To See Or Not To See: The Wicker Man

Don’t waste your time.

By Jan Stetter
QCFMag.com

The Wicker Man is a remake of a 1975 British film starring Edward Woodward. This version stars Nicholas Cage.

One can only ask the question: Why? Why did he do it? Why did he risk everything he has worked for to be thrown away by one poor choice?

No, I’m not talking about Cages’ character pursuing a little girl who may have been abducted. Nor am I talking about said character playing a sheriff who is contacted by his former lover who jilted him ten years before. And I am certainly not talking about the implausible storyline taking place on an obscure undocumented island inhabited by a community of female Walking She Zombies.

Why? Why did Nicholas Cage agree to play the lead character in this pitiful offering suggested as entertainment? Nicholas Cage has established his versatility in his craft. He had pitch perfect timing as a comedic actor in Lost in Paradise and Moonstruck. In Family Man he shows his ability to play average Joe American. In Face/Off he showed his creepy side. In ConAir he flexed his muscles. In The Wicker Man he shows his stupidity. Halfway through the movie the thought occurred that perhaps Cage is actually delusional; the same as all the characters in this movie. Because the film lacked credibility,Cage’s performance lacked credibility as well.

What is surprising is that Cage is joined by a very credible cast of actresses who spend the entire movie piecing together a ludicrous story. Leelee Sobieski, Diane Delano and Frances Conroy play loyal members of a unique sisterhood. Ellyn Bernstein plays the head mistress of followers who conspire to create a community of female dominance where men’s value is merely for grunt work and procreation.

Even that premise would have been interesting to explore. Imagine a society where men are viewed as baby maker objects and looked upon as unable to make high ranking decisions for the good of all. That possibility offered a glimmer of hope for this movie; a redeeming value. Alas that too, was fleeting as the potential to tell a thought provoking story never got off the ground.

Misguided searches and ominous dream sequences repeatedly filled the moments of bondage that kept me in my seat to see where this movie was going. It did not serve to frighten the movie goer, but to prolong the tedium of this film.

Having trouble making decisions about whether a movie is worth it? "To See or Not To See" reviews movies each week on Monday. Contact jans@queencityforum.com