Written and Directed by Kevin Smith
**** (four stars)
Dear readers, in our age of homogenized movies that consist of bottomless recycled material from those sequels, prequels, re-boots and re-imaginings, I can honestly inform you that, without question, you have never seen anything like this!
Writer/Director Kevin Smth's "Tusk" is a deeply disturbing, repulsive, repugnant, bizarre to the point of stomach churning, grisly and gruesome experience. It is also brilliantly executed, exceedingly well written, hauntingly directed, superbly acted and carries a level of psychological suspense and torment akin to being trapped inside of a nightmare from which you cannot awake. Equal parts inside joke, mind blowing horror show as well as a cultural commentary and cautionary tale to the point of being a pointedly driven warning, "Tusk" just might be the finest film of Kevin Smith's career--or at least, the equal to Smith's fearless, emotionally exhausting love story "Chasing Amy" (1997).
"Tusk" brazenly features precisely what has made Kevin Smith one of the cinema's most uniquely idiosyncratic creative voices. His foul mouthed yet wonderfully literary style of writing, a fearless approach to storytelling and the overall completeness of his vision. Granted, "Tusk," which follows in the footsteps of the ferocious "Red State" (2011), Smith's surprisingly strong stylistic change from comedy to horror, is not designed for mass appeal, and almost defiantly so as it is more in the almost underground style of a cult film or midnight movie creature feature. And truth be told, I am not even quite certain if this film is necessarily even for me, despite the fact that I have been a fan of Smith's from the very beginning of his career with "Clerks" (1994). But it was solely due to Kevin Smith's filmography that pushed me into the darkened theater...albeit with extreme trepidation as to what terrors I might be subjected to. Now that I have emerged from the other side, and as worked over as I was, I am thrilled that I had the chance to be a witness to something so audacious.
"Tusk" follows the terrifyingly Kafka-esque transformation of Wallace Bryant (a terrific Justin Long), host of the popular podcast entitled "The Not See Party" (say the title quickly), where he, alongside friend and co-host Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment), mock and humiliate the subjects of viral videos. Travelling from Los Angeles to Manitoba, Canada to hopefully interview (i.e. ridicule) his latest subject known as "The Kill Bill Kid," a young man nicknamed due to his viral video in which he unwittingly severed his own leg with a sword, Wallace comes upon an advertisement tacked to a bar bathroom bulletin board that profoundly intrigues him; a elderly and wheelchair bound homeowner offering free lodging in exchange for companionship and for an ear to listen to his lifetime of stories.
Wallace, feeling that he has found an even more perfect "weirdo" as a podcast subject, takes off for the Canadian wilderness mansion of the loquacious Howard Howe (a stunning Michael Parks) and is unabashedly delighted with his discovery. The two men sit in the parlor by the fireplace, sharing tea and Wallace enraptured by Howe's literary wit and quotations and eerily drawn to Howe's long ago tales of being lost at sea and being befriended for a spell by a walrus, whom he named Mr. Tusk. Yet, unbeknownst to Wallace, Howard Howe has unspeakably sinister plans in store.
Wallace falls unconscious after being drugged by the spiked tea and awakens the following morning to discover that one of his legs has been amputated. Wallace further discovers that Howe, not only has the ability to walk but plans to physically transform Wallace into a walrus!
As Wallace endures days and nights of torture and mutilation at the psychotic hands of Howard Howe, Teddy and Wallace's girlfriend Ally (a strong Genesis Rodriguez) enlist the aid of the bizarre yet intrepid French Canadian detective Guy Lapointe (I'm not tellin' who plays him) to locate Wallace, but will they be too late before our podcaster before he goes "full walrus"?
Originated from Kevin Smith's podcast #250 entitled "The Walrus and the Carpenter," where Smith and his longtime friend and producer Scott Mosier riffed over an advertisement (eventually revealed to be a hoax) about a homeowner who was offering a free living situation to potential lodgers on the condition that they wear a walrus costume, "Tusk" certainly had the potential to be absolutely, positively nothing more than a sick, stupid joke put to film and solely for the enjoyment of Smith and his closest associates. Thankfully, Kevin Smith has realized exactly how the elements that can make a movie can be realistically weaved into a true film experience.
With "Tusk," Kevin Smith has created an experience that could easily walk a simultaneously macabre nail biting, and stomach churning path as those created by Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), John Landis' "An American Werewolf In London" (1981), David Cronenberg's "The Fly (1986) and Rob Reiner's "Misery" (1990). If you filter all of those films through the prism of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, then you will have an idea of what the final results of "Tusk" are like. Yes, this is a sick film that takes its conceit to the wall, but I do not believe for a minute that what Smith has devised to be remotely stupid due to the full commitment he placed to this idea and the strong set of collaborators he enlisted to to make a film like this stick to the ribs...albeit uncomfortably.
