In 7 words or less: Button = £1,000,000 + Death.
Best bits? Based of a short story by Richard Matheson, originally published in Playboy magazine. The setup is basic. The moral implications are not. A deformed stranger comes delivers a button to your doorstep and tells you that if you press it you will receive one million dollars, but someone you don't know will die. If you're not a dick, obviously you wouldn't press the button, but, sadly Norma and Arthur do just that; and for a couple with no immediate money troubles, that was a pretty stupid thing to do.
When the deformed Arlington comes to collect the box, he informs them that the box will now be reset and the test will be offered to a new person, delivering the ominous line (surely the best of the film) "You can be sure that the box will go to someone you don't know..."
Things soon spiral out of control for the Lewis' and they are embroiled in poo storm of their own making. Involving Mars, Higher Beings, Water Portals, Eternal Damnation and more buttons.
The movie is shot beautifully, and throughout build up does a great job of building tension, helped with my favourite score from 2009. Honking like a 50s mystery or more accurately, It Came From The Desert (the Amiga 500 game about the giant ants).
Cameron Diaz makes a strong performance here, and to my ears, does a decent job at a Texas accent.
Did it make you think thoughts? I have a feeling that Richard Kelly feels under pressure to repeat the mind bending success of Donnie Darko, which might lead to him making convoluted sci-fi story lines which try to re create the philosophical science blend that worked so well in this movie. When you are watching this film, you can clearly pin point the moment it turns the corner into something overly confusing, then it screeches back on track about 30 minutes later and continues as the strong film it started.
Would you watch it again? I originally watched this when I had the flu, which made it extra psychedelic. So I bought the Blu Ray for a re-watch. It looks great and there's a couple of interesting features on there (none that attempt to explain the middle section, although I haven't trailed through the commentary from Kelly). It's an obviously flawed movie, but in the best possible way; Interesting & poignant.
Rating (out of 100%): 72% As my life partner said. It's better to make an interesting, confusing film than a bad one. I agree. A story to make you think and for a bit, scratch your head, and then think again. Now. If everyone would just stop pressing that bloody button....
