The Voices * * *

This film makes more sense when you learn about the director, even though that shouldn’t really be a prerequisite for appreciating a film.

But after seeing it you probably will want to know more - or you might want to know less, about who’s behind this..  

It depends on how you feel about a psychopath who cuts womens heads off and keeps them in his fridge.  He boxes up the rest of their bodies in take away food containers neatly stacked on the kitchen bench.

He blames his cat Mr Whiskers. The cat has got a Scottish accent and tells him to do these things. The cat is actually very funny “Where’s my f*cking dinner?” he says to Jerry as soon as he walks through the door. (Yep, that’s a cat for you).

Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) works in a factory in an American small to mid sized town.  They make baths, toilets and sinks.  He seems like a nice boy.  Some of the girls in the accounts area think so too.

Whilst dating one of the girls, Fiona (Gemma Arterton) he commits his first murder. It’s a bit of an accident.  But he panics, takes the body home and on Mr.Whiskers advice decapitates it and puts the head in the fridge. Fiona’s head still talks to him and seems to be quite forgiving. But she is lonely so Jerry decides to do the right thing and kill another girl and decapitate her to keep Fiona’s head company.

Seeing that Lisa from accounts (Anna Kendrick) is crazy about him Jerry decides she’d be easy picking.  The trouble is after the first date,he really likes her too. There is a touching warmth and openness to their friendship. Such a lovely young couple falling in love. You can’t believe he is going to cross the line.

Jerry also has a dog - Bosco.  The dog is a lot more level headed and pragmatic. He advises Jerry to go to the police and fess up.

Jerry is on medication and seeing a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver).  She is particularly concerned about Jerry keeping up his medication. But when he does he sees reality.  His animal’s no longer talk to him and he realises his apartment is a blood splattered stinking hell hole.  Then he starts getting flashbacks of the horror and brutality of his childhood. As disturbing as these scenes are, they explain a lot and make us care for Jerry.

Although there are body parts and blood everywhere it’s not really that hard to watch.  Rather like an episode of the popular TV series, Dexter.

I believe most Australian distributors have turned it down. (A fair few overseas ones have too).  I think it’s gone straight to DVD,so you’ll be able to pick it up soon if you’re interested.

So, back to the director. Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian who saw the brutal changes to her country in her childhood.  She has actually documented this in another film Persopolis.  She is an artist and is not afraid of pushing boundaries.  This is her first American based and funded film. She’s copped a bit of flack over it, and looking at it from one perspective I can understand why: should we be invited to giggle as a man kills innocent women and chops them up?  Though it must be acknowledged she didn’t write the screenplay.

But the film gives us interesting characters and the disturbing spectre of serial killing in a quiet friendly town. “You’d never think a thing like that could happen here”.

No you wouldn’t.

The problem with Jerry is that you actually like him and understand that he probably doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He’s just a bit messed up in his own head causing him to take other people's heads off.

The Voices kind of messes with your head too as you’re watching it.  
I’m glad the talking animals were there to give comic relief.