“Son” fails to Cast a Spell

 

Sometimes, bad movies happen to good actors. Such is the case with Sergey Bodrov’s Seventh Son, an adaptation of the first book in Joseph Delaney’s The Last Apprentice series and likely the last. That’s too bad because as YA literature goes it’s better than most as the central relationship in the 13 book series – that of the Spook Gregory and his apprentice Tom Ward – continues to develop and ground the stories in a humanistic way that most books of this sort lack. Son hints at this friendship but fails to fully develop it, instead relying on a rote fantasy narrative brought low by its predictability and lackluster special effects.

Of course, that’s not from lack of trying on Moore’s part. A consummate professional all the way, she tries to find something distinctive about Malkin but fails to make the character nothing more than your standard witch that can turn into a dragon. However, it must be noted that she really rocks her Goth wardrobe. As for Bridges, I spent nearly the entire running time of the film trying to figure out how to describe his odd voice. If you can imagine Sean Connery speaking with a mouthful of cotton, that’s a rough idea of what the actor sounds like. Bridges’ vocal choice is a distraction throughout and I got the sense that maybe he thought he was making a comedy instead of a period fantasy. The actor and the movie both wear out their welcome, as Son winds up being a long, dull haul rather than a rousing adventure.

“The Giver” Still a Cut Above Rivals

The Giver. A teen struggles with the responsibility of being chosen as the keeper of a now-peaceful society’s violent emotions and memories.

The Giver is set in the near future; we’ve screwed up our planet and a massive social shake-up has occurred. To maintain peace, each citizen is required to take daily meds and transfer their raw emotions to the Receiver of Memories. Teenager Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen to replace the outgoing Receiver (Jeff Bridges), who he calls the Giver, and shoulder the emotional burdens of the populace by retaining all of their memories.

One of the biggest and most welcome differences between this and other similarly themed movies is that the story is told in a concise dynamic manner that doesn’t become bogged down in needless spectacle or become subservient to a director’s grandstanding style. The core of the story remains the relationship between Jonas and the Giver. It keeps us emotionally anchored. The Giver reminded me of the importance of diversity despite its inherent complications; it engaged me on an intellectual level that prompted me to reflect on how precious life is. The film GAVE me something, hardly a common thing where today’s cinema is concerned. An adaptation of the Lois Lowry novel.