The Box (2009 film)

I haven't seen this yet, but I heard it got really bad reviews.

My mom saw it and told me to watch it because it's very deep and she thinks I'll like it. She said she thinks it got bad reviews because it makes people think and people don't usually like movies that do that.

So I'm looking forward to watching it soon when i get the time. I'll write about it when I do :)
 
dannybananny said:
Has anyone watched this movie?This movie is directed by the director of Donnie Darko and it has lesson in it, box and buton reminded me of human fall and that nothing comes without consequences and hard learning! I don't want to spoil it further so watch it for yourself!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFHa-ygkF_M
Click to expand...
I watched this last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. So thanks dannybananny for the suggestion. There is so much more to it than the concept suggests and you're right in the strong message of every action has consequences.

There was one image of the twin towers on an old TV screen that puzzled me. I found that embeded symbolism disconcerting. However, it presents the multi-layer secrecy in government agencies well - especially NASA who the lead character works for.

Well worth watching IMO.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I really enjoy watching Cameron Diaz and it seems like an interesting movie.
 
I had the chance to watch this movie last night. It drives home the consequences of our choices in a bizarre and creepy plot. It is a well made movie, but if bizarre and creepy isn't your thing you might want to pass.

There was only one bit of obvious propaganda when Steward comments on the human condition. I'll paraphrase; "... there is no hope for humanity until you give up you give up persisting in your individuality and embrace global governance."

Like Moon, this film is a well constructed sci-fi that does not need epic space battles and exploding stuff to get across a mature plot that develops at a good pace. Thor's Pantheon may have had a hand in this one. It's all about our choices. The Box shows us the open door with the pot of gold just on the other side... would we go for it?

EDIT : In recalling this movie today, this image came to mind; A cranky Klaatu meets Bob Barker.
 
This film is based on a Twilight Zone episode from the 80s - Button, Button - where a couple is met at their house by a mysterious stranger with a box that has a button in it. The premise is that the couple can press the button and they will receive $200k but that also, someone they don't know will die. At the end, the stranger leaves but says that he will continue offering the deal to others, to "people they most likely don't know"...
 
It was recently re-reviewed in The Onion A.V. Club under the "flops" section and given the "fiasco" rating, generally meaning contains some potential to appeal to either a mass audience or critics if it wasn't riddled with so many problems.

_http://www.avclub.com/articles/what-the-holy-living-f*ck-case-file-157-the-box,38738/

I did watch the 80s Twilight Zone ep recently and haven't seen the movie, but it looks worth checking out. Any comments here about "Southland Tales"? (haven't seen it either, not sure if I want to but the preview looked interesting).

[er, you have to substitute the usual f-word into the url there. sorry if it offends any sensibilities]
 
ok movie. Bit too Adam ad Eve and its the womans fault for me. Notice its the women who press the button!
Certainly kept its twilight zone feel which I liked.
Pressing the button only vaguely understanding that some one somewhere will die if you do press it reminded me of people in the so called comfort zones of the world who are usually living in their illusory comfort zones due to the suffering of others around the world who are out of sight. Meaning pressing the button is the same as taking the oil and not really giving a dam.

just a few thoughts.
 
We watched it a few days ago and thought it had a bit of Donnie Darko (of course) and David Lynch in it.
It was weird, a few references about aliens (?), other dimensions, mind control and government agencies which was interesting.

I liked it overall but I wasn't too thrilled on the pseudo choices the old man gave at the end between the mother's death or disability for the son...
And as Away with the Fairy said, only women push the button and suffer an awful end.

Which makes me wonder, what is the idea behind the various disability in the movie ?

Worth a watch if you like strange movies in a seventies setting.
 
Watched it last night and wasn't very impressed. My thought on it was that it was taken from a 30 min or less 70's TV show called the Twilight Zone which dealt with weird and whacky short ideas/stories that writers came up with. How to take one of those short stories, that by definition of being short does not have a lot of background details or a significant "plot", and turn it into a hollywood movie? Well, the answer appears to be that this particular director could not. There were holes in the story and overall it just didn't make much sense.

Give it a miss, you won't regret it.
 
I agree with Perceval and AWTF.

Actually, I found it really mediocre. Too many holes in the story, and it wasn't a realistic depiction of the consequences we must assume when making a choice, IMO. Those people were setup from the beginning and brought to a situation where they were really thinking emotionally and driven by fear, before and after pushing the button. That's my take on it, at least.
 
Watched this movie tonight, and while I liked the creepiness and the hints at alien/government agendas to control and use people to their own liking- the movie was a bit of a miss as Perceval pointed out. Too many holes left in the end, and I also noticed the Adam & Eve thing.



*spoiler*
When I put myself in the character’s shoes my first thought was that I would never push the button. Because the thought of being even indirectly responsible for another being’s death is too much for me to live with. However, in the end when the choices were to shoot the wife, or live with a deaf and blind son. The choices for the child are bleak either way you look at it. Be the child whose father murdered his mother and live as an orphan with trauma for the rest of your life. Or live as a deaf and blind child with your parents who would devote the rest of their lives to ensure you have a happy life. Considering their choice was the reason you became deaf and blind. I would have picked a deaf and blind child to live with. Considering they had a million dollars, why couldn’t the boy live and go to school and become someone like Helen Keller? Maybe I’m looking too deeply into it, but why would someone being deaf and blind be worse than death?

And what if the 'new family' who received the box didn't press the button? Would that mean the wife (Diaz) wouldn't get shot? Too many holes.. :nuts:
 
I thought it was a terrible movie. It might have been okay as a 30 min. Twilight Zone episode, but was not well thought out enough to make a good full length film. I was also depressed to think that the starring couple represent what is considered normal or admirable in an American household.
 
Well, the trailer does look promising and I will watch it sometime soon but since it is a pretty big Hollywood movie with an A-list star in it, I don't expect it to be revealing or simply even to make sense. I'm sure it will be a mish-mash of some good aspects of our reality and issues (dilemmas for some) concerning free will and conscience choices but it will definitely contain lies, disinfo and perplexing ideas.

Too bad. I can't wait for the day when a big Hollywood movie will come out that will be determined to reveal the truth or even some part of the truth without misleading lies and a bowl of confusion.
 
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