Stars:
Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Luke Askew, Jeremy Sumpter, and
Matt O’Leary
Writer:
Brent Hanley
Director:
Bill Paxton
Feature
length: 99 minutes
Extras:
Director’s Commentary, Writer’s Commentary, Production Commentary,
Featurettes, Deleted Scenes With Optional Director’s Commentary, Photo
Gallery, Storyboard Galleries, Trailer, and Preview Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 24
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Home
Video Distributor: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Frailty”
is one of the best combinations of biblical terror and psychological horror to
come out in years. The film works so well because it provides a world that seems
it can be anywhere and then plays with the viewer’s perceptions so that even
the truth is shocking. Genre film veteran Bill Paxton directed this film and he
injects into it a sense of genuine heart and soul with his screen direction and
to his acting as a widower father who receives an epiphany from God that the
devil has set loose demons in the form of ordinary human beings and with some
ordinary, but chosen weapons and the grace of God, he is among the chosen to go
out and “destroy” the demons the angels name out to him at the appropriate
time and place.
His
older son thinks it must be a joke at first. A bad dream or maybe his father has
lost his mind, but it becomes all too real as the family becomes a trio of
moonlighting demon hunters. Then the ultimate test of faith comes for the family
when it is revealed to the widower that his older son is also a demon and
therefore must be destroyed. Notice how “destroyed” and not killed implies
that either the target is not alive and therefore not human or somehow
supernatural and by default not human despite appearances.
Worthy
of multiple viewings and endless speculations until you listen to the commentary
tracks, the premise of “Frailty” is not as far out there as one might think.
We live in a world where established religions in the United States and other
countries not only have believers who are waiting for “Judgment Day,” but
who are willing to die and or kill to defend their beliefs or perform a higher
good as divine will. People tune into TV shows daily with hosts who claim to see
dead people and others who will go as far as to dictate that there are unseen
entities all around us that operate for our own good or corruption like
parasites.
Is
it truly unbelievable or far-fetched to think that there are demons out there
when we see the evil of our modern times and the travesties of history reflected
before us like shadows on the wall? Whether it be the prose in Shakespeare’s
“Hamlet” or the writings of other scholars and authors, why is it impossible
to think that all that exists is what we see and feel when even science tell us
there is more out there than what we can immediately perceive? How would you
explain emotions to an animal? Yet we know they exist just as animal instinct
exists. The truth is that it is much more pleasant to believe that we are all
God’s special children or to believe there is no God at all than to
acknowledge that there could be a force of malevolence beyond reason operating
in this dimension as well. What do you think when you take a shower and the
water is just right? You might not think at all because you take it for granted
that the water will be warm or cool enough for us the step in, but what happens
when the water unexplainably turns too hot and burns us or turns cold enough to
make us shiver? Is not that initial jolt of shock followed by the aftershock of
pain something that knocks us out of our complacency? Is complacency ultimately
the reason why the Old Testament style God of “Frailty” seems so harsh? If
we appreciate our times of pleasure as being “Heavenly” and our times of
pain as being like “Hell” then might our in between moments where we often
do not live in the moment at all be the true battleground for our souls and
destiny? The relativity of our perceptions and how we can truly not judge lest
we be judged ourselves is at the core of “Frailty.”
A
perfect example of this is to listen to the subtle differences in how Actor and
Director Bill Paxton describes the behind-the-scenes production of the film and
his own point of view as it relates to the film as to what constitutes a demon
and then listen to Writer Brent Hanley’s direct explanation of what he meant
in his commentary, and then compare that to the discussion of public response
that occurs on the third audio commentary track with Producer David Kirschner,
Editor Arnold Glassman, and Composer Brian Tyler. A warning to all is do not
listen to any of the commentary tracks at all before you watch the movie since
the spoilers begin right away. All three are good commentaries as well as screen
specific, but they all have strengths. Paxton is the most screen specific in
terms of discussing screen direction and lighting, while Hanley is more story
specific, and the conversational audio track is specific according to the point
of view of each participant’s purpose, but I think at times they get a little
too involved with just watching the movie.
Bill
Paxton also provides an optional audio commentary track for four deleted scenes
presented from an avid video cut in a (1.85:1) aspect ratio and English Stereo
Sound. Unfortunately some of the deleted scenes that are mentioned as having
actually been shot on the commentary tracks are not included on this DVD
release. The feature film is presented in an anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
aspect ratio and has a nice look to it that is purposely muted to fit in with
the film’s bleak tone. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is
quite clear with an aggressive and atmospheric quality to it that will make
viewers jump in their seats. English Captions for the hearing impaired and
Spanish Subtitles are encoded as options for both the feature film and the extra
features on the DVD like the deleted scenes and featurettes.
A
19-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with various videotaped cast and crew
interviews from the film’s set is included with the 25-minute Sundance Channel
“Anatomy Of A Scene” special, which focuses on a car scene between Matthew
McConaughey and Powers Boothe. A color still gallery in the chronological order
of the film’s presentation and three short storyboard galleries for the
“Magical Weapons,” “Angel,” and “Sheriff” are also included. The
theatrical trailer for “Frailty” is presented in a (1.33:1) aspect ratio
with a full English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is also included along
with promotional trailers for the hit USA Cable Network series “The Dead
Zone” starring Anthony Michael Hall and the Wesley Snipes and Linda Fiorentino
thriller “Liberty Stands Still” wraps up the extra features on this DVD.
The
menus are well rendered and easy to navigate. “Frailty” will no doubt find a
bigger audience on home video when it debuts on DVD on Tuesday, September 17,
2002 from Lions Gate Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.