SAW Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
Oh yes, the one and only original! We all know the deal with the many, many SAW films that have followed but the granddaddy of them all is still alive and well. Kicking away and reminding us of the one that crossed barriers we hadn’t seen the likes of. This was SAW at its pinnacle and is still the ride of a lifetime!
The plot? Please who hasn’t heard the plot! Ok for those who might still be naïve to this film I will give a little taster: Two guys chained, one room. An infamous killer by the name of Jigsaw, a time limit and family at risk. Jigsaw, a madmen, determined that the men will kill each other as desperation kicks in. Now that was fun!
C’mon this was what (unfortunately) spawned a generation of SAW films and copycats.
Despite what this movie has created there is no denying the power of the original. The chemistry between the two men, helpless at the mercy of Jigsaw, is astounding and the little twists are done sublimely. I cannot stop finding the pluses to this movie! Yes there are most likely flaws but I for one am not going to be looking for them! This is a movie I adore as much as I did when I first saw it.
The cast remains for much of the film with 3 main stars only later branching out to other cast members.
Cast as follows are, Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) who has starred in IN THE LINE OF FIRE & 24, I love!! Love!! This guy. The charisma onscreen, that voice he sets my heart melting and if he is in a movie I love it a little more even if terrible. Bell is fantastic as Jigsaw and as menacing as can be. He is the silent force behind this movie.
Leigh Whannell who plays Adam. He has his smarts. As an actor he is very and as a writer he is very capable. Forget the SAW movies to follow but more like Dead Silence. Yes it wasn’t anything amazing but the ending was a nice little coup. I have to love how this guy’s mind works and how he can shock when the imagination lurks. As Adam he is a versatile role and plays the character with utter passion and conviction. Great performance.
And then there was Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon. Also starred in KISS THE GIRLS & LIAR, LIAR. He is an actor I greatly admire for the many roles he has taken on and made his own. In this he is just as much skill. Playing a victim and distant father and husband, the pain he elicits when he realises his wife and daughter are in danger is breathtaking. Such a dramatic role from a experienced mind, Elwes is a honest-to-god fantastic actor.
Music
I am too tired to rattle on so will just say it’s good, eerie and a trademark now thanks to the success of the movies. Excellent score.
Cinematography
Love the lighting in between scenes. The use of darkness is done to great effect in the brutal scenes. Fluid camera motions and clear crisp dialogue, this girl has nothing to complain about!
Really gory images thanks to the traps. A sense of foreboding and a smart-ass killer this movie redefined a lost genre. Blood, guts and gore? Yep. And with the inventive traps they looked awesome. If their aim was to freak me out they managed it and even now I cringe at them.
Fantastic!
In the end this was the movie that began new trends and I loved it! The final twist is stunning and still great to watch. I love everything about this movie. The traps, the stunning Dina Meyer, the intelligence, the deliberate red herrings, this is a joyous little film.
True horror aficionados will love this movie and quite rightly, watch it and love it for hidden gems. Absolutely mind blowing and off its head, this is eyebrow entertainment of the highest order. Brilliant!