The Voices *** (2014, Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver) – Movie Review

In this extremely dark black comedy from cartoonist turned director Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis), Ryan Reynolds plays Jerry, a deranged serial killer who listens to the voices of the women (Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick) he’s killed whose talking heads he keeps in his fridge.

Jerry also listens to his evil talking cat, Mr Whiskers, who encourages him to kill his co-workers a bathtub factory, and to his benevolent talking dog, who disagrees. Jerry is a cat lover, you see. Jerry doesn’t however listen to the human voice of reason – his court-appointed psychiatrist, Dr Warren (Jacki Weaver).

[Spoiler alert] Arterton does well as Fiona, the office crush Jerry pursues till the relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn when she stands him up for a date. And the ubiquitous Kendrick does well too as Lisa, who mistakenly gets involved with Jerry too.

The talented Reynolds proves he’s game for anything in this crazy movie, certainly game for a laugh, even in these shocking circumstances. You feel like the audience in The Producers. Someone has made a sick comedy (with music too) about killing, you’re totally shocked, and you certainly shouldn’t laugh, but they make it hard not to.

Reynolds isn’t going to win any new friends with this movie, but he should certainly be able to keep his old ones. Writer Michael R Perry has certainly penned a true original.

NB: Even though this is a comedy, there are many dark and unsettling moments, and Jerry’s behaviour is frightening, including chopping up the pieces of a woman he has killed and puts it in plastic boxes. It is rated 15 for bloody violence and language, including near-constant swearing throughout the whole movie, mostly from Jerry’s cat!

Graphic novelist, illustrator and children’s book author, Iranian-born Marjane Satrapi is best known for her 2000 autobiographical novel Persepolis, which she adapted into the 2007 movie.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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