MovieChat Forums > The Living (2014) Discussion > Well done and grimly credible

Well done and grimly credible

posted 9 years ago by pmalt
5 replies | jump to latest

I liked the understated darkness of this movie; it had an authentic feel to it, and I like movies where people make plans with understandable intentions that go horribly awry, like Fargo. I did have a problem with the beater husband suddenly turning so saintly and almost new-age gentle. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality is of course a fact, but this guy turned into an absolute saint and there is no indication that he even had a psychopathic side at all. I'm afraid that the hired killer was in danger of stealing the whole show too. because he was far and away the most interesting character. I wanted to know more about him and hear more of his oddly sensible philosophizing.

[–] kinsayder 9 years ago

I did have a problem with the beater husband suddenly turning so saintly and almost new-age gentle. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality is of course a fact, but this guy turned into an absolute saint and there is no indication that he even had a psychopathic side at all.

The tension in the movie derives from the fact that our sympathy towards the husband is growing at the same time as the brother-in-law is becoming increasingly committed to the "contract". We would not be able to feel that sympathy if we were exposed to his psychopathic side.

Of course, the movie throws us a curveball near the end by showing us that our forgiveness (like the wife's) has been misplaced: the husband starts drinking again, and would probably soon be beating her again...

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mattavnlk 9 years ago

Spoilers:

That the diminutive, unarmed wife repeatedly attacks the burly, armed killer isn't believable. She does so merely because the plot requires her to be killed. I would expect her, instead, to cower in shock, to hide or to run.

I took that differently. She took off after him out of shock, but when he threatened her, she looked her dead husband and didn't want to live.

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[–] canyongirl60 9 years ago

I took it that way also, mattavnik, There were two death wishes late in the movie. The killer asked her if she wanted to die. She decided to keep on fighting the killer because she didn't want to go on without her husband. And the killer went ahead and killed her, making a quick decision for himself too. He spoke a lot about living with the aftermath being the hard part. He knew the brother would want to come and kill him, and I think he decided he was ready to go, after doing many murders, if the brother had the cojones to go through with it. That's why he was waiting for him, unarmed, and ready with a message to be passed to his own brother.

[–] blacknyellowsquid 9 years ago

yes I saw it that she wanted to die too. that's why she attacked him the second time. She didn't want to live without her husband. So it turned into the lion cub thing. This time the hired killer dude killed it/her.