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by Mark Zhuravsky, published on Thursday, April 22, 2010 Peacock is a hard movie to like. But why? The film is appropriately lensed by prolific, Oscar-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (who did a fine job at lighting a steampunk Victorian England in last year’s Sherlock Holmes), bringing a lived-in feel to the small-town Gothic aesthetic of the film. The lead performance, by the usually-reliable Cillian Murphy, is extremely devoted if sometimes puzzling, and the impressive supporting cast (Susan Sarandon, Ellen Page, Josh Lucas, and more) gives the film a pedigree of professionalism. Yet the final product feels immobile, with tepid pacing and perplexing plotting, Murphy’s performance both driving the film and weighing it down. More on that in a bit.The feature debut of director Michael Lander, Peacock is based on a screenplay by Michael Lander and Ryan Roy. Before I delve into a brief plot summary, I’d like to share a quote from Josh Lucas promoting the film, which I also feel describes it best – “what would happen if Bates had basically stayed alive and married himself.” That’s Norman Bates he’s talking about and Peacock owes a great deal to Psycho specifically and Hitchcock generally. The story of Peacock, Nebraska resident John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy with a permanently strained jawline and brow), who masquerades from time to time in women’s clothes and make-up in his backyard. This woman, Emma, is an alternate personality developed through years of abuse by John’s mother (whom we only see in flashbacks and never clearly), and John is seemingly unaware of Emma’s doings, slipping into this personality from time to time while wearing his mother’s old dresses. Pretty creepy, no? When a train car derails into John’s backyard, the whole town seems to turn up and Emma is mistaken for John’s wife. People from John’s past come out of the woodwork and a variety of political forces attempt to use the accident as an anchor for an ongoing campaign. Ellen Page plays Maggie, a young woman who at one point played a key role in John’s life and Susan Sarandon is equally feisty and confident as Fanny Crill, the wife of John’s boss who runs a women’s center and attempts to attract Emma’s support for it. As Peacock gains a decent amount of momentum, we familiarize ourselves with John’s daily routine and the people he encounters but largely abstains from in his life. I have a feeling I’m going to get some heat for this, but Murphy’s performance failed to move me. He is without a doubt at the forefront of his acting generation, but he’s played a cross dresser before and far better, in 2005's Breakfast on Pluto. His take on John Skillpa is complex at worst and he has no trouble slipping in and out of the two personalities, but I couldn’t help but feel Murphy played up Skillpa’s mental strain and alienation too much. With a stiff smile and a constantly pulsating forehead, Skillpa exudes little emotion besides distaste from the viewer. He is a creepy, crazy man and as a result, Emma gains our sympathy simply by being the more level-headed of the two. The film moves slowly, ramping up the dissolution of John and Emma and the battle these two personalities wage while confined in the same body. My primary criticism against Peacock is that it remains very difficult to get into, never taking the time to clue you in to the ongoings. Some will call it a virtue, but it is very frustrating to follow an arguably unconventional plot while you do not have any investment in the continued survival of either John or Emma. The inability of the small town to see through the disguise requires a decent suspension of disbelief to go down but it doesn’t detract from the film. What does is a stubborn refusal to clue the audience in – maybe a mainstream sensibility but a necessary one with a slow-moving would-be thriller like Peacock. Despite an occasionally effective performance from Murphy and decent work from the rest of the cast, Peacock never comes together, remaining more the sum of puzzling parts than a cohesive whole. DVD Bonus Features A slightly different alternate ending is included along with several minutes of rehearsal footage, a number of deleted scenes and the usual talking head making-of featurette. Also available is the complete script, but you would need to insert the DVD into your PC or Mac for that. Overall, a decent set of extras for a small film. Source: www.justpressplay.net |
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© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
