After 2016 Ryan Reynolds[1] will forever be known as the guy who got motor-mouth assassin Deadpool to the big screen, but let it not be said this is an actor with only one trick up his sleeve. In 2014 he played a different kind of killer in 'The Voices,' a film that switches from darkly funny to plain dark like putting on a pair of gloves. Of all people this movie was directed by French/Iranian director Marjane Satrapi[2], she of 'Pe rsepolis' fame. Then again it does make sense since 'The Voices is surprisingly animated for a story about a serial killer, and Satrapi even manages to sneak in a musical number in the last act.
Reynolds plays Jerry, a seemingly kind man who lives in small town America and works in the ground floor of a toilet factory where the forklifts are painted pink. Jerry is an affable guy who makes efforts to be sociable, such as organizing a company party and participating in a conga line. Yet beneath the friendly demeanor is a darkness that stems from a traumatic childhood experience involving Jerry's mother, requiring him to have weekly appointments with a psychiatrist (Jackie Weaver) and take pills on a daily basis. Imagine Norman Bates as a cast member of 'The Office' and you will get the idea.
When Jerry gets off his meds he sees life the way he wants to see it, bright and colorful, but it allows his demons to bubble up to the surface in the form of voices he believes are coming from his big dog Bosco and cat Mr. Whiskers. While Bosco sounds just like you would expect a talking dog to sound, Mr. Whiskers has a thick Scottish accent and a rather foul mouth. They also come off as the angel and devil version of Jerry, with the dog telling him to do the right thing while the cat encourages him to do evil.
At first by accident, Jerry starts to kill some his female co-workers, including Gemma Arterton[3] and Anna Kendrick[4], and in his delusion he believes their heads remain beautiful and are also talking to him. Clearly Jerry is one sandwich shy of a full picnic, but what is interesting is the internal struggle he is having with his actions. Talking to Bosco and Mr. Whiskers he wonders if he is truly evil while claiming to know the differenc e between right and wrong. There are moments when he blames Mr. Whiskers for his actions, but the fact Reynolds does the voices for both animals shows that at the end of the day this is all Jerry's doing with no outside influence. Of course he eventually starts to blame God, wondering why the All Mighty gave him such a horrible childhood and filled his head with voices, but those are questions beyond anyone's knowledge.
Despite the fact Jerry could easily be one of the hundreds of villains seen over the years on 'Criminal Minds,' he remains somewhat sympathetic throughout thanks to Reynolds' layered performance. Even his psychiatrist remains understanding of his situation once she learns the truth and fears for her life, because she knows he is mentally ill.
What is also surprising is how 'The Voices' manages to remain somewhat beautiful and upbeat despite the subject matter. Satrapi uses a very light color palette, which is abandoned only when Jerry's victims see him for what he is. It is as though this is a thriller disguising itself as a comedy. But then again, when we first see Jerry he is also in disguise.
('The Voices' is available on DVD and Blu-Ray and is streaming on Netflix.)
References
- ^ Ryan Reynolds (www.examiner.com)
- ^ Marjane Satrapi (www.examiner.com)
- ^ Gemma Arterton (www.examiner.com)
- ^ Anna Kendrick (www.examiner.com)
