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Movie Review by The Gravedigger
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03.07.10
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The first forty minutes or so pretty much sums up the Richard Matheson short story upon which this feature is based. In the 1970's a couple, Norma and Arthur (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden), is given a strange box that has a button on it. They are then approached by a disfigured man (Frank Langella) who explains what they have to do or not do. If they push the button someone will die somewhere and they'll get a million dollars. If they don't push the button they don't get the money. So I don't think I'm spoiling the movie when I say that one of them pushes the button--after all, how were they going to get another 50 minutes out of this premise? But then the movie veers off into a surreal sci-fi flick with aliens, sort of like what THE FORGOTTEN did. And there are even people acting like pseudo-zombies. Sadly, this doesn't work. I don't know if director Richard Kelly thought he had to make it similar to his previous films (DONNY DARKO, SOUTHLAND TALES) or what, but a straight psychological thriller would have worked far far better. Don't rent this, keep the DVD in its box.
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Rating: 5.0 out of 10.0 - 3 votes cast total
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