Dir. Marc Evans, 2004, UK, 88 minutes
Cast: Colin Firth, Mena Suvari, Tommy Flanagan, Naomie Harris, Brenda Fricker
Recent years have seen some fairly impressive attempts by British filmmakers at reclaiming Hammer horror's blood-splattered and almost-forgotten crown. The brilliantly simple werewolf massacre Dog Soldiers, the internationally acclaimed 28 Days Later and more recently horror-comedy Shaun of the Dead all suggested that maybe it is possible for British horror to regain its former glory. Depending on its success Trauma could re-establish horror as a strong British genre, or mark the passing of another short-lived phase in British cinema history. It is also the first film from Ministry of Fear - a division of the Dublin-based Little Bird production company devoted purely to horror - and could determine the success of the nine films already planned to follow.
The trauma of the title belongs to Ben (Firth); a struggling artist attempting to build a new life after his wife is killed in a car accident. To make matters worse, the world is reeling from the murder of international pop-star Lauren Parris in which Ben is the prime suspect. While old friend Tommy (Flanagan) and neighbour Charlotte (Suvari) do their best to help, Ben soon learns that recovery will come at a high price.
Although Trauma fits more comfortably under the psychological thriller umbrella it desperately wants to be horror film. Every pause in the action has been punctuated with inappropriate and rather ineffective scares, which almost suggest some quick post-production tweaking to keep the preview audiences awake. Despite this the claustrophobic use of Ben's ex-hospital apartment building does produce an atmosphere as unsettling as that of Rosemary's Baby or more recently Dark Water. However, these complimentary and yet all too obvious comparisons work against the film more than they add to its appeal.
Trauma is a frighteningly unoriginal film. This fact is well hidden at first with the pop-star sub-plot, which suggests that there is something more going than the usual tale of a descent into madness - a story about a nation's grief for someone they have never met compared to the very real grief of a man missing his wife. "Marc was very interested in that," agrees Firth, "In how you represent that kind of stardom, through the lens of someone who's got an unstable view of it." This does not last and rather than being part of the film's substance the pop-star story becomes another device to further confuse the audience. Trauma is certainly a film that requires some thought, as Firth admits, "I think there was a difficult line to tread about how obscure you keep it, because it was a world that was supposed to be murky." However, when all the complex twists and turns have been stripped away the story that is left is a very familiar one. Like many recent horror films, Trauma also suffers from Twilight Zone syndrome - the feeling that this is really a half-hour story padded out to make a feature. Although moments of repetition occasionally add to the haunting atmosphere they are not essential to a story that would lose little if cut down by 45 minutes.
That said Trauma is by no means a bad film and deserves to be seen if only for Firth's outstanding performance of a man treading a thin line between reality and madness. With Firth appearing in every scene, and our attention depending on our constant identification with his character, it is impressive not only that he is able to carry the film so convincingly, but also that the film-makers were brave enough to put him in that position. Firth clearly leapt at the opportunity, "It was an intense job, hard work in terms of hours and schedule, but it was a pure pleasure. It was just a six day a week, 14 hour day, wall-to-wall pleasure." In comparison, Suvari's performance is suitably understated; but her appearance is perfectly suited to bringing an air of angelic warmth to a film soaked in darkness. Add to that some impressive cinematography and production design that, combined with Evans' direction, produce a creepy, atmospheric film that is forever unsettling and yet eerily familiar.
In terms of the British horror film Trauma showcases the best of our talent in the field - most notably a versatile star and an innovative director. This is a good start, but if the genre is to get the revival it deserves in this country then we have to start telling our own stories. After all, this is a genre as old as cinema itself and if it is to survive it must be moved forward.
Chris Regan
|
