I’ll take an
ambitious miss of a movie over a conventional, but
well-constructed one any day of the week, and Pontypool
is proof of this. As slickly-made cliché-fests like X-Men
Origins: Wolverine and Night at the Museum 2 invade
multiplexes, this partial-success stands as a far superior movie
to go see—or watch at home via IFC Video on Demand—because of
its sheer originality. And even though this originality may
ultimately be responsible for the over-the-top third-act that
keeps Pontypool from achieving greatness, at least it’s
bound to get the viewer thinking. In an age when even zombie
films, once a staple of cinematic social commentary, are mostly
made as “check your brain at the door”-style entertainments, we
must celebrate this rare attempt at something greater.
I don’t mean
to liken Pontypool to Dostoevsky because, to be fair, it
isn’t trying to be high-art. But screenwriter Tony Burgess’
script does demand that the viewer think once it reaches a
pivotal plot-point at the end of its second act. This involves
how the zombie-virus at the forefront of the action is spread,
and it defies being a gimmick and instead becomes a way to
contemplate communication in the Western world. (Unfortunately,
that’s about all I can say without spoiling the revelation.)
That all being said, the film doesn’t quite hit a home run in
that the voice for the points of contemplation is the terribly
written and acted Dr. Mendez (Hrant Alianak), who has a
preposterous light-bulb moment in realizing the cause of the
violent virus first seen at his practice. Pontypool also
runs with the emerging ideas in a conclusion that feels equally
rushed and undercooked, although the film admittedly benefits
from the emotional high imbued in the audience as they race
against the clock to figure it all out. But the ideas themselves
are thought-provoking, and the premise behind them is pretty
clever. Again, I return to my initial statement: a lofty movie
that doesn’t achieve all its respective goals is better than a
rote one that does.
A lot of good
stuff happens before the aforementioned big twist, too. In fact,
the first two acts of Pontypool offer one of the most
atmospheric and suspenseful build-ups I’ve ever seen. The
setting is a radio studio where personality Grant Mazzy (Stephen
McHattie), shunned from the big markets due to his brash style,
is adjusting to his new, little-heard morning broadcasts from
the film’s title Ontario town. Raspy voice and provocative
methods in tow, he heats up the cold Canadian winter, much to
the excitement of young staffer Laurel Ann (Georgina Reilly) and
the chagrin of producer Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle).
Mazzy’s local
news coverage is benign until “Sunshine Chopper” reporter Ken
Loney (Rick Roberts), who really just sits in a truck playing
helicopter sound effects in the background, phones in with
shocking news. Speaking more hysterically each time he calls, as
he gets closer and closer to what the audience later discover
are zombies, Ken claims that death and destruction have ravaged
Dr. Mendez’ office building and spread outward. While there are
no reports on the wires, Mazzy runs with the story and things
get progressively freakier. Director Bruce McDonald sets the
stage with captivating intensity, which admittedly makes one
wish the end was just as good, but works well in setting up the
later revelations nonetheless. I should also note that the
lead-up contains some thoughtful observations on the state of
local broadcast journalism, as radio has lost significant
listenership with the dominance of the Internet.
Beyond its
inventive plot-developments and well-crafted suspense,
Pontypool also boasts a great lead performance by Stephen
McHattie. The veteran actor has starred in over 100 features and
TV shows—his role in 300 is probably the best known to
the American masses—but one gets the feeling that this is his
breakthrough role. With a honed radio-voice and a credibly cocky
swagger, McHattie nails Mazzy, providing the material an initial
sense of believability that aids in the build-up. And once the
freaky stuff starts to happen, the actor’s work gets even
better, as he perfectly portrays the shock-jock’s impulse to
capitalize on the potential catastrophe and his near-absurdist
personal reaction when he discovers that all of the violence is
real. In the end, McHattie is one of the many memorable things
about Pontypool that render it a respectable attempt,
even if it doesn’t pan out completely. Those looking for
chilling suspense followed by a truly “WTF!?”-inspiring finale
need look no further.
-Danny Baldwin,
Bucket Reviews
Review Published
on: 5.29.2009
Screened on: 5.24.2009
on a DVD screener.
Pontypool is Not Rated and runs 96
minutes.
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