"indistinguishable from magic"

One of my favorite movies of 2009 was Richard Kelly's The Box. Now, if you consider yourself to be the average American movie-goer, you will not like this movie. If you enjoy deep, well thought out, creative but strange movies with a little Twilight Zone twist, you will love this movie.

Proof:

first viewing: with a few of my fellow cinema lovers who appreciate deep, well thought out movies. we all loved it.

second viewing: with a close friend who didn't understand it and thought it was ridiculous.

third viewing: with a large group of people at my apartment. a few of the original viewers, lots of newbies - less than half of which enjoyed it

fourth viewing: with my family. they hated it. this is a perfect example of how I am the odd one out in my family as far as movies and music and all other things pertaining to personal taste.

Reasons I love it: The whole movie has a glow to it. The way it was filmed gives it an almost dream-like quality to emphasize the 1970s setting. I think it's beautiful. The score was written by Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire, and Owen Pallett (need I say more?), and I appreciated the underlying themes and ideas of moral depravity and altruism. (This must be the psychology nerd in me). It's an extremely thought provoking film that I will love no matter how many people proclaim it to be strange.