Tobin Bell

*SPOILERS

This is kind of lengthy, but it's my opinion as to why this movie had the effects it did on the viewers. I would really appreciate some feedback and/or opinions on what you think. (:

I think that it was brilliant to cast Tobin Bell as a persistent character in the film. Saw I-III (and possibly IV)
had already become box office hits when this movie was released. Bell was already infamous for being the creepy "Jigsaw" voice. And this provided the film with a dark, eerie tone from the very beginning of the movie up until the end. Even in the group therapy sessions and when Bell is speaking alone with Laura, the fact that it's that deep, unsettling voice of his gives even the scenes not intended to be scary an uneasy sense while watching.

The writers knew this and used it to their advantage for the overall tone of the film. Throughout the film
they drop little hints or facts suggesting it could possibly be Bell who is responsible for the sudden
killings. (Although at the end we find out he in fact had nothing to do with them).Not to mention he was the main doctor who happened to have access to anywhere in the facility he wanted to go. But I believe that even if there had been no prior mentions of Bell's character in a negative or suggestive way, a lot of viewers would still have had similar beliefs as to his agenda in the movie.

The idea of casting a particular person for a main role based heavily on who his character was in another
popular series is rather risky and not always successful. But I believe that Tobin Bell's performance in
B2 is what made the movie as good as it was. Having that constant unsettling uncertainty about
what is actually going on behind the murders, and the constant struggle to get over how similar Bell's voice is to Jigsaw's, while trying to look at him in a different light in B2, messes with your mind quite a bit.
So even though there were plenty of other characters who would have had motive to do the murders, Laura for example, and the fact that the film is in fact about the Boogeyman, who is, to the audience's knowledge, the force that is actually behind this. I still found it hard to watch the movie without getting those weird vibes from Bell's character and have the feeling that he was evil and somehow a part of it all.

I guess some roles just stick with you if portrayed to such an excellent level. Regardless, I enjoyed the brain teasers and unsureness this film provided. (:

Anyone agree? disagree?