Tremendous credit much be given to the elegantly dark visual presentation from Cinematographer James Laxton, the excellent production design from John D. Kretschmer, the dread inducing musical score from Composer Christopher Drake and unquestionably the downright insane special makeup effects supervised by Robert Kurtzman. Yet as with "Red State," Kevin Smith has again completely surprised me with his complete directorial assurance with this material as he instantly creates the proper tone, mood and relentless drug induced nightmare #9 vibe necessary for something like "Tusk" to even work at all. This presentation is so effective that even Fleetwood Mac's classic brass and tribal drums driven track "Tusk" has never sounded more menacing.
Even with all of the talent behind the scenes, "Tusk" would also succeed or fail based upon the acting performances, and Smith could not have found better leading actors than Michael Parks and Justin Long if he tried. With Parks, a veteran character actor whom I really only know from his mesmerizing and disturbing role in "Red State," plus his work in a few of Quentin Tarantino's projects, Kevin Smith found the perfect conduit to bring the psychologically destroyed and malicious serial killer of Howard Howe to vibrant, compelling life. As he performs with Wallace, we in the audience are easily drawn in to Howe's tales and the kindly yet eccentric whisper of his voice only forces us to lean in closer so as we do not miss even one of his sophisticated words.
What is ultimately impressive about Parks' performance is that he could have easily portrayed this figure solely as a monster and left it at that. Yet, Parks discovers the deep, tormented psychological layers of this man making him a tragic figure who could be viewed as a figure seeking some bizarre sense of redemption as well as one to be supremely feared. Via Kevin Smith's expressively written monologues, Michael Parks is given copious amounts of material to sink his acting teeth into making for a performance that is as hypnotic as it is panic inducing.
Justin Long, an actor who is always so affable and approachable, is given the even more difficult task of not only portraying a figure that is essentially an anti-hero due to his callousness towards others, including his closest friends, but also being reduced to only using his most expressive eyes and a guttural bellow to convey Wallace's psychological state during the film's final third or so. It is a performance that is comedic and breezy and becomes so powerfully tragic and hauntingly mesmerizing. "Tusk" gives Justin Long the opportunity to show audiences sides of his talent that he has never been able to present before and the effect will blindside you with crushing force.
Even with all of this praise, and for those of who who do wish to brave "Tusk," I must give you a warning. Yes, you will need a strong stomach for this one as it is indeed so unfathomable. That said, I did not feel that the film's violence, as severe as it is, ever descended into the disgusting maelstrom of "torture porn." On a filmmaking level and for all that Kevin Smith does indeed display to the audience visually, there is a sizable amount that he wisely chooses NOT to show, leaving the horror to the power of suggestion, verbal description and the darkest corners of our minds to fill in. For instance, during one sequence where an unconscious Wallace is undergoing a bout of..reconstructive surgery, we never see the act itself, as Smith solely places his camera upon Howard Howe and the arsenal of surgical tools at his disposal. And frankly, that is all you really needed to convey the desperation of Wallace's peril.
For a film as harrowing as "Tusk" happens to be, it is also not without humor, and much needed as far as I am concerned. Some criticism against "Tusk" has stemmed from the abrupt tonal changes that occur within the film, especially during the film's second half when the detective Guy Lapointe is introduced and much time is spent with Ally and Teddy on the search for Wallace. For me however, I loved the film's occasional diversions. First of all, because they gave me a bit of a break from being trapped inside of Howard Howe's haunted house with the tortured Wallace. But also, because Kevin Smith is so excitedly creative and definitely smart enough to build an entire cinematic universe and to also give his actors material with which they can show their abilities to their finest.
Genesis Rodriguez, for example, could have easily been the gorgeous and long suffering girlfriend, wringing her hands, holding the phone and calling Wallace's name over and again--something most movies would have done. But wisely, Smith gives Rodriguez a series of strongly written monologues, which help powerfully to flesh out the character and widen the canvas on which the story of "Tusk" is being told. To Rodriguez's credit, she is equal to the material, which she delivers with conviction, especially during one long unbroken shot during which she details the dark side of her relationship with Wallace to an unseen listener.
As for the mysterious actor who portrays Guy Lapointe, well...if for any reason my review of "Tusk" is the only one that you will read and you do plan upon seeing the film, I will not spoil the revelation for you. That said, this particular actor goes a long way in creating a fully develped figure who is part Inspector Clouseau, part Columbo, silly, odd, weird, yet somehow steadfast and a hunter to be reckoned with, despite his penchant for hamburger sliders.
