Some films that we watch have an effect on us because, in some way, we relate to them. In other cases, we may not relate, but feel for the characters and their struggles. Most will dismiss these kinds of films as dramas, crime stories or thrillers, but some films go deeper than that. One particular argument I find myself having with people is over the Disney film BAMBI. I see BAMBI as a horror film more than a family movie. This is the case with FRAGMENTS. It is a film that many will not see as a horror film, but in the end, the struggles that each character in the film has reveals a true horror about all of their lives.
FRAGMENTS is a film with an all-star cast, including Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Hudson, Guy Pearce, Forest Whitaker, Embeth Davidtz and Josh Hutcherson. The film is about a group of people who are all enjoying their day eating breakfast at a local diner when a gunman enters and kills a couple of people and injures others. The gunman then turns the gun on himself. The film deals with aftermath of the tragedy and how each survivor of the shooting deals with the resulting stress. The film follows the stories of five of the characters. Charlie Archenault (Forest Whitaker) is the luckiest, unluckiest man alive. Of all the survivors, he is the only one to be shot. We learn In the beginning of the story that he is dying of cancer, yet he seems to win prizes where ever he goes. After leaving the hospital, the stress drives him back into his old gambling habit, so he goes to a casino, feeling that his luck has been better than usual. Jimmy Jaspersen, Josh Hutcherson) is in shock for most of the film and will only talk with his God-fearing friend, Anne Hagan (Dakota Fanning), whose father was killed in the diner. Anne wants to forgive the man who murdered her father and goes around the school and the town preaching forgiveness, but she is deeply wounded. Carla Davenport ( Kate Beckinsale), a single mother, is a waitress at the diner. She is down on her luck, selfish and really wants a man in her life. Her obsession with Doctor Bruce Laraby brings her to the local hospital every day. She brings her baby son to the doctor seeking medical attention. The baby is fine but always seems malnourished. Laraby has problems of his own: He had held the door open for the killer and, unable to deal with his uptight wife and her lifestyle, laces her food with drugs every day so he does not have to deal with her. Behind each character’s story, a winged creature is always nearby. A butterfly, a bird or a bat is somewhere, a symbol of the struggle of each character.
The original title of the film and the title of the book is Winged Creatures. The script is very well-written, but does drag in certain areas where some of the character development becomes overbearing and takes away from the story. What really kept me into the film was the uniqueness of the characters, but it was also the shock of what happens at the beginning and the stressful situations the characters put themselves though after the tragedy, which leaves them vulnerable to the elements of the world around them. It reminded me of the tragedy of 9/11 that shook the country, especially in New York, where I live, being able to see the smoke of the World Trade center from a park bench at the beach on Long Island. There is that fear that something else will happen, and this film gives that sense of being fearful though the characters’ eyes.
The film has some decent production values. The use of shots and camera work could have been better and the editing could have been tighter, but generally, the locations are realistic and the film has a feeling of dread that leaves the viewer feeling as uneasy as the characters do. The acting in the film is phenomenal. Forest Whitaker gives a great performance as Charlie Archenault who has the best and worst of luck in all the right and wrong places. The best performance in the film, however, is given by Dakota Fanning. She is a child star whose talent only grows as she approaches her adult years, much like Jodie Foster. She has a great sense of knowing how to make a character come to life. She is one talented bright star in Hollywood. The rest of the cast is great as well, but these two are outstanding and unforgettable. Overall, FRAGMENTS is a film that shows the horrors of life and how people deal with a horrific tragedy. It is a film that really sticks out. Although it can be slow at times and the editing is a bit choppy, its story and characters are what really make this film reach out and grab the viewer’s attention. It is a good film and well worth seeing.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
