Tusk
Where did this dark streak come from in Kevin Smith? The last two films of his are “Red State” and “Tusk,” and in tone and purpose, they are as far removed from “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” as one can imagine. Has the critical drubbing he’s taken since “Jersey Girl” taken him to a dark place? (Come on, we all liked “Clerks II,” Kevin.) Or, are we just watching a filmmaker spread his wings? Whatever it is, I’m kind of digging it, even when I can’t help but say, “What the fuck?”
I can get why people didn’t like “Red State”– the initial subject of the film (a cult not unlike the Westboro Baptist Church) –was pretty easy, and having the film switch into a Waco-like standoff seemed like a bit of an unnecessary move. I still liked the film as a change of pace from Smith, although I do look forward to his return to comedy soon. And believe me, I can definitely understand why people, perhaps some of the same ones who didn’t like “Red State,” wouldn’t like “Tusk,” as well. This is deeply deranged stuff, but it’s impossible not to keep watching it. Bare in mind, though: this is a troubling film. Very good, but troubling, and not for the faint of heart.
The film is based on one of Smith’s podcasts, and stars Justin Long as Wallace, a successful web personality along with his partner, Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), who broadcasts the Not-See Podcast (say it out loud). One day, he is sent a viral video of a kid in Canada who inadvertently chops off his own leg with a katana sword. Wallace has to meet this kid, so he arranges an interview for the podcast, and flies up to Canada, only to find that the kid has died. About to go home, he comes across a peculiar letter in a men’s room that leads him to the house of Howard Howe (Michael Parks), and his destiny, which is where the twisted part of the film comes into play.
From there, Kevin Smith takes us to a truly bizarre place, and it’s there when any expectations about what the film was going to be went out the window with me. I thought this might be a horror film-as-morality tale a la “Red State,” but no; the film is simply a horror film, which will eventually entangle Teddy and Ally (Wallace’s girlfriend, played by Genesis Rodriguez) when they don’t hear from him. Teddy and Ally’s involvement leads to one of the biggest surprises, and most inspired pieces of stunt casting, in recent memory, which I will not reveal here. Nor will you be hearing about anything involved with the surreal direction the film takes in it’s second and third acts, which are alternately hilarious and horrifying. What I will discuss is how Smith has made his most cogent, well-told film since “Clerks II,” and feels like he’s ready to return to being a smart, albeit profane, cinematic storyteller rather than just an internet personality who has a lot of beefs to air. He gets fine performances about all of his actors (could this lead to Haley Joel Osment’s second act?), but especially Parks stands out with his absurd, over-the-top performance. What transpires on-screen few people could genuinely see coming, but Kevin Smith finding new energy as a director? That’s probably the biggest surprise of all.
