Trick in a Box

In the new thriller The Box, a mysterious man (played by the great Frank Langella) gives Norma Lewis (Cameron Diaz) and her family an plain box with a button inside. Langella tells her that if she pushes the button, someone in the world will die, but she will receive $1 million dollars (cue Dr. Evil laugh). The proposition is certainly alluring for Norma. We as the audience are equally intrigued by the thought of a movie centered around this moral dilemma. Sadly, for both the audience and the characters the offer isn't all that it seems.

Director Richard Kelly has great source material to work with (the film is loosely based on a short story by Richard Matheson), but fails to pull it together to deliver a wholly engaging film. At moments, the film evokes genius as it dabbles with moral ambiguity. However, simply dealing with this question isn't enough for Kelly who bogs the film down in sci-fi hokum.

The film comes off for the most point as a wannabe Twilight Zone episode. It tries to create this moody atmosphere that comes off more cheesy than thrilling. The worst offense of this is the film's scores. Trying to fill certain moments with danger and dread, the usage of piano and violins here detracts from the film instead of adding to it.

When the film centers on the actions related to what the characters choose to do with the box, the film works. Those scenes, however, only bookend the film. In the middle is where the film begins to sag. Several elements are continuously added that only cause confusion for the audience members. I couldn't appreciate anything that was happening in the here and now because I was so consumed with trying to figure out how each new, strange twist fit within the context of the film. To the film's credit, it does about as good of a job as possible in explaining everything. None of the answers though were what I considered satisfying.

Kelly attempts to fill the film with symbolism as themes of disfigurement, altruism, free will, and even the work of Sartre are introduced throughout the film. Each alone could have been thought-provoking and worthwhile to explore. However, by cramming all of them into this simple film, none of them get the attention that they deserve. I'm not sure if this is a worst offense than not including any, however since removing them would leave a pretty shallow, empty film.

Unfortunately, The Box is too much work with not enough payoff. The film peppers in moments of inspiration that continue to make you think it's going to turnaround and be something special, but none of them pan out. Instead, what's left is a murky mess that fails to make good on its potential. The film requires your whole attention, so for that reason I would probably suggest you see it at theaters instead of at home if you're still interested in checking it out. However, for most, I suggest you don't push the button and return The Box back to sender. Grade: C