The Voices in My Head
Ryan Reynolds scares me.
I know he’s Canadian, and in reality I’m sure he’s a pretty nice guy. After seeing him dismember, decapitate and disembowel people with nary a pause in the recent Deadpool, I thought he made a pretty convincing maniac. After watching 2014’s The Voices, I’m afraid to walk in front of him in a dark alley.
Black comedy doesn’t get much blacker than The Voices, which also stars Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton. Reynolds plays Jerry, who works at a factory and lives a simple life in an apartment above a bowling alley with his dog Bosco and cat Mr. Whiskers. Sure, Jerry sees a therapist once a week, but he swears he’s getting better and doesn’t need his medication anymore. Jerry is getting so good at coming out of his shell that his boss invites him to participate on an employee committee, where he falls for Fiona (Arterton). Jerry summons the courage to ask Fiona out on a date, which she accepts at first before standing him up.
Which was about the worst thing she could have done. In reality, Jerry is a sick individual. When he’s off his medication, he talks to his pets. Bosco tells him all sorts of happy things, but Mr. Whiskers is another story. Mr. Whiskers wants Jerry to kill…and Jerry might not be able to say “no” for too much longer.
Besides the strong performance by the main cast, the next best thing about the film is its striking visual tone. (Which should come as no surprise since the director is Marjane Satrapi, best known for Persepolis). One of the reasons Jerry refuses to take his medication is that the world seems like a colder place. Satrapi gives us some brilliant visual cues to demonstrate the difference. When Jerry is off his meds colors are brighter, his apartment is inviting and his pets are always there talking to him. But when he’s on his medication he sees the world for what it really is: cold, dirty and lonely. It’s a great way to go in and out of Jerry’s head, giving the audience empathy for a man who is essentially an unfeeling psychopath. Jerry has to be likable for us to care what happens to him and the writing and directing make him likable through narrative flashbacks and other elements. The rest of the cast is just as brilliant, from Arterton’s snooty Fiona to Anna Kendrick’s ditzy Lisa. Sartrapi and her writer make the audience care about every character
Until it all falls apart in the end. Not gonna lie; I found the ending a bit on the disappointing side. But, I sympathize with the position the writer was in. There’s a tendency in both black comedy and independent comedy to end on a downer, which I’m sure goes against Hollywood producer sensibilities. While I won’t give away the ending, I will say that it’s the result of a clash of wills between the happy and the tragic ending. The result is a bit of a hybrid mess and is really the only false note in the movie.
Ending aside, nothing can ruin this movie for Reynolds, who gives his all in a stellar performance. And if I lived with a bloodthirsty maniac like Mr. Whiskers, I’m probably be committing homicide before too long as well…
The Voices tl;drs
Quick summary: Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) works in a factory and lives alone, with only his dog and cat for company. Jerry has trouble connecting to people, so it’s a miracle that he has the courage to ask out a pretty co-worker on a date. Trouble is, Jerry isn’t taking his medication, and his pets Bosco and Mr. Whiskers are telling him to do terrible things.
Too many writers? Michael R. Perry, who usually writes for TV, makes his sophomore feature effort here, after his first (Paranormal Activity 2).
Recommended if you like: “Comedy”
Better than I expected? The visual cues the director uses to differentiate when Jerry is and isn’t on his medication are subtle and stunning.
Worse than I hoped? I’m not saying the ending is bad, but it’s polarizing. That said, the writer really painted himself into a corner with the plot and wasn’t left with many places to go.
Verdict: If Deadpool didn’t convince you that Ryan Reynolds could play lunatics, then watch this movie.
Related Reading: Wiki article
