Top 15 of the 2000s: #12

It's not an easy task to balance entertainment value with the Ick Factor. When the subject matter at hand has the potential to creep out the audience to the point where they just want to get out of the theater, one has to be careful. Today's entry is an example of how to balance ick with entertainment. It is a look into the twisted mind of a man fighting against excessive censorship by publishing some of the most lewd, sexually perverse texts ever written. But despite the central character's unnerving mind, the film in question never goes overboard in its exploration, and presents us with an informative portrait of its protagonist (if he can be called that) without creeping us out so much that we feel nauseous while watching it. The film I'm talking about is...





#12. "Quills" (2000) by Philip Kaufman: A movie about part of the life of the Marquis de Sade...not exactly something most people would rush out to the theater to see. Yet Kaufman's film, highlighted by a stunning lead performance by Geoffrey Rush, is a film that deserves to be seen, for giving us the portrait of a disturbing individual, without disturbing the audience too deeply. It opens with the execution of a young woman. From a window up above, the Marquis looks on, the slightest look of erotic pleasure etched in his face. It's a simple but effective intro to the rebellious man we're going to get to know over the course of the film. Rush is at his best here, blowing his Oscar-winning turn in "Shine" (1996) out of the water. He is demented, sly, perverted, and filled with a delicious black wit, that provides several surprising moments of dark humor. When he starts playing mind games with Abbe dul Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix) and even hints at trying to seduce him, Rush, although not handsome by any means, manages to be eerily alluring and mesmerizing, even as he stands before the Abbe with his pale lumpy form totally exposed. Phoenix, Winslet, and Michael Caine are also strong in their respective roles as the well-intentioned Abbe, the mischievous maid, and the prudish doctor, but at its core, this is Rush's show, and Kaufman and crew couldn't have had a better leading man to work with. But what's also impressive about "Quills" is its pacing and storytelling. The events are set almost entirely within extremely confined settings, and yet the story never feels limited or stagey (the film is adapted from Doug Wright's play of the same name), because of Kaufman and cinematographer Rogier Stoffers' wise choices to include well timed shots of hallways, and the occasional wide shot of a room, giving the confines of the mental institution a greater sense of space. Adding to the overall atmosphere are the production values and Steven Warbeck's deliciously strange score, which alternates between low-key seduction with violins and cellos and eerie unnerving clacking sounds. "Quills" is also worth recognizing for its achievement in editing. It's not entirely true, but there is a stereotype that period pieces tend to be sluggishly paced, but such is not the case here. The film clips along beautifully, never feeling rushed, and always keeping the audience interested to see where the story is going next. Kaufman's film, elevated by Rush's towering work has managed to retain its impact as a wickedly fascinating treat the beautifully weaves between disturbing character study and pitch-black comedy, and manages to turn de Sade into a character who's worth rooting for. Well...almost.

Final Grade: A

Best Performance: Geoffrey Rush

Best Scene: The Marquis tries to seduce the Abbe. I couldn't find the clip; here's the trailer to make up for it.