In case you’re not familiar with gimmicks that film-makers use, here’s a perfect example. Winged Creatures kicks off with parts of a big murder scene in some diner. And you don’t see the end of this ’till the end of the movie, so it kinda makes you watch it. This style of storytelling can be very effective sometimes and here it was up to the task. Despite the slower pacing, the story is engaging enough to keep you watching. The most important thing about it are the characters and how their lives go on after the shootout. Depending on this, you will either find the movie a bit boring or an intriguing movie about a bunch of characters and their reactions.
We follow them in the aftermath of this horrific event and how they’re dealing with grief, stress, and the very fact they could’ve been dead now. This is a difficult thing to do if you’ve been living the vanilla American life, disassociated from your true personality. Luckily, Winged Creatures does not preach or offer solutions but just sets up the conundrum for you to think about.
It is an ordinary day in the great United States of America. The birds are singing, people are going to and from work and some of them are hungrily waiting for their food in a diner. Out of nowhere, a crazed gunman appears and starts shooting everywhere. Chaos ensues and people start dying. Hidden under the tables, survivors are wondering are they going to remain alive, not aware that their lives will be changed forever. There have more important things on their minds…
Excellent cast, especially Forest Whitaker and Dakota Fanning, who carried this movie along with Guy Pierce to a pretty decent level. I wonder if that little girl does anything else in her life besides movies, she’s filming like 5 movies a month… Anywhoo, classic storytelling of separate lives of the characters and how they intersect, but unlike other movies, this one takes a slow ride through the lives of characters. Personally, Forest Whitaker’s performance just blew me away, as usual. They keep feeding him this kind of role, and he will soon become my favorite actor alongside Guy Pierce.
If you’ve seen Babel, Crash, or other movies with this type of storytelling you know what to expect. And let us not forget Kate Beckinsale, this time with no vampires and werewolves to fight. Winged Creatures is not a cheerful movie. It’s a movie about urban life that now carries with it risks that were pretty rare some decades ago. And while people are finding their usual suspects the cycle of violence continues, leaving hundreds of people traumatized for life. But, Satan forbid, we think about ourselves, our society, ideology, and ultimately the system of values we live in. It’s better just to think this won’t be you. And this is why this movie should be seen.
Finally, I just have to recommend In a Better World AKA Hævnen, a phenomenal movie that you simply must check out. Enjoy.
Director: Rowan Woods
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Forest Whitaker, Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Josh Hutcherson, Jackie Earle Haley
Fun Stuff: Dakota Fanning was apparently difficult to work with, and director ended up cutting many of her scenes. I guess spoiled brat syndrome is emerging here and Dakota may end up like other kiddie stars
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948547
