The Voices (2014)

'The Voices' is a very dark comedy from graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi. It tells the story of a man named Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) who works in a bathtub factory. Jerry continuously sees a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver) as he tries to live a normal life whilst dealing with his mental afflictions. He decides to pursue his office crush (Gemma Arterton) but soon finds himself in a murderous situation when she fails to reciprocate his advances. Jerry's schizophrenia means that he hears voices specifically from his pets who give him help and advice. Satrapi directs the piece with a surprisingly heartfelt and empathetic way. The lack of colour and light (such as when Jerry is on his limiting medication) contrast really well with the scenes where the main character is free and feels at peace. There are very graphic scenes of murder which highlight the brutality of his actions reminding the audience of the morality of Jerry's actions. The music is also very fitting and turns drastically into a horror-themed score when the drama switches. The screenplay is funny in a lot of places. Before I watched the film, I thought I would find similarities with HBO's 'Dexter' as it deals with a likeable killer whilst also being humorous. But, after watching, I feel that the film owes a lot to Mary Harron's 'American Psycho' as it shares similar themes of delusion and indulgence. However, the dialogue was a bit forced at times and I usually find myself cringing when watching a British actress (in this case Gemma Arterton) having to read lines written in a very stereotypical way. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic as the main character and really makes the audience feel for his character. Reynolds completely embodies the main character's innocence and is a genuinely nice man. Even more impressive is the fact that Reynolds also performs voices for his pets which include a Scottish cat and a Texan dog. I had a slight problem with other members of the cast who I felt were not quite up to the standard that Reynolds set although Jacki Weaver was great as his psychiatrist and Anna Kendrick did a good job at playing his love interest. Overall, I feel that 'The Voices' was a surprisingly good film. It was funny and very well acted. 'The Voices' is a little hidden gem that a lot of people who are fans of small and strange indie comedies would love. ★★★★