8:00 PM, 19th March, 2005
Saw is the sort of film you might not want to know anything about before you watch it as its entertainment derives from its unpredictability. But if you are interested in the plot, basically two men wake up in a filthy bathroom. They don't know how they got there or why they're there but they have just hours to find a way out of the room by unscrambling a sequence of clues. This film has been compared to Se7en, particularly because of the dark, grainy way it's fashioned. As this is tonight's double feature you can see for yourselves.
The movie's only flaws are probably the dialogue and sometimes hammy performances - Cary Elwes is good at what he does, but he seems to be trying to channel the talents of a greater actor - and fails. The film also occasionally tries a bit too hard and some sections are perhaps unbelievable in hindsight. That said, Saw is a very entertaining, edge-of-theseat thriller that will frighten, shock, and disturb you all at once. If you're a queasy viewer, forget it. But if you're a daring viewer with an empty stomach then Saw is a guaranteed delight.
Tamara Lee
10:00 PM, 19th March, 2005
Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Lust. Envy. Wrath. These are the seven deadly sins and the rationale John Doe uses to slay his victims in this bloodcurdling thriller.
Retiring detective William Somerset (Freeman) is joined by his eager young replacement David Mills (Pitt) for his final week or work in which the two chase this serial killer. The case begins when an obese man is found dead after being forced to eat too much. Next they find a rich, high profile lawyer lying dead on the floor with the word 'greed' written beside him in his own blood. The story continues with more people being murdered in the most creatively brutal ways each for committing one of the seven deadly sins. While figuring out the murderer's pattern early on they are unable to track him down until he walks into the police station.
This is one of the most chilling, disturbing and thought provoking films around! Throughout the whole duration the film will keep you shocked, scared and a lot of the time deep in thought about the issues dragged out.
Richard Rowe