May (****):
May opens with the title character screaming, she's holding her eye, and there's blood coming out of it. Once you get past this 5 second scene, you realize that this movie isn't going to be your average type of horror flick. May isn't really a horror flick though, not in my eyes at least. This is a character study, one about a person's descent into madness and insanity. It begins innocently enough, and there are some laughs to be had during the short 90 minute run-time. However, the last 30 minutes detail May's insanity, and there are some chills to be had. I was intrigued the entire way through. This movie grabs you by its hooks, and doesn't let go until the final, creepy frame. One website I was at put this movie as "A modern retelling of Frankenstein," and that is basically a good way to sum up this movie.
The acting is perfect all around. Angela Bettis as May is excellent, and she really manages to portray May's emotions. She's able to be sweet, at times, and yet she has a very dark side. Jeremy Sisto is spot-on as May's love interest, and Anna Faris is great as May's lesbian co-worker. Each character in this film is believable, and with their acting, we really can believe that there are people out there, like May, in our world.
At the end, in those final five minutes, I felt so sorry for May. As it turns out, May is a person who grew up without any friends, and a lazy eye. The only 'friend' she's ever had is this weird-looking doll, Suzy, whom she talks to. Thankfully, the doll never came to life or did something stupid, as I was expecting it too. Instead, it was just there, and in a way, it represented May. Towards the end, the doll's case starts to crack, and when it finally breaks, May goes insane.
For a first-time director, this is an extremely well-made, well-shot film. There's a lot of creepy lighting, weird camera angles, and some nice sequences. The part where May's on the phone, and the doll's glass keeps on cracking was well-shot, especially since the camera kept moving from May, to the doll, back to May. The script was also written by him, and that was well-written, too. Since the last half-hour's set up as a horror film, there is quite a bit of gore in this. I was never truly grossed out, but I must say that the camera doesn't shy away from anything. There's a slit throat, and I have to say that it was done very realistically. If you're squeamish, don't watch this. Those last 30 minutes are quite creepy...
Anyway, this is a great flick. I would've really enjoyed seeing this one in theaters, but it got a very limited release, so I had to shell out mucho bucks ($24.99, to be exact) for this hard-to-find DVD. It was worth it. This is better than some of the movies I've seen this year, and it was very unique. This is worth a rental, if you haven't seen it, so you might want to consider doing that...You might like it.
"I love your hands..."
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