Movie Mania: Frailty, Session 9

Ta-da! Here's my first entry for my Movie Mania. And now y'all don't criticize me. I'm the one critiquing here. :)) Well, I decided to do this Movie Review to render a bit of my help to those movie goers out there who would in case want to watch movies that I have already watched.

And since this is new to me, I decided to choose two of the three most recent movies I watched. I chose these films because Halloween had just passed, and being into horror and gore films, I wanted to fulfill my Halloween celebration by watching these. :D

After reading an article about must-watch Horror films from the Guidon, Ateneo's official school paper, I decided to get a copy of two of the suggested films that I found enthralling. Session 9 was said to be the Critic's Choice according to the article. And Frailty, well, the synopsis got my attention.

Watch Frailty Trailer Here.

I asked for a horror film, I chose the wrong Movie. Frailty definitely isn't one of those bloody, gory, brief-pissing movies that I thought it is, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY MORE THAN WHAT I HOPED FOR.

Frailty is about a Man confessing to the NBI his knowledge about the "God's Hands" serial killer. The story unravels through a flashback foretold by Fenton Meiks, claiming that he is the brother of the said murderer. The idea of "God's Hands" started when the father of two sons claims that God showed Himself in one of his dream visions, telling him He has to fulfill a mission of 'destroying' the demons on this earth. Set in a small town probably in Texas-- assumed from their accent-- the story revolves around the family of three which God has "appointed" to slay demons disguised as people. They are given three weapons: a pipe, an Axe and a pair of gloves. The conflict then heightens as the older of the two siblings starts to doubt this whole "mission" from God, killing innocent lives his father randomly brings to their house.

This is one of the movies that near meaninglessness when revealed before even watching the whole film. What appeals to me the most is how the protagonist, Fenton (the story is told from his perspective), involves the audience to his own menace. It's one of those Changeling moments where you sympathize with the character's disability to resolve his/her own conflicts. Also, another vital element in the movie is the Point-of-view of the characters. When you watch the movie, you will realize why it is important.

The movie also possesses a very sensitive issue of Faith. It's the kind of movie that may keep you wondering in circles about how strong your faith is, and how far you will go to prove it. Now now, I don't want any spoiler here, but this movie should be on your list.

For those who couldn't stand lengthy dialogues and a slow-paced movie, you might want to extend your patience. If you're looking for an action-filled movie, maybe this won't be your type of film. There are interesting murder scenes every now and then, but maybe not the horror/thriller/homicide movies you expect. Though it may seem dragging at times, THERE IS A DISTINCT DEPTH IN THIS MOVIE, and one has to watch the whole thing, from the slow establishment of the characters, the "psychotic schizo" father, the "doubting and humane" older brother, and the "obedient innocent" little brother, up until the very last line of the movie. I know I am quite embellishing the movie, but it deserves the praise that it could get-- from me at least.

A must watch? Definitely a yes for me.

Watch Session 9 Trailer Here

After watching El Orfanato for the second time (because the first time I did, only an eye was peeping through my fingers, and my thumb was plugged in my ear), I then watched Session 9. I was pumped up because the article labeled it as a Critic's Choice. But after watching it, I was left staring on the screen, neurons all worked out, not in a good way.

Session 9 is a movie about a group of Asbestos repairmen tasked to renovate a very huge abandoned mental hospital. Why Session 9? It relates to the one-on-one sessions of Mary Hobbes, one of the severe patients in the hospital. She had multiple personality syndrome, and in her were Billy, the Princess, and Simon who the others keep talking about but won't come out and speak up until the 9th session. All these were tape-recorded and were discovered by one of the repairmen. She also had False Memory Syndrome, a mental disorder that will occur again within the repairmen (ok, i kind of spoiled it already).

The humongous hospital almost impossible to be fully discovered builds up the thrill. Adding to that whole hospital mystery is the unmoved wheel chair along a long hallway. And as one member of the crew reveals the case stories of some of the most severe patients in the hospital, the whole tension builds up.

That was what the whole movie was all about-- building up the tension. But how it resolves it is probably its weakest point. Maybe an hour is enough to wrap up the two hours it used. Other than the fact that it used a new video technology (probably everyone will notice that the picture of the film is more vivid than the usual mainstream movies), I don't know how else to appreciate it. Well, different shots (close-up, panning, dolly, etc.) were utilized in an artistic manner. It seemed like an indie film where the tiniest details and motifs (gory ones) are important, but to which they are important to is something still ambiguous.

It came to the point of me waiting for a startling scene-- something you don't ask for if you're watching Asian horror films-- because I found the movie too dragging. More than an hour had already lapsed, and I still don't have a grasp of the movie's conflict.

What I personally disliked about the movie is that the resolution is insubstantial if all things are to be considered. It had the TWIST in the story (hooray), something that everyone waits for, but it was a painful twist. The movie dwelled too much in the details that are, for me, superfluous. It dilly-dallied up to the point that I lost interest of the movie. Come the important details especially in the middle and ending part, my focus had already expired. Had it been laid out in a more concise film, then it could've worked for me.

The film neither scared the hell out of me nor did it disturb and haunt me in my sleep. Critics compare it to Blair Witch Project which I have not yet seen, because of that indubitableness or "realistic" aspect of the plot. But I wasn't even close to peeing in my pants, something Horror Film directors wouldn't want their audience saying after watching their films.

Maybe Session 9 is too artistic for my taste or maybe not, but as a normal "human" audience, it's something that is not worth my hype. Just remember that good or not, a movie experience is still an additional ounce of knowledge. Go see it yourself. Your taste for movies might be different from mine. :>