Frailty
For starters, this isn't a bad movie, and it's a fairly decent directing debut by Bill Paxton. The premise sparked my interest and I saw rave reviews all over the net. On the movie's website, it was given kudos by such directing gurus like James Cameron, Sam Raimi, and Stephen King. Maybe this built up my expectations a little too much. Regardless, on with the show....
The movie starts out with Matthew McConaughey's character waiting to talk to an FBI detective about a string of murders in a small Texas town. He says that he knows who did it, which piques the detective's curiosity, however he remains a bit skeptical of the whole situation. When pressed further, he says that his brother is the "God's Hand" killer. A little more conversation takes place, and to tell his story we are taken back to 1979 when he and his brother are told by their dad (Bill Paxton) that after being visited by an angel, they are to go on a mission to destroy demons. Too bad these demons look like regular people, but they will be shown to the family as the demons that they are.
The older brother thinks dad has gone crazy, while the younger goes along with the idea of being a "superhero". Soon thereafter, dad gets a list of demons to destroy, and goes for it with a vengeance. With kids by his side, he lays hands on those who he has captured so that their evil doings will be shown to the kids. After the first victim, the older brother is horrified, while the younger brother still goes along with the plan. The question remains, is dad a messenger of God, or simply a homicidal maniac luring his children into his madness?
Using flashback and present day scenes, Frailty weaves a good story. Unfortunately it's a bit predictable at times. Another little sticking point is the notion that God fearing people are unstable nutcases with an axe to grind (pun mildly intended). Pretty much anytime you see a movie with a Christian, they always gotta be some crazy kook, racist, or a wifebeater. We get it Hollywood, we're rubes...ugh. Anyway, I caught the cheapie afternoon show, so I don't feel too cheated out of five bucks. Maybe wait until it comes out on DVD and check it out.
