Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Screenplay: Lee Toland Krieger
Producers: Neil Labute
Starring: Adam Scott, Brittany Snow, J.K. Simmons, Alex Frost
Year: 2009
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
(4/5)
In the opening minutes of Lee Toland Krieger’s The Vicious Kind, Caleb Sinclaire (played grizzly by my new favorite actor, Adam Scott) imparts upon his little brother some unsolicited advice on the true nature of women. Steeped in misogyny, the monologue sets the stage for what we are to come to expect of Caleb: a chain-smoking, ball-breaking, sleep-deprived ‘vicious kind’ that on a bad day would make even Patrick Bateman wince.
As we come to learn during the film, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree; the Sinclaires are a family at war with themselves. Caleb’s nemesis and one-time father, Donald (played mostly straight by J. K. Simmons), bears his own vicious tendencies. Caught between them is Caleb’s younger brother, Peter, a timid Switzerland to their eight year Cold War. Not exactly the ideal family to introduce your new girlfriend to, but Peter is left with just such a task; the arrival of Emma into the mix makes what was already to be a dysfunctional Thanksgiving all the more toxic.
Lately typecast as the curmudgeon brother after his previous stint in Passenger Side, Adam Scott is a revelation as Caleb. Beneath the snide remarks and steely gaze something ugly stirs, and Adam goes deep in his performance to make the character both loathsome and strangely sympathetic; one minute he is a barking dog, the next a whimpering mess. When in monologue mode he has all the onscreen presence of a Campbell Scott in Rodger Dodger. You believe the danger in every moment he is onscreen, particularly when Emma (the inferior sex!) indulges him in a lurid relationship, drawing him desperately closer like a moth to the light. Emma comes with her own baggage and questionable moral judgment that seems only to affirm Caleb’s worst suspicions about the opposite sex.
The world of The Vicious Kind is fairly bleak; reminiscent in tone of the works of Neil Labute (here executive producer) and also narratively, Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm. None of the characters appear capable of properly communicating what they feel to one another, time passes and the holes are dug deeper. The past is a place of lost promise and dark secrets.
As a film, The Vicious Kind is a mixed bag: plot at times is surprisingly nuanced and underplayed, merely alluded to or tangential (i.e. Caleb’s photography and former girlfriend), and yet at other times plot points appear to exist solely because a writer wanted them to and feel awkwardly forced (i.e. the many accidental encounters, the custody matters). Ultimately, Krieger’s script works in the sharp tongue of its dialogue yet falters in how that dialogue is assembled together in the larger story. Despite all of this, the film as a whole does work. It is a very handsome looking, original movie, finely directed, acted, and scored. It was released on dvd a couple months ago, so I recommend giving it a try.
By the way, what is with all the posters?
Also check out the sweet trailer, which though enjoyable kind of underplays the darkness of the film.
Movie laboratories are one of my favorite things ever. Metropolis,...
This one snuck out without much hype (I had forgotten all about it), but I remember thinking “Whoa” when I first saw this trailer months ago. I must acquire this immediately.
yeah I am surprised I never heard of this, it was up for some Spirit awards, played Sundance, the trailer is awesome, and the movie is on par with something by Neil Labute.
@Rot, “the movie is on par with something by Neil Labute.”Well, something 1990s LaBute. His recent work (Wickerman, Death at A Funeral, Lakeview Terrace doesn’t seem to be quite as fresh and harsh and loved as In The Company of Men and Your Friends & Neighbors.)
to be honest thats the only Labute I have seen, although I have been tempted to check out Lakeview Terrace, saw it for $7 on blu-ray at a regular place I go
I’ve got a copy of Lakeview Terrace (Bin buy $4 on regular DVD), but I’ve not watched it yet either….but the reaction to it was pretty stale for the most part (Walter Chaw excepted, he loved it)
I remember seeing the trailer for this last year, too, and really liking the style and script (what we hear of it). I’ll have to keep an eye out for it. Also, every movie should have J.K. Simmons in it.
Just discovered this is on Netflix Instant Watch. Adding it to my queue now.
I liked it. Not as much as you did, I don’t think, rot, but I definitely liked it. This was definitely a movie that should open up a ton of opportunities for Adam Scott. The dude has been around since the early nineties, but this is the first time he has really carried a movie on his shoulders (and been astounding in the process). I’m curious, has anyone watched the Starz series that he stars in, Party Down?
