Rating of
2/4
"Frailty" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 06/07/14
A man walks into the offices of the FBI and declares that he knows the identity of a high profile serial killer, and sets about convincing the sceptical agent in charge by recounting the events of his life. Until Matthew McConaghey's recent catharsis as to the quality of the projects he becomes involved with, his career was littered with turds but this is far from the worst offender. It's a supernatural thriller in which the childhood victim of a murderous religious zealot tells of how the life of his younger brother and he were turned upside down by their father's "holy mission" which sets the scene for an intriguing story. McConaghey makes a suitably intense and enigmatic lead and his verbal sparring with disbelieving Powers Boothe works well. Unfortunately Bill Paxton's inexperience behind the lens means the pacing is long-winded rather than atmospheric and there are a few instances where the film looks plain amateurish. But the biggest problem is its reliance on the proverbial and extremely obvious "twist ending" which totally undermines what could've been a powerful statement on how blind faith could cause a good man to commit evil deeds, instead making for a hokey X-File. Still, it's far from Matthew's worst moment and is worth a look if you're looking for an off-beat thriller with a supernatural flavour.
