TUSK

US, 2014, 102 minutes, Colour.
Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, Johnny Depp, (as Guy Lapointe).
Directed by Kevin Smith.

What to make of Kevin Smith’s new film? In fact, many critics and audiences over the years have wondered what to make of Kevin Smith himself? Cloaks, Chasing Amy, Dogma the various adventures of Jay and Silent Bob. It is definitely true to say that Tusk will not settle any questions or disputes.

It is probably best to offer a warning before the review. There will be some spoilers concerning plot characters. However, the film has some grotesque ideas, coming from mad character in the film, and the visualising of his grotesque ideas could well be disturbing. The fall shifts from comedy to touches of horror.

It all begins cheerfully enough, a lot of guffawing and giggling from Wallace and Ted, two jokers who spend their time recording pod casts and are particularly stuck on a Canadian video of a young boy who wants to imitate Kill Bill films but unwittingly amputates his own leg. The two consider this so funny, that Wallace decides to go to interview the boy. But, it does not turn out at all like this.

So, this first part of the film is both light-headed and light-hearted, with a touch of romance, although Ally (Genesis Rodriguez), Wallace’s girlfriend, reminisces about how she liked the old Wallace but does not particularly like new Wallace this offhand, joker with an eye to the money. (audiences may well get surprised to find that Ted is played by Haley Joel Osment, 15 years after The Sixth Sense).

This is whether spoilers come in. Wallace reads a letter on the wall of a urinal one, the writer inviting the reader to come to his house to listen to his adventure stories. So, what better than to hear a few before Wallace goes back to New Jersey – there are quite a number of jokes where Americans versus Canadians about pronunciations, about hockey, about Americans seeing the Canadians as fools (later, Wallace in torment, says “I don’t want to die in Canada”), and the Canadians bemused by the attitudes of the near-neighbours.

If you happen to have seen The Island of Dr Moreau in its various versions, Britannia Hospital and its story about a man and a pig, or the ugly and frightening imagination of The Human Centipede series be alert.

Justin Long, best known for comedies fits the bill for Wallace very well. And contrasts particularly strikingly with Michael Parks (who appeared to such good effect in Kevin Smith’s Red State) as the old veteran with stories to share, with a dignified vocabulary and somewhat willing to tolerate the crassness of his visitor. He tells his stories, but begins to control his visitor, and here is the definite spoiler, surgically transforming him into a walrus, calling him Mr Tusk, in memory of the walrus he encountered long since when his ship was destroyed by an iceberg and he alone, a young cook, survived.

The scenes of Wallace, trapped inside the walrus, either funny if you think that this is a humorous satire or spoof (which, of course, it is meant to be), or really disturbing if you empathise with Wallace and enter into his mind and emotions as he is doomed, trapped.

When Ally and Ted begin to track down Wallace to rescue him, they encounter this most eccentric former detective from the Canadian Surete, with the most bizarre appearance, hat, straight hair sticking out, slightly crossed eyes, with strange eating habits, who has been investigating the disappearances of a number of men. The character is called Guy Lapointe and in the credits is credited as Guy Lapointe (he did look familiar but it was only the IMDb information that revealed that Guy is actually Johnny Depp).

Over the final credits, Kevin Smith and a friend giggle and guffaw as they jokingly discuss the film. This reviewer found the levity, touches of mockery, rather incongruous to the experience we had just had, a mixture of the comic but also a rather pessimistic view of human nature.

Well, that must be Kevin Smith at this stage of his life and career.

1. Title, the tone, reality and madness?

2. Kevin Smith, his themes, the touch of weirdness, style of humour, his interest in cartoons? Science-fantasy?

3. The tradition of films of humans and animals, Island of Dr Moreau, The Human Centipede, Britannia Hospital…?

4. The portrayal of the normal: the radio studio, apartments, airports, hire cars, diners?

5. The portrayal of the abnormal: Pippy Hill, the Gothic mansion, grounds, interiors, the range of rooms, the basement, the pool, and underwater
photography? The final Museum?

6. The range of the musical score, classical music, pop songs?

7. The American and Canadian jokes, pronunciations, hockey, Americans looking down on Canadians, the bemused Canadians?

8. Justin Long’s performance, the ‘Not-See’ site (not Nazi)? The jokes, Teddy and friendship, the preparing of the pod casts, the Kill Bill video and their mocking it? Lifestyle, tone?

9. Ally, relationship with Wallace, the comment on the old Wallace, the new Wallace, not liking the new Wallace? the ups and downs of the relationship? The phone calls, her concern, with Ted, the search, re-tracing the steps, interviewing people? Lapointe? Visiting the Museum two years later, the fish treat for Wallace, their dismay and the future?

10. The Kill Bill video, the boy cutting off his leg, their wanting this for a pod cast, going to Canada, finding that the boy had killed himself? Plans, going to the toilet, seeing the letter, phoning Howard, travelling, driving, the two girls at the diner and his mockery, driving the two hours, Howard and his receiving Wallace?

11. Wallace, his motives, talking with the jokes and stories, crass, Howard’s reaction, the tea, the story of the spider bite, collapse?

12. Howard’s story, in the wheelchair, discussions, is elegant vocabulary, not wanting to be crass? The walrus story? The flashbacks, the young man, naval experience, the destruction of the ship, Howard surviving, the rock, talking to the walrus?

13. The true story about Howard, institutions, the physical and sexual abuse, years, the authorities, escape, the Navy?

14. Guy Lapointe, his appearance, eyes, hat, accent, his obsessions, the meeting with Ally and Ted, the diner, his food, eating it, stories, the Surete, the story of the baseball player, interviewing Howard, Howard and his backwoods accent, the story of the player disappearing? Discovering his body, the
information about the skin, speculation about the number of killings?

15. Wallace, losing his other leg, no feeling in his arms, desperate? Howard destroying the mobile phone? Yet Wallace find it, the messages to Ally and Ted?

16. The descent into brutality and madness, Howard and his being able to walk, the surgical procedures on Wallace, transforming Wallace into a walrus? Howard’s sadistic games, pushing Wallace into the water, allegedly teaching him to swim, Wallace seeing the other drowned walruses? Howard giving him
the fish?

17. Audiences trying to empathise with Wallace and his experience, not deserving it, trapped forever, pessimistic?

18. Wallace and his rage and madness, his attack on Howard, killing him?

19. The pessimistic perspective of the film? Wallace and walrus sounding similar?

20. Kevin Smith and his associate and the conversation during the final credits, the touch of mockery, spoiling the effect of the whole? Trying to understand Smith’s intentions in making the film?