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My boyfriend headed on over to the cinemas yesterday just to have a break and to use our Citibank receipts to get a discount on movie tickets. I wanted to watch The Box because I found the trailer pretty interesting.
**NOW HERE COMES THE SPOILER**
It's all about a couple played by James Marsden and Cameron Diaz who are given a curious wooden box with a button inside. A disfigured man had left the box for them and had given them some terms and conditions regarding the box. First, they were to not tell anyone else about the box. Second, they are only given 24 hours (specifically til 5pm of the next day) to decide between two options - (1) Do nothing and return the box for "reprogamming" or (2) Push the button and gain $1,000,000 in the process but there is also an added consequence - someone, somewhere in the world, someone they don't know will die. (Pretty nutty choice, right?)
Diaz and Marsden pretty much struggle with the choice for most of those 24 hours. Marsden, who works for NASA, was just passed up for a promotion. Diaz, on the other hand, who works as a teacher was just informed that the school has stopped offering their faculty tuition discount which would make it difficult for them to make ends meet considering they have a little boy studying in the same school where Cameron teaches. According to Cameron, as it was they were already living paycheck to paycheck and the million dollars would really help them in living the life that they dreamed of.
Just before the 24 hour deadline is up, Cameron seemingly on a whim decides to push the button thinking that it was just a box. Marsden had earlier opened up the box to find that there were no contraptions like transmitters or chips of any sort within the box except for the button.
This is where things started to give me a headache...
The disfigured man (Steward) goes back to their house on cue and gives them their one million dollars but in a sudden push of his conscience Marsden decides that he wants nothing to do with the money. In the events that followed, it became clear that they had become involved in something much bigger than they had initially thought.
The disfigured man was just a vessel or messenger, so to speak, of some "alien" power and "the box" is a means of testing the human race to see how many would pick their own needs over the life of another. Moreover, the "aliens" also have the power for mind control (which was inadvertently causing the mysterious epidemic of nose bleeding) which allowed them to watch over their test subjects wherever they may be.
In the end, because it was Cameron who pushed the button, they gave them another test. They took away the hearing and seeing senses of Diaz' and Marsden's son, Walter, then gave the couple another proposition. (Now this one is really mind numbing) They had 2 options - (1) Live with their $1,000,000, all 3 of them alive but with Walter no longer able to see and hear. Take note also that Walter's condition is not reversible and cannot be cured; or (2) Marsden should shoot his wife in the heart and at the moment that her spirit leaves her body, their son will be well again. (These people are so nutty, aren't they?)
Well... I'll leave with you with that for now so I wouldn't be revealing the entire movie. :P
So what did I think of the movie? It gave me a headache that's what I thought. The concept of having to pick between self preservation and the greater good is a good enough concept, I think, but they just brought it too far and made it too complicated. We left the movie house kinda boggled though I said at the very least it's a great conversation piece.
It's pretty interesting to think about: Would you push the button? What could you do with $1,000,000? Could your conscience handle knowing that the life of another person was lost because of you? On the one hand you could also think that there's a person that dies every minute somewhere in the world and that doesn't necessarily relate to you. Now that's something to think about... and if you did press the button, would you be willing to kill yourself so your child could get his eyesight and hearing back? Would you be willing to kill your wife/husband for the sake of your kid? Or would you rather just enjoy the $1,000,000 with your entire family intact?
Geez! It's giving me a headache just going through all the scenarios.
I'd give the movie just 2 stars out of a possible 5. It's too complicated but the story line was at the very least interesting though not necessarily entertaining.
-- designstudentny
For more movie reviews and interesting tidbits go to http://www.onthewaytonewyork.blogspot.com
aliens. really.
ReplyDeletealso, I was vaguely reminded of this.
well, they didn't specifically say aliens but they alluded to it. :p you might actually like this movie
ReplyDeleteJust checked your link - the comic strip was dead on. Super funny! Thanks for the link. I'll post it.
ReplyDeletenah. there are other movies I'd rather watch first. ones that are better (or possibly crazier) than this. :p
ReplyDeleteif you want a brain-breaking good time, look up Zardoz starring Sean Connery from back in the 70's.
Zardoz? Hindi b yan yung villain sa Voltes V? :p
ReplyDeletepareho pangalan pero 'di hamak na mas entertaining ang Zardoz ni Sean Connery. :p
ReplyDelete