SPLIT: James McAvoy Steals The Show
M. Night Shyamalan has had a very strange career as a filmmaker. Making classics such as "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense", Shyamalan was considered to be an exciting up and coming filmmaker. But than he hit an extreme rough patch such as "After Earth" and "The Happening" which are both truly awful movies. Now comes "Split" which showcases an amazing performance by McAvoy but a seemingly mundane film other than his performance.
"Split" takes place as three girls get kidnapped by McAvoy who plays 24 different personalities (not all demonstrated on screen). And without giving away any spoilers that's most of the film, other than a few flashbacks, and a dull performance by Betty Buckley as McAvoy's therapist.
Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor Joy) is a really interesting character as she does bring a lot to the table as far as an acting performance. Previously in "The Witch" (one of the best movies of 2016) she conveys having a troubled past in a deeply convoluted way that highlights her character as we see excellent flashbacks that brings her back story together in a smart way. But this depth lacks anywhere else, as the two other girls get dialogue that is silly and unrealistic for the situation they find themselves in. It's unfortunate because we have an outstanding performance by McAvoy.
McAvoy plays an obviously tortured man and his performance is really terrific. A flick of the eye, a subtle grin, a harrowing daze are just some of the finer points of this incredible acting job. And as discussed before Betty Buckley plays the therapist to McAvoy, who finds herself in a very conflicting and boring part of the film, as she talks on and on about how special disorders make people. There's definitely an interesting plot somewhere in there but it's never fleshed out in a way that made it involving.
A lot of what makes Shyamalan terrific is almost non existent here. Sure, McAvoy pours his heart into the role and it's eerily good, but there is no super twist or intelligent dialogue. It's as basic as it sounds, which is not horrible but it's not great either and whether or not Shyamalan will continue down this path is a fascinating question on its own.
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