Full disclaimer here, I had no interest or intention of watching Plane; it looked like a by-the-numbers action movie in every sense of the title. But, the unexplained cosmic powers had spontaneously tempted me into watching, and I fully admit that I did enjoy the film. It was a major subversion of expectation. It has a very simple, tried and true premise where a commercial flight crash lands on a remote island controlled by blood-lusted rebels.
Also Read: Knock at the Cabin Review – Memorizing & Tense!
I was surprised to see the circumscribed tone of relative realism to Plane, seen with the portrayal of these characters and the execution of the action. The director, Jean-François Richet, invests a commendable level of detail when it came to the action and formulating character motivations. At no point did I find this film to be excessive or silly, and the attentiveness to grounding the more suspenseful sequences of this film exponentially increased the tension.
Gerard Butler’s protagonist of Captain Brodie Torrence is one that is pretty easy to empathize with, and he does a pretty solid job in the role. The implementation of the ex-con Louis Gaspare made the film more interesting, although I had wanted to see more from him by the end of the movie.
On a technical level, the film is strongest with the use of practical effects and production design, and does manage to glide by with decent CGI. The music distinguished itself from typical stock action music and was used effectively to control the tension of pivotal moments. The cinematography can be a bit rough, as a lot of shaky hand-held is applied to varying degrees of success.
By the end, the story of Plane was satisfyingly rounded out with ample development given across the cast. It was paced well with each scene feeling purposeful and impactful. It is a surprising action release that is enjoyable for the conceptual maturity it presents through the story, characters, and realism of plot.
My first film from legendary director David Cronenberg(‘s son) at least had what I expected from it. Twisted body horror, an unconventional progression of plot, and bizarre conceptual undertones become a principal magnet of appeal for Infinity Pool. In those areas, Brandon Cronenberg does not disappoint as the literal prodigal son of one of the pioneers of body horror. Unexpectedly, this movie is also pretty damn funny, too. It is about a writer and his wife, who travel to a resort in an enigmatic country, where they meet an alluring woman and discover a dark scientific breakthrough the locals have been exploiting.
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The sci-fi aspects of Infinity Pool provide the framework for a pretty interesting narrative. Brandon Cronenberg administers detailed catharsis through many stomach-churning sequences of violence and sexual fantasy. His visual prerogative of utilizing a sensual stream of camera movements through hallucinogenic montages are very well done, as he experiments with convincing practical effects layered by a tremendously impactful score.
The performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth are pretty excellent, given that they suit the characters’ descents into hedonistic craving. As said earlier, this film also manages to be pretty funny, but does this in a way that prohibits tonal dissonance and doesn’t detract from the more suspenseful scenes.
The script of Infinity Pool is pretty pervasive in both concept and execution. It’s not perfect, however, and I feel that this narrative is delivered with an all-too-familiar backdrop. What loses me are some of the character justifications. While important to the thematic influence of the story, these characters lack much depth beyond that. The conclusion to this film doesn’t signify anything ground breaking at a character level, although its essence within the narrative is present. This movie is lil’ Cronenberg’s second big feature in the fray, and for all intents and purposes, he proves his inherent talent beyond the namesake.
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