"Tusk"possesses the strongest of a conscience and soul, and I was struck by its heft and pathos into the human condition as the film speaks directly to our own sense of humanity in the 21st century, or else our seemingly depleting sense of humanity in regards to our behavior through social media. If "Tusk" does anything at all to suggest that even a film this bizarre does possess some redeeming social value it is that Kevin Smith has concocted a warning about our relationship and continued dependence upon technology that does settle itself in the same cinematic neighborhood as (believe it or not) David Fincher's "The Social Network" (2010) and Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013) as our internet culture only continues to grow uglier. "Be careful," Smith just may be advising or even imploring to us with this film. "Think twice before you hit 'ENTER' or 'PUBLISH.' For what you put out into the world may return to you with a vengeance."
With regards to the two men that fuel "Tusk," Podcaster Wallace Bryant, in his own way, is actually not too far removed from the murderous and tormented Howard Howe. Wallace is a young man who utilizes his presence on the internet for something that Ally refers to as self-serving "cringe humor," a tactic designed to verbally vivisect his prey for his own entertainment, financial gain and comedic notoriety. Richly placed flashback sequences showcase Ally's continuous please for Wallace to remember his sense of humanity when dealing with people and how much he has changed since he has reached a certain level of fame. Wallace is arrogant, unsympathetic, duplicitous and even adulterous regarding his relationship with Ally as he only seeks to essentially find his latest victim to rip apart on his show. In short, his lack of empathy towards absolutely anyone has already damaged his sense of humanity.
In "Tusk," Wallace's transformation rests within a figure who is already halfway gone at the film's opening. The aural similarities of the name "Wallace" and the word "walrus" feel as purposeful as Wallace's unfortunate mustache. Furthermore, Smith even darkly foreshadows Wallace's doomed trip to Canada in some of the dialogue during the film's very first scene when Wallace exclaims, in reference to the now one legged "Kill Bill Kid" he is set to publicly ridicule, "What do I need with two legs for anyway? It's not like I'm gonna run a marathon!" Oh Wallace, if you only knew. It is only when Wallace becomes the victim and is then literally vivisected and mutated into something wholly unrecognizable to a human being that he rediscovers his humanity...only to essentially lose it forever. This makes "Tusk" almost work as the darkest of adult fables where one man's hubris and his own predatory instincts for human frailties are turned against him.
I realize that I have written quite a large amount of material for a film that I am certain barely any of you will ever see. Bu that being said, isn't it great when any movie, regardless of genre can give you this much to actually think about? "Tusk" represents a masterful rejuvenation for Kevin Smith, a filmmaker who has actually announced his retirement from film just a few short years ago, and has now become so re-inspired that this film will serve as the first part of what he has dubbed the "True North Trilogy," a series of bizarre tales all set within Canada. And in fact, the second film, "Yoga Hosers," is currently filming.
This is precisely what makes Kevin Smith so special for the movies. Regardless of what one may think about Kevin Smith as an artist, and that even includes Smith himself, I strongly believe that he belongs somewhere in the same cinematic neighborhoods as the ones populated by the likes of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. While those filmmakers have received a much larger amount of critical acclaim and industry respect, Kevin Smith has consistently accomplished the same seismic feats as those of his fellow filmmakers as he has consistently offered a clear vision and has created full, rich and complete cinematic universes that are distinctly of his making and exist on their own terms with a complete set of rules and rituals.
There is no mistaking who is at the helm when you see a Kevin Smith film and "Tusk" is no exception. While stylistically different, "Tusk," on further examination, is actually not terribly far removed from Smith's comedic features as nearly all of his films involve his characters travelling tough some sort of unprecedented and life altering experience. In "Chasing Amy," Smith gave us the painful yet character building love story of a young man who falls in love with a lesbian. In the well intentioned but flawed "Jersey Girl" (2004), a young man is forever transformed by Fatherhood. "In "Clerks," we are given two young men dealing with the ennui of their 20's and in "Clerks II" (2006), they are dealing with the aches of aging and maturity as they fly through their 30's. Certainly in the brilliant religious satire fantasy "Dogma" (1999), a young woman and abortion clinic worker with wavering spiritual faith is transformed by the knowledge that she is indeed the last scion and must save existence itself. And in the gritty reality of "Red State," three horny teenagers are undone by their inadvertent stumbling onto the compound of a sect of violent fundamentalists.
Like the bulk of his past work, "Tusk" is richly developed and completely representative of what is sorely lacking in our movie theaters these days. A filmmaker with a unique voice who is willing to take serious creative risks just to make the films that he would pay to see himself. With this film, Kevin Smith is at full command of his powers and an artist of uncompromising vision and originality.
I have no idea if "Tusk" will somehow end up in the Top Ten of my favorite films of 2014 or not. But one thing is for certain, "Tusk" is unquestionably the most unforgettable.
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