After the death of her father on her eighteenth birthday, India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) meets her charismatic Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode)- he uncle she never knew existed.  Her mother (Nicole Kidman) is drawn to Charlie, but soon India finds not everything is as it seems with Charlie as the mystery unfolds about whom he is and the truth might set her free or shatter her.  She is a strange teenager that gets straight As and doesn’t like anyone touching her and yet she undergoes a sexual awakening in a way as she grows into the woman she wants to be or the woman that her mother hopes she doesn’t become.

 

STOKER is an interesting film from Park Chan-wook (director of OLDBOY and LADY VENGEANCE) which has a screenplay from Wentworth Miller (the same guy who starred in PRISON BREAK).   It is a modern and more twisted remake of SHADOW OF A DOUBT in a way.   I can also see STOKER could easily be filmed in any language and the story would still come across.  India is the type of girl I would want for a daughter and the type of person I want to have my back, but I wouldn’t want to cross her.  Mia Wasikowska steals the movie as India where Park Chan-wook first makes her the strange teenager and transforms her into the beautiful noir fatale as she gives a better performance than she ever did as Alice in Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND.   Nicole Kidman is also good in this movie.  STOKER may take place in the modern day, but the production and costume design shows a noir or vintage look.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Three deleted scenes which consist of two extended scenes and one deleted scene.

 

Theatrical Behind-The-Scenes:

THE MAKING OF THE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED EDITION POSTER- a behind-the-scenes look at the artist sketching out the poster

DIRECTOR’S VISION- cast and crew praise the director’s vision and what he brought to the film to make it something more

MYSTERIOUS CHARACTERS- a brief featurette on the characters of STOKER

DESIGNING THE LOOK- a quick featurette on the production and costume design of STOKER

CREATING THE MUSIC- a look at the music of the film

 

Theatrical trailer and previews of other films including THE EAST.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: STOKER has an amazing performance from Mia Wasikowska in Park Chan-wook’s strange and yet entrancing noir which would work in any language.

 

This DVD review is (c)6-21-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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