28 Days Later Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
The titillation of the tongue. Sweet taste buds of a loved genre. The horrorphile's greatest pleasure can come from a movie that revives an horror genre. 28 Days Later steps forward to accept the coveted award of Bad-Ass Movies! It could have gone so wrong but fortunately it went so right.
Danny Boyle is a director I highly respect. He is more than capable of originality, knows that blood and gore is integral but not the be all and end all. And more than anything he builds up character and holds substance. He knows his craft and art.
Yes I love this movie.
Storyline- Created by man, a powerful virus is unleashed. Capable of unleashing holy hell with a drop of blood, it devastates lives and is the stuff of nightmares. In 28 Days, the country is overwhelmed and only an handful of people have survived. Those who have survived start to try and salvage a future for themselves, little knowing the deadly virus is the least of their worries as something else threatens them. Something they are unable to stop in it's wake...
What's to love?
Well Cillian Murphy comes to mind. He is a great actor with real charisma, give him a role that requires passion and depth. Bringing a whole other level to the character of Jim, he was the perfect fit. I could not imagine anyone else in the role.
Well the opening scenes showing a glimpse of what caused and made it begin. Chaos follows and then the scene that truly stuns me into silence. I've watched it time and again, yet it never gets old.
Jim awaking alone in the hospital, then the scene of him walking through an vast and empty London. The streets littered with debris and rubbish. However no sound. Complete and utter silence. Chills move down my back.
To take the congested, busy city of London and break it down to bareness is one of the most eerie but clever stints in how it was achieved. Not many scenes get to me effectively but oh, this does.
A lot of respect goes to the score of this film. It is incredibly difficult to make movie scores that gain such attention nowadays and few get noticed so it is all the more brilliant when it does.
28 Days made that crossover and for good reason. The music takes on an operatic tone. Slowly building up, it rises and soars until reaching the penultimate high. The recognisable piano chords, all the other strumming instrumentals help make for some intense and moody moments. Bathe in the music because ones of this calibre are rare.
In subtle ways I have already mentioned Cinematography by talking of the barren London, but on a much wider scope of things the element in itself is quite nice. Chaos in ensuing cities brings stark reminders, overall well portrayed if but for one minor niggle.
When Jim breaks into the fortified mansion to rescue Selena and Hannah, proceeding to get revenge on those who kept the girls hostage, it is night time, raining and there are storms in the air. All fine but rather clichéd for a movie that by all accounts is quite damn creative. Only a small niggle but not all that bad in hindsight.
When it comes to the special/ practical effects it was done in good taste. The zombies were some of the best I have seen. Why? Because they emulate us, not so far removed from our true palette, that we can see ourselves in them. Deep underlying message is thus: it is us. Rage is a human emotion as we know, take away our self control and that is us. And that is the TRULY scary thought!
Blood and gore is on it's game and I don't think it's amiss to say that Danny Boyle knows his art. He has a vivid eye for detail. I adore 28 Days because it is not pristine, people for whom we care become victims; die and the ending does not wrap everything in a neat little bundle. 8.5 out of 10.
Yes there are faults as is with every movie but it rebooted a lost genre that needed an injection of life. This film is all things including brave, scary, unique and intellectually minded. Breathtaking, this was the start of a new era.
Cheers! B.T.K.