2012
Directed By Richard Bates Jr
Starring: AnnaLynne McCord, Richard Bart, Ariel Winter, Traci
Lords, Malcolm McDowell and John Waters
An awkward but intelligent teenage girl (McCord) obsessed
with blood, surgery and losing her virginity struggles to save her sister. I guess that sums up Richard Bates Jr.’s 2012
horror/comedy/mindfuck of a movie, but trust me when I say that it is far more
than that brief summary.
Excision has brilliant performances and style for any film
maker let alone a first time director. There
are images in this film that will stay with me for years to come. Bates takes shocking subject matter and
photographs it like a sunset or a spotted owl, the grotesque is treated with reverence
and awe. While that approach might have some people immediately crying torture
porn or blood porn or perhaps some other buzzword that’s used in lieu of actual
critical analysis, they would be flat out wrong. It’s that approach that allows
the viewer into the mind of our protagonist. At first these glimpses into Pauline’s
mind are played for comedic effect but as the film plays out we become more
aware of how deeply troubled our teenage lead truly is. This film feels very
deliberate and controlled. The pacing and mood shifts are all dealt with precision
and care. Early on it becomes clear that we are in the hands of a storyteller
who wants us to experience something unique. This is not a film that has style
simply for the sake of having style. While the film is beautifully shot the
look is always in service of the story.
The tone of this film shifts from fairly light to completely
nuts. The tonal shift is gradual and while we are given hints throughout the
film of how screwed up Pauline might be, like the people in her life we the
viewers of this film overlook her behavior and ignore all the warning signs. We
are shown what is clearly the behavior of someone in desperate need of psychological
treatment and tell ourselves that she is just quirky and we are thereby
complicit with her actions. We are held
responsible for one of the more troubling endings to a film that I have seen in
a long time. This is not an easy film to watch but I’m glad that I have seen it
and look forward to revisiting it in the near future.
Bates has a film scheduled for release later this year
called Suburban Gothic and I have a feeling he might be a director to keep an
eye on.
Excision is available on demand through Showtime and Starz
for rental or digital purchase through Amazon, Vudu, iTunes and YouTube and by subscription
service through Netflix
Looks like you might
have to rent this one. If you are lucky
enough to have a video store nearby chances are it’s a mom and pop operation so
do us all a favor and please support them.