Thursday, September 15, 2016

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: MORGAN



The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 
on MORGAN (2016, 92 minutes, R)


MORGAN is the launch of Luke Scott’s directing career on the silver screen.  Yes, that last name should look familiar, because he is the son of Ridley Scott.  And, it is also writer Seth W. Owen’s venture into larger budget films.


It’s intriguing to me how this movie reflects a particular perception and/or acceptance I hold of new writers’ stories.  MORGAN is a decent film, nothing spectacular, but worth the watch even if being a retold story.  It has more of a philosophical twist with how I personally view allowable common plots to still pass as suitable material as a writer is trying to grow.  To show you, this movie has been done before – a boy/girl/entity has been created and housed to see what becomes of the experiment; I.E. EX MACHINA, SPECIES, SPLICE, A.I., BICENTENNIAL MAN, etc…  I find that telling a story, even if closely paralleling another, still needs to be told.  Most editors will squeal and squirm from such a statement, but I find a writer needs that release.  I’m okay with that.


MORGAN will not break any box office records or garner notoriety for anyone involved in the project, but the story needed to be told.  The acting was on par with major projects so no complaints there.  Kate Mara (of THE MARTIAN, 127 HOURS, SHOOTER, IRON MAN 2) does an excellent job and is the central viewpoint.  Young actor Anya Taylor-Joy (of THE WITCH) is decent and was challenged to reflect emotions and emotional responses far above most roles.  You learn this through the psychological evaluation scene.  The subtlety of her progression in the responses, the core understanding of her intellectual level to respond in kind as a reflection of the expected responses rather than the expected empathy makes for a tough scene.  This does give credit to Scott to be able to capture all of that through the lens and her to carry the sense of realism throughout. 


Even though this one does not sit high on my ‘must watch list for 2016’, I recommend the film to all aspiring writers and directors to learn from.  You get to see what support from producers and third party talent can do for a film that is not anticipated to be a competitor for the summer blockbusters, but a vehicle for future projects. 

Grade: B-

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