{"id":296,"date":"2018-04-10T23:40:34","date_gmt":"2018-04-10T23:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=296"},"modified":"2018-04-10T23:40:34","modified_gmt":"2018-04-10T23:40:34","slug":"a-quiet-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=296","title":{"rendered":"A Quiet Place"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> There is but one rule in John Krasinski\u2019s brilliant and startling new horror-ish flick \u201cA Quiet Place.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s symbolized by a stoic look that’s accompanied by an index finger, extended vertically and pressed softly and to one\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t. Make. A sound.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a simple rule, really. And in this unsettling setting it absolutely is the difference between life and death, because \u2013 as the film\u2019s tagline warns \u2013 \u201cif they hear you, they hunt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cthey\u201d being referenced are relentless creatures about which little is known. But what the Abbott family does<\/em> know \u2013 and what we discover upon scanning several newspaper headlines \u2013 is that these creatures are aggressively drawn toward sound.<\/p>\n

Their attacks are swift and scary and non-discriminatory; the only relief is in knowing that death is immediate, which clearly is established in alarming fashion on \u201cDay 89,\u201d even before the film\u2019s title appears onscreen.<\/p>\n

Holy shhhhhhhhhh<\/em>(it)!<\/p>\n

This unexpected sequence is a jaw-dropper for sure, and it sensibly sets the tone for the level of importance with which silence is necessary.<\/p>\n

For the most part the Abbotts \u2013 including dad, Lee (Krasinski); mom, Evelyn (Emily Blunt, Krasinski\u2019s real-life wife); daughter, Regan (the spectacular Millicent Simmonds); and son, Marcus (Noah Jupe; loved this kid in last year\u2019s \u201cWonder\u201d<\/a>) \u2013 carry on about their lives in a manner so quiet a church mouse would be proud.<\/p>\n

They communicate via sign language. They walk barefoot, outdoors across a path of soft, white sand; and indoors by carefully stepping on pre-determined, marked areas to avoid creaky floor boards. The kids play Monopoly, mindful of the need to roll the dice on an area rug and move their cloth game pieces along the board so as not to make a peep.<\/p>\n

But you know things cannot and will not be this quiet forever. I mean, otherwise there\u2019d be no movie. Right?<\/p>\n

Krasinski, probably best known as the smart-aleck, poker-faced practical joker Jim Halpert from NBC\u2019s \u201cThe Office,\u201d cranks up the serious meter here and does so<\/em> much with so<\/em> little.<\/p>\n

The cast list? In the single digits.<\/p>\n

The dialogue? Damn near non-existent, and the few lines that are spoken wouldn\u2019t even fill a page of script.<\/p>\n

Because of that, everything hinges on the visuals. It\u2019s so important that the camera work and performances not only tell this story but carry the action and express the emotion necessary to tell it well.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where \u201cA Quiet Place\u201d really<\/em> makes a statement \u2013 loud and clear.<\/p>\n

Krasinski\u2019s lens poetically mimics the flow and intensity of the action. Those slow tracking and panning shots mirror the careful movements of the characters and make it seem like the camera is tip-toeing, too \u2013 cautiously capturing the images without disruption or sound.<\/p>\n

But then that panicked music kicks in, lending a pulsating heartbeat to select scenes as those subsequent quick edits effectively increase the pace of the action to match the film\u2019s ferocity.<\/p>\n

And ohhhh boy<\/em> is it intense!<\/p>\n

Is that the movie \u2013 or my heart about to beat right out of my chest??<\/p>\n

I was impressed at how peripheral sounds differed depending on from which character\u2019s perspective we were listening. It\u2019s very subtle, but it\u2019s such a smart way to further pull us into this narrative and connect us with the individual players.<\/p>\n

This story is riveting and unique, and those tight shots make every<\/em> scene unnerving as hell. Humans inherently want to survive, and \u201cA Quiet Place\u201d pushes that instinct to the brink \u2013 time and time again.<\/p>\n

Because we\u2019re aware of the consequences, even just the anticipation of noise in any fashion will leave you holding your breath, or paralyzed with dread, or wincing in wait.<\/p>\n

I was pretty much a ball of anxiety throughout this entire movie \u2013 afraid to make a single damn sound. Anyone else?<\/p>\n

That a movie can have this<\/em> kind of effect on viewers is a triumph for the art of the cinema.<\/p>\n

This<\/em> is why we go to the movies: for the experience. We go to participate with the characters on screen \u2013 to hold<\/em> our collective breath, to be<\/em> afraid, to feel<\/em> the tension, to hope<\/em> for survival.<\/p>\n

And trust me, \u201cA Quiet Place\u201d will have you doing all<\/em> of that.<\/p>\n

Bravo, Mr. Krasinski. And thank you for the ride.<\/p>\n

You have just enjoyed the insights of Movie Addict Mel, a cinema dork and conversational writer. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@movieaddictmel<\/a>, and \u201clike\u201d her Facebook page\u00a0www.facebook.com\/movieaddictmel<\/a><\/em>. You also can email her at movieaddictmel@outlook.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n