The Jacket (2005)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Maybury

Writers (WGA):

Tom Bleecker (story) and
Marc Rocco (story) ...

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror has a new name.

Plot:

A military veteran goes on a journey into the future, where he can foresee his death and is left with questions that could save his life and those he loves.

Plot Keywords:

Psycho Thriller | Dream Like | Bath | Murder | Lucid Dream

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Adrien Brody	...	Jack Starks
Keira Knightley	...	Jackie Price
Kris Kristofferson	...	Dr. Thomas Becker
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Dr. Beth Lorenson
Kelly Lynch	...	Jean Price
Brad Renfro	...	The Stranger
Daniel Craig	...	Rudy Mackenzie
Steven Mackintosh	...	Dr. Hopkins
Brendan Coyle	...	Damon
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Nurse Harding
Laura Marano	...	Young Jackie
Jason Lewis	...	Officer Harrison
Richard Dillane	...	Captain Medley
Jonah Lotan	...	Intern #1
Angel Coulby	...	Intern #2

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:-12 | Germany:12 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Taiwan:R-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (edited version) | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:MA | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva)

Filming Locations:

Bangour Village Hospital, Dechmont, West Lothian, Scotland, UK

Company:

Mandalay Pictures

Trivia:

At one point, Training Day (2001) director Antoine Fuqua was attached to direct.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Early in the movie the female Corpsman/Medic says, referring to Jack, "This Soldier is alive." In modern US military language, a "Soldier" is a member of the US Army (just as a "Sailor" would be in the Navy, an "Airman" in the Air Force, or a "Marine" in the Marine Corps). Yet Jack Stark is clearly a Marine, as his dog tags show, reading "USMC" for US Marine Corps. US Marines are never called "Soldiers." Also, the other Corpsman mentions that Jack's fuller biographical details will be sorted out later at the "Naval Hospital," the place well out of the combat zone where wounded or dead Marines and Sailors would be sent but not Soldiers or Airmen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jack Starks: [Walking over to Iraqi child who's breathing hard] How's it going little man? You all right?
[Babak pulls out gun. Jack puts his hand up in a stop gesture but Babak shoots Jack in the head. Jack falls to the ground]

Movie Connections:

References Mothlight (1963)

Soundtrack:

Close Your Eyes

Difficult to categorize but, for all its faults, still quite a gripping roller-coaster of a movie

Every so often there's a movie that's so hard to describe that it's to picture whether it's your type of movie or not. The Jacket melds about five different genres without falling firmly into any of them. Even to describe it as an 'alternative reality' movie could put off those who think, "Oh, no, not another sci-fi". I wouldn't describe it as sci-fi. There is a love story, but I wouldn't call it that. There's some pretty disturbing shots and dizzying camera work but it's not really a horror film. What can you rely on? A stellar cast for starters: Adrien Brody, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson. All needed as the story is not exactly flawless, but the combined characterisations and sheer ingenuity keep you in suspense and mostly make you want to forgive any shortcomings in this rather ambitious project.

If you like stories nice and simple, stay away. If you like a challenge, The Jacket might fill the bill. It's not quite such a headbanging puzzle as Mulholland Drive, and it doesn't have the cutesiness of Donnie Darko, but it is in the realm of dark, weird and ultimately rather moving experimental film.

Brody is Mr quite nice guy Jack Starks, apparently shot dead at point blank range in the Gulf War - but hang on a minute, his eyelids blink before they pronounce him dead and he recovers - with amnesia but otherwise OK - then he gets committed to an asylum for the criminally insane fro a murder he didn't do, and we're talking 1990s when some pretty strange experimental psychotherapy went on behind closed doors. Enter the old doctor, played by Kris Kristofferson, who looks like he's had one too many acid trips and survived and believes he can think up new treatments for nutters like Jack Starks. During some pretty unconventional (not say unethical by today's standards) solitary 'treatment', Starks sees himself in 2007. The treatment is a combination of drugs and sensory deprivation - a sort of Neanderthal NLP the hard way. Each time he is locked up in 'The Jacket', Starks' projected timeline lets him interact with other characters in his dilemma. It gets continuingly creepier and the tension builds to an ending that leaves you shocked, horrified and filled with warmth at the same time.