THE TALL MAN

Cold Rock is a mining town in the state of Washington. Strange things happen in the town, children disappear, and legend has it that the blame lies with the Tall Man, a sinister presence that roams the houses at night to abduct children and take them into the woods. Julia Denning, the local doctor, does not believe in these superstitions, but one night she is awakened by strange noises coming from the living room and encounters a disturbing tall dark figure who has her son David with him. The woman rushes after the abductor, who loads the child into a van: for Julia, a terrible nightmare has just begun! Pascal Laugier is one of the leading names in modern French horror, known especially for the surprising "Martyrs," which caused quite a stir everywhere. Now Laugier is called upon to direct his first English-language film, an American production featuring a prominent name like Jessica Biel. It has been a while since the American debut of this director has been circulating in the air, between personal works (the shelved "Details") and classy assignments (the equally shelved—for now—remake of "Hellraiser"), Laugier finally made his way onto American soil with a film that is a sort of compromise between the two, with a tilt towards the personal work. According to the director, "The Children of Cold Rock" is a screenplay he had in his drawer since 2005, never presented because in his opinion it was imperfect, until he found that quid that led him to perfect some details and the courage to submit it to some production companies, which promptly promoted it. Thus comes "The Children of Cold Rock" ("The Tall Man" in the original), an intense and original thriller that manages to surprise on more than one occasion. What convinces most about this film is its ability to keep the viewer's attention constantly, managing to surprise with a series of plot twists and perspective changes that transform the film in progress. This also happened in "Martyrs," where the register was changed at least three times during the entire duration of the film, a rule promptly respected in "The Children of Cold Rock." The initial premise, which could associate this film with many others that have various boogeymen as antagonists, is soon overshadowed by the drama of a woman who loses her son in entirely mysterious circumstances. There is a legend in the town that seems like the classic story told to children to limit their desire for emancipation, but there is also the shadow of an ogre who perhaps does unspeakable things to the children. Obviously, the solution is as far from banal as possible and manages—also in terms of the aforementioned perspective changes and stylistic touch—to make this film particularly gripping and original. Then there is a thematic continuity with Laugier's previous films that confirms the authorial status of this director. In "Saint Ange," Laugier's feature debut, everything revolved around an orphanage undergoing renovation, the pregnant young cleaning woman, and the ghosts of the children who harmlessly haunted the place. In "The Children of Cold Rock," the child dimension is also explored, violated, maltreated, and rendered harmless, just as happened to the restless souls of the guests of Saint Ange. From "Martyrs" one perceives the holistic dimension of evil and a certain subtle criticism of bourgeois society, which by its very status has the power to pull the strings of the world, to shape society according to its dictates. In short, "The Children of Cold Rock" is a film that strikes, but it is also a film that, between one stroke of genius and another, presents some flaws that temper the viewer's enthusiasm. First of all, some inconsistencies in the behavior of the characters emerge, especially when the cards are revealed, showing the difficulty in justifying some screenplay choices for effect. Then the ending, however well-aimed and suggestive, has an excessive dilation with perhaps too many parentheses that diminish its effectiveness. Jessica Biel (also a producer of the film) is very good in the role of the protagonist, a courageous woman ready to fight for her principles; next to her is Jodelle Ferland, now a grown-up girl from many horrors ("Silent Hill"; "Seed"; "Case 39") here dealing with a disturbed character, a mute girl who lives in difficult conditions and desires to meet the Tall Man. In a supporting role is also Stephen McHattie ("Watchmen"; "Immortals"), who plays Lieutenant Dodd dealing with the case of the missing children. When a European director (often French) is called to direct a film in the United States, there is not much to be cheerful about... not everyone is named Alexandre Aja who with "The Hills Have Eyes" kept the red, white, and blue flag high, rather there are frequent cases where the results are insipid stews that taste of already seen. Just think of David Moreau and Xavier Palud who from "Them" move on to the remake of "The Eye," Eric Valette who after "Malefique" finds himself directing "One Missed Call," or Xavier Gens who from "Frontiers" goes to "Hitman: The Assassin." Laugier, on the other hand, does very well and with "The Children of Cold Rock" manages to carry forward a very personal discourse begun with "Martyrs" and with some references to "Saint Ange." In short, "The Children of Cold Rock" is a film by Pascal Laugier, this we can affirm without any doubt and with the exception of some lengthiness and screenplay imperfections, we find ourselves facing a good film that manages to capture the attention.