MANILA, Philippines?The themes and tone of Seth Gordon?s big-studio feature, ?Four Christmases,? and Juan Miguel Sevilla?s existentialist indie, ?Cul de Sac,? are poles apart, but the characters played by Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in the former and Sam Milby in the latter have something in common: They don?t like their families.
In ?Four Christmases,? Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon), a happily unmarried, well-off couple, refuse to share the holiday cheer with their divorced parents and their extended families.
So, every year, when the Christmas season comes, they invent stories that allow them to spend the holidays in exotic, far-off places, far from the annoying clutches of their crazy, dysfunctional families. This year, they?re off to Fiji.
Long holiday break
But, after a pesky fogbank cancels all outbound flights, they find themselves stranded in the San Francisco airport?and forced into visiting all four households on Christmas day! It?s easy to see why they?d rather spend the long holiday break in Guatemala, Burma, Timbuktu or the Arabian desert:
Vince?s dad, Howard (Robert Duvall), verbally humiliates him, while his wrestler brothers (Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw) pin him to the floor as Kate watches in horror. His mother, Paula (Sissy Spacek), lives with her new boyfriend?who used to be Vince?s best friend in high school!
Kate is just as ?lucky.? Her dad, Creighton (Jon Voight), is also estranged from her sex-starved mom, Marilyn (Mary Steenburgen), who reveals Kate?s obese, lesbian-leaning past to Vince. What a wacky bunch!
On paper, the film?s twists and turns seem like a lot of fun, and it helps that director Gordon keeps his narrative moving briskly from one plot to the next.
Unfortunately, he fails to utilize the comedic skills of the 5?1? tall Witherspoon, who looks ill-at-ease beside the 6?5? Vaughn, whose physical comedy overpowers the actress? witty, but more subdued humor.
But, the problem here goes beyond height difference or acting styles: Fact is, the couple doesn?t have much chemistry. When they say they don?t want a commitment, you better believe them! It doesn?t help that many of the sight gags and verbal banter aren?t as funny as they should be. Moreover, the year-after epilogue feels forced.
Promising premise
So, when Gordon?s fast-paced, Christmas rom-com (thankfully) comes to a close, you wonder how its creators have managed to turn a promising premise into a rather cheerless holiday confection?and why it feels much longer than its 86-minute running time. Yes, everybody needs a breather from all the economic doom-and-gloom?but you surely don?t get that from half-baked lesbian and fat-women jokes, violent bullying or an infant?s projectile vomiting.
Hero (Sam Milby), the call-center agent protagonist of Sevilla?s ?Cul de Sac,? also leads a joyless life: He is haunted by disturbing childhood memories of his mother (Chin Chin Gutierrez, in a dual role) getting battered by his abusive father.
After he witnesses the grisly murder of an officemate by a ?man in black,? he finds himself on the trail of the killer?and into the life of a beautiful but mysterious singer, Lyra (Gutierrez again), who?s also involved in an abusive relationship.
As secrets unravel, so does Hero?s boldness. But, as the cautionary saying goes: Curiosity kills the cat?and, in this case, felines aren?t the only ones exposed to unspeakable danger!
With great photography helping create the production?s gloomy atmosphere and eerie mood, Sevilla?s baffling existentialist tale reminds viewers of Ato Bautista?s ?Blackout? or Martin Cabrera?s ?Condo.? It bristles with intrigue and mystery as it dramatizes themes that tackle guilt, paranoia and its protagonist?s quest for redemption.
Loose ends
However, other than Milby?s character, this noirish production doesn?t care much for character development?which makes it hard for the movie?s characters to draw sympathy or involvement from viewers. The narrative?s loose ends may be part of the genre?s cinematic conceit, but they confuse rather than clarify.
Milby, who maintains a steady scowl all throughout the film, doesn?t say much, perhaps to help deflect attention from his inability to speak Tagalog fluently. His effort to do something different is admirable, however. Here, the matinee idol tries his best to inhabit his character?s dark and dour persona and, for the most part, he succeeds.
Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson, who plays Hero?s only friend, also does well, despite the fact that she?s required to deliver the script?s existentialist musings.
Unfortunately, if a movie comes up with more questions than answers, those nice- sounding lines can easily turn profound words into vacuous, idle thoughts.