Without him, I think the movie would have been mediocre, but then again, the film also was structured that way purposely too. Even when Emma is asking Donald questions in order for her to understand her boyfriend more, it’s only there to further our understanding of Caleb, not Peter. And Caleb is so despicable, the worst kind of asshole, and institutionally nuts, yet Scott found a way to create a character that was not only relatable, but likable.
The David Gordon Green influence almost slaps you in the face here, which I can appreciate. There needs to be more filmmakers like him – filmmakers that put aside distracting style for substance, and weaving stories with a heavy focus on developing troubled, real-to-our-world characters.
huh I never even noticed David Gordon Green association but yeah I can sort of see that. To me it is clearly Neil Labute in tone.
I think I remember Jay mentioning on Film Junk he was watching the Party Down series and it was pretty good, I didn’t know Adam Scott was in it, definitely going to watch it now. I can see how Adam Scott aside you could say the film is mediocre, but it would be like Rodger Dodger without Campbell Scott, its an intentional joy of the film to luxuriate in these characters.
If by any stroke of luck, Jonathan, if you can find Passenger Side, watch it, he is also great in it. slacker LA road movie that feels like something Linklater would have made.
I’m ignorant of pre-Nurse Betty LaBute, so that’s probably why I fail to see the connection. The David Gordon Green influence though, like I said above, I felt within the first ten minutes. A troubled character with a mysterious past that is slowly, but never completely revealed. An equally troubled young female. The secluded small-town setting even seems to be as much of a character in the film as anyone (while Gordon Green has this perfected, Craig Gillespie’s Lars and the Real Girl is another recent example of this, albeit with a much more light-hearted tone). That’s not even mentioning the similar cinematography and the very long stretches without any sort of music to manipulate the mood of the viewer.
I didn’t mean the mediocre without Scott comment so much as an insult either, just an observation. I’ve always been drawn towards films driven by a single character, a single performance, where the film seems to be structured for the purpose of that single person and everything grows around him or her – the same as I’m drawn towards literature that are driven by the protagonist, rather than the story (see: Updike’s Rabbit, Roth’s Kapesh, Ford’s Frank Bascombe, etc.). SPOILER One thing that left me surprised, I feel like noting, I thought the film was going to have a much more bleak ending, as it seemed like that is what it was spiraling towards the entire film. END SPOILER
I watched the very first episode of Party Down today. Adam Scott is definitely the protagonist. I couldn’t really get a good feel of it from just the one episode, but I’ll chime in again after I’ve watched a few more. As for Passenger Side, I just watched the trailer. I’ll be checking that out ASAP for Adam Scott. I’m a believer.
Watched this last night; damn, I kind of loved it. I’m a huge Adam Scott fan and this is the best I have ever seen him. Something about this film really grabbed me and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I just read something saying the film is misogynistic and while I can see where some might think that, it did not cross my mind as I was watching the film.
I watched all of Party Down. I loved it and didn’t want it to end, but since Scott was going to be leaving anyway I’m ok with the fact they ended it.
well the opening monologue is plainly misogynistic, but by the end you get some understanding of why he is that way.
I too am a huge fan of Adam Scott, if you get a chance watch him in Passenger Side, comes out on dvd this month, probably my favorite of his stuff, Canadian road movie with him at his snarky best.
I just started watching Party Down, 2 episodes in and yeah, the love keeps coming.
my review of Passenger Side http://www.rowthree.com/2010/04/29/review-passenger-side/
True, that opening monologue is misogynstic, but I got the impression this person thought the film was being mysogistic just foer the sake of it, while I thought it was patently obvious that it was just part of an extremely flawed character and not a part that was celebrated in any way.
Yeah I was fortunate enough to catch Passenger Side when it played here for I think one day at the Cinematheque. I really liked that film (agree with pretty much all of your review). It was my favourite Adam Scott performance until Vicious Kind.
Finished first season of Party Down, thoroughly enjoyed it (is the second season as good?) Seems like the absence of Jane Lynch would detract from it.
For the limited number of people that would get the association, the allure of the show for me is the same as the documentary The Parking Lot Movie, sure its service industry minimum wage drudgery, but working for a pretty cool boss, slacking off and venting your frustration at the customer does seem mighty appealing.