Starring: Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley Mcfarland.
Director: James Wan.
It's weird to me that The Conjuring is so contentious online. There are people who hail it as a modern classic and others who find it to basically be excrement and not a lot in between. I, like with most things, find myself in that middle ground. While my opinion of it isn't quite at the instant classic level, it's still a very positive one. I remember seeing it in a fairly packed theater with an audience that was very much into it-yelling a lot of stuff at the screen, jumping and screaming-and thinking to myself that it was surprisingly good. However, I was as into it on repeat viewings, which led me to think that its primary effect was to be a great scary theater going experience and not so much a work of greatness that stands up to later viewings(as in, it only fully works when you don't know what's going to happen-Wan's other highly successful work Insidious suffered a bit of the same problem-and sort of limps when you already do).
It has some great moments, though, I do remember that much even with repeat viewings. I do struggle with some elements-it's hard to take a movie seriously when it presents The Warrens as anything but con-artists, after all-but there's enough scary stuff to make it interesting.
The primary cast is top-notch. I never know quite what to make of Patrick Wilson most of the time-he is sort of bland, but that actually kind of works for him in some ways because he can basically be damn near anything-but he works well here. I positively adore Vera Farminga and am so thrilled to see her success on Bates Motel (which is really good, by the way, and Farminga is to die for in it). Lili Taylor is a veteran of the game and a fantastic actress as well.
I once read an article (or maybe a review...maybe even for The Conjuring) that made the statement that director James Wan went from a hack to a horror legend over time and now strange that was. I agree with that sentiment. I'm not a fan of Saw or Dead Silence-particularly the latter-but came around with the highly entertaining Insidious. The Conjuring takes what Insidious brought-a wonderful pastiche of horror film tropes used with a gleeful amount of knowledge and fun, and a level of self-awareness that doesn't get enamored with itself-and added some interesting throwback style into the mix. I mean, the scare chords are very arch and gothic-again, it's that awareness of classic tropes being used to have some fun instead of to fall in love with itself-and a lot of the camerawork calls attention to the seventies in ways the costumes and technology can't.
The opening scenes, involving Annabelle the doll and apparent franchise stand out, are well done and suitably creepy even though they don't really accomplish much in the narrative. It does set things up tonally, though: some early weirdness and scary stuff in a way that is reminiscent of urban legend scary stories, like the stories you and your friends might share in the middle of the night.
Other than Annabelle, the movie is mostly a collection of haunted house tropes: dog dies, clocks stop, weird noises and the like. I wonder if maybe that's where so many of the detractors get their opinion from: the movie smartly deploys traditonal tropes and, as such, is seen as cliche or hackneyed. It wouldn't surprise me to find that people were adopting that mentality. I don't think it's warranted here, though: Wan and his cohorts are far too aware of what they're doing to be hackneyed. Plus, most of the major stuff throughout the film doesn't sit as nicely in that category, really. The set-up certainly plays with those things, but I feel like they're cast aside when the plot takes a different switch.
There is some smart suspense devices used in this film, though, and most of it plays entirely on audience expectations. Sure, the cynics might bitch about them being "jump scares" (because they apparently forgot what suspense is supposed to do), but little things like the kid telling Lili Taylor to use the music box and she'll see her new imaginary friend in the mirror. Taylor uses the box, sound drops out, we get on edge and then the Daughter makes a loud noise. It's a good, well-handled jump scare. They then follow up with an undeniably creepy game of "Clap" where something leads Taylor right up to the wardrobe. Good stuff.
A lot of the scares are very subversive, too. I think one of my favorite scares(maybe ever, really, it's such an effective one) involves damn near nothing happening: it's just misdirection. The girl wakes up, hearing noises. She looks under the bed. Sound drops out. We see nothing. She sees the door move slightly. She wakes up her sister, staring at the black expanse behind the door. The sister stands in front of the door...the girl in bed says "It's standing right behind you" and...nothing. Door slams. It's a great scare.
Wan really does know good suspense, actually. The use of buildup is really strongly handled here. Taylor walking through the house, hears giggles, has a ball tossed to her (so simple!) and then lights a match at the top of the stairs. Normally film rhythm works in rules of three: so she'd have one match, match goes out, new match, match goes out, and the scare happens with the third match. But here, Wan does it on the second. I know people have joked about the clapping ghost, but it worked for me. Actually, right after that, he subverts normal rhythm again: we have one sister sees something the other sister doesn't except, as in the previous scene in the bedroom, the creepy thing shows up and attacks. It's done a few times, actually: we revisit the music box, too. It works. I'd actually say that the second act of this film is pretty top notch...and that's usually the weak part in most films (the first act build and the third act resolution always take priority, and the second act is left to plod along).
The Warrens are both a blessing and a curse. I've talked at length about other possession films and how the role of exposition-spouting paranormal expert is a pretty tough one to handle. Farminga and Wilson do well enough with it, even when the dialogue is a little cringe-worthy. Wilson as Ed Warren occasionally even seems phoney(which might be intentional), especially when he kind of leads the Perrons' answers. I feel like there's a screenwriting disconnect going on with The Warrens, too: the film can't seem to decide if it's about the Perrons or the Warrens. Why are we meeting The Warrens' daughter, really? To show what's at stake for them? That doesn't entirely track. So, maybe it's about them, which relegates the role of The Perrons as little more than plot devices...which isn't the strongest position to take. That being said, all of the characters are pretty well established and fleshed out, even if their general importance tends to waver. I'm not sure Farminga and Wilson has a lot of chemistry, either, and that doesn't do anybody any favors. Farminga is so naturally likeable, though, that definitely bolsters Wilsons' side of the performance.
I suppose the worst thing that could be said about The Conjuring, and it's the same story with Insidious for that matter, is that a cynic could say "I liked it better when it was Poltergeist." You wouldn't be entirely wrong to say that, either-I've said it, but mostly in jest, because I do like those movies-it just isn't the whole story. There are similarities-too many to ignore-but I feel like there is enough to distinguish them from one another. Style and performance choices do count for something, after all...and, honestly, if you want to go down that road, all stories are basically derived from the same handful of sources anyway. Each horror subgenre probably does, at it's core, have one major movie that all others spawn from.
There is a pretty good possession/exorcism sequence at the end of this movie. Taylor does some great work, and brings a lot of intensity to the scene. Actually, all of the central actors do good work in keeping things very lively and energetic. I wouldn't have minded a moment for Roger to say "Hey, Warrens? My Wife is possessed and dying, now is not the time for you to have arguments about your value to one another." Roger could use something to do in general, really, besides look worried.
I expect a text denouement detailing how much therapy for The Perrons cost.
One of the more interesting things about The Conjuring is that nobody dies. It's so rare: just a full amount of scary scenes and weird demonic activity without any murder sequences. It's just neat is all. There's a really stylish and fascinating end credits, too.
In closing, I stand by my original remarks. While it's not a horror classic, and doesn't quite stand up to subsequent viewings, it's still a very watchable and occasionally smart, scary little horror flick.
Final Rating: Three and a half stars.
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