown of the Langley Research Center we can see a fuselage of an A-320, an aircraft not built until 1989.

Quotes:

Norma Lewis: You sure do ask a lot of questions.
Walter Lewis: And now you're avoiding them.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

Scarlet Begonias

One of those movies that may require a second viewing, and a closer eye.

Okay......Richard Kelly. He is one of those directors that you either appreciate, or you hate. Most people, including me, enjoyed "Donnie Darko". But he seemed to loose his audience with "Southland Tales".......by traveling deeper into his own realm of film making. I must admit, it is very far out there......but still, i enjoyed it for what it was. Needless to say, you really have to be able to think outside the box to understand his style.....extreme pun intended. With every film i have seen so far by Richard Kelly.......each one goes further and further down the rabbit hole. And this one, goes really far down there. It creates this simple concept, much like something you would see on a old "Twilight Zone" or Alfred Hitchcock episode. But rather than go the simple route with its torture that endures the main characters.......it goes way beyond anything that you would even fathom. Now in some cases, that can be a good thing, but in this case.......at times.......it was a little too much. I mean sure, it is very easy to go down a dark path that takes some very unsual twist and turns........but this was something that was a little too much for one persons brain. By the end, i did somewhat understand the whole concept of what was going on........but i think the approach could have been taken a little differently. I mean anyone who has seen a Richard Kelly movie knows that there are some cinematic sequences that are really great to watch, mainly because of the cinematography. But once its over, you kind of ask yourself, "What was the point of that?". Usually by the end, your question will be answered. Where as this one, your question will be answered, but its one that isn't so appealing. I can easily see main stream audiences hating this one......mainly because they thought they were walking into a simple thriller that raises a very good sociological question. Instead, they are given this complicated, far out there film that is a little hard to swallow. But if you walk into this movie expecting to have your mind tested.......then you might enjoy it a little more. Bottom Line, for what its worth......i did enjoy it. I wouldn't say that its a great movie, i mean, it is certainly one of those movies that requires a second viewing and a closer eye. I enjoy movies that test the mind, and dazzle the eye at the same time, and this movie provides that. But there are some areas that are a little grey to me. Mainly with some of its writing. I do think that there could have been some other alternatives to explaining the full story a little better. For the majority of you people who are considering watching this.......i can assure you, this movie is not what you expect. And depending on the viewer, that can either be a good thing, or a bad thing.