Reviewer – Emilie Wootton.
Michael Winterbottom has been an integral part of the British film scene since the early 90s. Although not always choosing to shoot his work in Britain, he is a name synonymous with British cool. He has shot films all around the world, gaining a BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language for ‘In This World’. Despite this, there remains a distinctly British sentiment in his style, achieved through the use of unknown actors and an independent style of film making with small crews, low budgets and real locations. Winterbottom has made another departure from what one would see as fundamentally British by making a film in the Hollywood tradition of film noir.
This is a difficult style to shoot without simply creating a homage or pastiche. Winterbottom takes archetypal imagery and characters and adds subtlety and poignancy to an ultimately painful narrative. If Hitchcock was the master of suspense and Welles the master of American Noir, Winterbottom could easily become the master of the intense.
The film opens with the song ‘Fever’ growled over shots of Cadillacs and desertscapes, conjuring up audiences’ preconceived ideologies of 1950s America and lowering us into a world we feel comfortable with on the big screen. This draws the audience in, lulling us into comfort before slowly but surely dragging us around to the brink of unsettlement. The unfolding narrative is very in-keeping with noir literature since it was adapted from a novel by Jim Thomson.
The characterisation of the lead Lou has a depth that is subtle. One has to think to work out who he is. This is Winterbottom’s skill – showing the breakdown of a social presence delicately via the odd smile or comment. Winterbottom involves noir staples such as the flashback to add some explanation, but never in an obvious way. These aspects are contrasted with extremely violent and sexual scenes. The current of masochism that runs through this piece is mirrored by voyeuristic camera work, where shots are held on beaten women, belts and burning. During the screening, sitting alone in the dark, I found myself turning away to remind myself that this was only a film. The casting of actors such as Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson should have created a feeling of artifice, but their performances are flawless in terms of the truthfulness they portray.
The story unfolds through long pieces of dialogue. The archetypes of film noir – the good girl, the femme fatale, the detective in a love triangle – are transposed to a different level, highlighting the self destructive and overwhelmingly violent aspects of psychology. This film is a deep piece of work and involves realistic elements of human nature, exploring the duality of people and the conflict between who you are and who you try to be. This exploration takes a sadistic route. The conclusion is nihilistic and offers no guidelines of how to do right.
The producer Muse is responsible for a lot of actors’ turning point films, most notably American Psycho with Reese Witherspoon and Christian Bale. This film signifies a turning point in the careers of both Hudson and Alba that will allow them to take on much more serious roles and adopt a more theatrical style of acting.
The Killer Inside Me is an amalgamation of a thriller, a noir and a snuff film and reads as a case study of a psychopath. It harks back to masterpieces like ‘Psycho’ and ‘A Touch Of Evil’ but ultimately has to be judged on its own merit – its impressive ability to be extremely engaging, unsettling and very, very ‘cool’.
This month, the Showroom is screening films by new British directors and some very controversial subject matter. Those who wish to see British cinema at its finest should take note of what the Showroom has to offer, but be prepared to be somewhat perturbed.
The Killer Inside Me is on at the Showroom until June 10th.
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Kudos!