Following the sudden, accidental death of her father, a young women is introduced to an uncle she was never told existed, and finds the resemblance striking.
The first English-speaking movie to come from Korean, cult director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Vengeance Trilogy) may lamentably prove to be the first lowball in his highly praised repertoire. While Stoker could be appreciated as a step forward for Chan-wook’s brand of direction, with haunting art direction (now called “Production Design”) and some unique cinematography, it is the story that weighs down this film to very near the bottom. Penned almost entirely by Wentworth Miller III – best known for his portrayal of Michael Scofield in FOX’s drama, “Prison Break” – it is clear that Miller’s writing should remain incarcerated; even for a Freshmen attempt, Miller shows little to no talent for storytelling. Miller’s original script for Stoker reportedly was declared one of the ‘10 best unproduced scripts around Hollywood' in 2010, but audiences will leave the theater with one question: WHY??? Citing heavy influence from Bram Stoker’s Dracula – its namesake – this script is far, FAR from classic.
One of the last films produced by Tony Scott (along with brother Ridley), it rises to speculation that the notable cast {Nicole Kidman, Mathew Goode, Mia Wasikowska} signed on solely for the purpose of working under the respectable Scott name. However, each actor gave less than their best. It remains the best reason to watch this film is the production design.
Stoker opens Friday, March 1st.
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