Frailty





Hmm, I liked it, but I still find it a tad bit overrated. It's really good, but I never found it to be some brilliant horror film or anything.

B

This Film was pretty damn boring, Im suprised its got a 7.3 at Imdb. Pretty overrated IMO

C-

One of the best of 2001. I really thought that Paxton would be nominated for best director that year.

9/10

Thats one of the best twist in movie history and unlike other movie twist cliches, it had nothing to do with dual personalities. Its well written and you can say its sort of like a thesis into studying religious fanatics
A

A thesis saying that they are actually right?

B


It's a decent horror movie, but not near a masterpiece some make it out to be. It is Matthew McConaugfhey's best performance, though. I guessed part of the ending twist (about the brothers), but not the "real" twist. That really caught me off-guard. It was never scary or creepy, though.

A thesis to understand what goes on the fanatics mind and raises questions like what if god commanded you to kill will you do it?Kind of like God testing Abraham to see if he would sacrifice his son Isaac. I mean are you that religious enough to follow all of god's command even if hes right. Thats why people are pissed at the movie and thats what happened when Paxton didnt kill his son who eventually became a serial killer

Doesn't the ending imply that all the people they killed were, indeed, "bad" people?

Yes and thats whats twisted about it cant you see?. Its that Matthew Mccoughhay's character was a good guy and Paxton too, his son who tried to stop him from murdering turned out to be evil

I think one of us misinterpreted it. It's about three years that I saw it (or four?), but the way I understood it:

Paxton and McConaughey were "good" guys killing the real "demons" apparently, but the brother of McConaughey was not the Hand of God killer. The Hand of God Killer was still McConaughey and he killed his brother who always tried to stop him from killing. Never had the impression that he was a killer himself.

Thats what I got from the movie but that was the twist. All along in the beginning of the movie it lead you to believe that McCoughnhay was the son who wanted to stop his father from killing and that his little brother was the killer himself. It wasnt revealed in the end that McCoughhay was disguising himself as his brother to lure the detective out to the graveyard. You see Fent's dad and his kid brother(McCoughhay) were the good guys all along while his older brother turned out evil even when as a youngster he tried to stop his father from killing

Okay, that's what I got as well. But what it basically says is that those "fanatics", while appearing to be fanatic killers to others, in fact are doing the right thing.

Now you get it . Ebert also goes in a whole hypothesis of how islamic fundamentalist function on how they think they are doing the right thing even if everyone else sees it as wrong. I guess the next question is how much a person is willing to devote to god's command even if what hes seen doing is wrong. I like the debate the film sparks up

Another film that Dan recomended to me. The story of two brothers and a father with a heavenly vision, but has dad gone mad??? This one flew under the radar of most when it came out. An unexpectedly very good film that I didnt see coming. If you havent seen it,,, please do, you wont be disappointed.

Nonono, I got that part when I saw the film...

Thing is just that this basically justifies what all those fanatics are doing...

Terrifically atmospheric and solidly scripted, with a twist that actually makes sense. Paxton shows some real talent behind the camera.

This is a superb, underrated horror film. Paxton did a terrific job behind the camera and the main young actor is just great. Really loved this one. Great twist. Just picked up the Blu-ray from Wal-Mart for only $6 the other day.

One of my favorites of 2001.

A-

Frailty

This is a creepy if not-so-unpredictable film, but still surprised to see its director as Bill Paxton, and he also gives a great performance as a brainwashed single parent. I had to finally get around to it in my bid to catch all of McConaughey's films, and I'm glad I did. It is told in flashbacks, which is an undervalued style that is still very effective. The final twist isn't exactly a totem wobble but it is decent enough, though it doesn't maximise its potential with regards to delivery and music.

B+

I have a hard time swallowing this. Just because someone is a bad person, doesn't mean they should be kidnapped, taken to a basement, killed with an axe and buried. I get that in movie world it's always an "eye for an eye", but McConaughey and Paxton were still the bad guys, and they were still doing the wrong thing, regardless of who their victims were. The film didn't sell me on the idea that McConaughey and Paxton were actually in the right. When the credits rolled, I still saw McConaughey as the villain. A twisted, cold, calculated villain. But then, I don't believe in God.

I am a fan of this film. Bill Paxton nails the Southern Gothic atmosphere and the evolution of the family dynamic from warm and nostalgic to menacing. The overall picture plays as a great Stephen King adaptation, just one not based on any particular King text. Hearts in Atlantis, for instance, wishes it was this compelling and soundly constructed.

Paxton's second film as a director, The Greatest Game Ever Played, is also solid. It stays within the sandbox of inspirational, Disney-financed sports films, but it has a persuasive aura of period authenticity, never becomes goofy, and includes a great supporting performance by Stephen Dillane as golfer Harry Vardon.

The biggest surprise for me came about a minute into the film ... "Directed by Bill Paxton". I honestly did not know he was a director at all, or maybe I did and just completely forgot. He did a fine job here. I'd like to watch his second film but, my God, "inspirational, Disney-financed sports film" doesn't sell it at all.

Just in the vein of Invincible, Miracle, Remember the Titans. Nothing painful.

I haven't seen any of those. I tend to avoid that type of film. I only watched Frailty because you recommended it (though I cannot seem to find where you did).

Miracle is a very good film and features one of Kurt Russell's finest performances in the last 15 years.