Drool on the Frog

Friday, April 20, 2007

Willa's Flic Pic: Thr3e * *


Thr3eThr3e
- Robby Henson
- Drama/Thriller, 2006
- PG-13
- Trailer
DVD Release April 24, 2007
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* *

Jennifer Peters: When was the last time you left this house?
Uncle Eugene Parson: Why would I leave the house?

While at the library last year browsing the New Releases shelf, I ran across a book with Frank Peretti's name on it called House. I snatched it up. It had been several years since I had read any Peretti so I was pleased to run across it. Then I noticed it was co-authored with Ted Dekker. I had no idea who Dekker was but I was pleased anyway. I watched Thr3e for the first time a couple of weeks ago and recognized Dekker’s fingerprint immediately.

Thr3e is a descent thriller. And because it’s a thriller I have to be careful about what I discuss here so I don’t reveal anything.

For some reason, the RK serial killer is after Kevin Parsons (Marc Blucas), a struggling seminary student. Jennifer Peters (Justine Waddell), a criminal psychologist, has thrown herself into the case. Because of her writings, RK had targeted her earlier, resulting in her brother’s death. Personally and professionally she’s intent on stopping RK but he seems to always be three steps ahead of her.

The issue I have with this film is believability. And it becomes even more unbelievable when you watch it a second time. A film can play slight of hand along the way to advance the story but I shouldn't be able to see the ace up your sleeve while you're doing it. Without giving anything away, there is a character whose actions and whereabouts are just impossible. Don't get me wrong. The premise is intriguing but the context in which the character is set is way too tight. The story simply can't hold up to it.

The character is puzzling but not blatant like some other far-fetched things in the film - like how a seminary student winds up living in a top floor loft apartment and a garden shed having a sub basement ten times its size.

The director and crew did a great job with the look and feel of this film. Like Children of Men, it uses texture to build mood, scene and character. It was great that the "3" theme was not heavy-handed. In fact, it could have been used more. I loved the shots looking into the three big windows of Kevin's apartment. Costuming was also great.

I was pleased to see Marc Blucas in the lead. The last I saw of him was his appearances in seasons 4, 5, and 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He does a great job as Kevin and is amazing in the climatic showdown.

Justine Waddell was a problem in this film. She has a great face. I love her brooding, smoky appearance. But she came off highly choreographed and posed and all of her lines were delivered with a breathy seductiveness that didn't fit her character. I understand from Dekker's blog that they had trouble getting this role cast up until the last minute.

If you are a Ted Dekker fan, you will probably enjoy this film. If you are a thriller fan, you'll probably be disappointed.

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posted by rhon at 8:41 AM

5 Comments:

  • Sorry, can I just ask where you read that the role of Jennifer Peters was cast at the last minute? Can you post a link to it? Thanks.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:12 AM  

  • No problem! I'm very particular about accuracy in my reviews so I do a lot of research. When I said "last minute", I hope it was understood I didn't mean that literally. I would say two weeks before shooting is last minute.

    This is from Ted Dekker's blog, September 29, 2005 entry(link here):

    "Today is the day I find out if I'm going to Poland in a week or two weeks, depending on the final casting nonsense out in Hollywood. The Director, Robby, and the production crew, and the offices and the hotels and the sets -- they all wait in Warsaw for the cast to join them so we can make this movie called Thr3e, but we have to nail down a Jennifer see. We had Connie Nielson, but then something about her boyfriend, James Hatfield of Metallica, and she had to bail. We had others but they all ran into snags of one kind or another.

    So Jennifer is the hold up and principle photography is slated to begin Oct 11. Ouch."

    By Blogger rhon, at 5:36 AM  

  • Thanks! I probably have read that before, but I just forgot. I'm a big fan of Justine Waddell's, so I try to keep up with tidbits about her like that. I hope you won't judge her acting on the strength of this one performance. If you watch her in Tess of the D'Urbervilles or Wives and Daughters, you'll find that she is an amazing actress. She is British, so maybe her American accent came off a little awkwardly, hence the "breathy" way that she delivered her lines. I didn't particularly like this movie either, but I blame the unbelievable storyline and the script. Anyways, thanks again!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:57 PM  

  • I checked out Waddell's filmography and was not familiar with any of her other work. I hope to see her again. I won't throw her out with this one film.

    I think there is very little said about the role the director plays in an actor's performance. I wondered if Henson had her doing some of the unnatural poses. The voice, she needs to work on.

    By Blogger rhon, at 5:43 AM  

  • I didn't like Henson's adaptation of Peretti's The Visitation either. But I also hold the screenwriter, Brian Goodawa, responsible. There were several changes to Peretti's original story line that were mistakes.

    By Blogger rhon, at 5:52 AM  

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