The Hamiltons

I've always been a fan of the school of Independent Film-making, the products of which you all know as 'Indie' films. It's wonderful how an individual doesn't have to conform to the multifarious rules of Hollywood, the star tantrums, the budget hassles and most importantly the death of one's script by the scourge known as 'Commercialization.' Hence, an Indie film will always have a very strong script backing it...delightfully portrayed author-backed roles by actors who know how to raise the intellectual tone of the story while working the camera like never before. So now you know...I'm not all about books! I chanced upon this 2006 release at the local video library. The attendant assured me that the DVD was a 'Limited Edition 2007 Release' and as I picked up the seemingly innocent 'The Hamiltons'; I had no inkling of the kind of ride it could be. Let's face it: the DVD cover shows a grisly corpse montage and under 'Directed by' it says 'The Butcher Brothers'! Honestly! I thought it would be a feature on the lines of 'A Crash Course in Horror Film Cliches.' But I was wrong...so very wrong. 'The Hamiltons' tells the story of an ordinary American family or as much of a family as they can be after the mysterious deaths of the parents. All responsibility falls upon the capable shoulders of David (a very Stepford-esque Samuel Child) who more than rises to the occassion. Seemingly perfect he might be, but the same cannot be said of crazy, violent Wendell (a lupine Joseph McKelheer) and his bitchy twin Darlene (a noire Mackenzie Firgens). Also in the picture is Francis (Corey Knauf), the youngest of the lot and the most sensitive too. Lest I forget, there is also the malevolent secret that the family is to protect with their lives...for their lives. Suffice it to say, the Hamiltons are the perfect kind of neighbours, they are kind, respectful and also murderous but that can't be too much of a problem can it? Certainly not after they've killed and disemboweled you! If you think I've said too much about the story...think again for a chilling twist awaits you. The strengths of the film are many. The first of these are the performances. Take Samuel Child as an example...the way he keeps his hair, his gait, his smile all scream perfection...and scream is right! Even Joseph McKelheer delivers a credible performance with the physicality more apparent...there is the wolfish grin with a sadistic streak and a robust sexuality that has an animal-like quality to it. Mackenzie Firgens is delightful and really works the Goth thing very well...but one wishes there was more to her role. The best of the lot is Corey Knauf who really gets under the skin of his character...the adolescent pangs, the listless feeling of being suspended in a sort of limbo...it's all there. One can actually see the character grow. The second strength is the pacing. The film is a short one...86 mins to be precise...and this is advantageous because it prevents the film from dragging and so the narrative remains engaging and fresh (not frozen! You'll get the joke after watching the movie!). The third strength is the script and its execution. The movie draws a balance between a family drama and an all-out screamer and some of the metaphors it uses (which I cannot reveal for obvious reasons) are pure genius. The Butcher Brothers are as capable as they come...they may as well be The Gourmet Brothers! They've avoided falling to cliches and cheap thrills for the sake of shock value. There is minimal gore as a matter of fact...the directors draw an eeriness out of seemingly normal situations. A lot is kept concealed till the very end and this tweaks one imagination to do most of the work. The film is not particularly disturbing but some sequences have an enduring quality...they stay with you and often return to you in dreams. 'The Hamiltons' is not perfect and it's off-beat nature might not make many of you agree with this rave but seriously, do watch the film...it's to die for! (Note how I manage to succumb to cliches. All I need is a 'two thumbs up' to round this up!).

posted by ( m )