SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET
Reviewed May 12th, 2002 by David Nusair
Though it’s got an intriguing premise – a father suspects his son may in fact be a murderer – Skeletons in the Closet just doesn’t have enough plot to sustain a 90 minute movie.
Treat Williams stars as the father, while Jonathan Jackson plays the son. We find out early on that the wife/mother died several years prior, under suspicious circumstances. Jackson’s always suspected Williams set the fire that killed her, which has caused a chasm-sized rift between the two. But Williams finally begins to suspect that something might just be awry when a local boy is found murdered, and his son just happened to be the last person to see him. Add to that some increased drinking and some rowdy behavior at a party, and Williams has good reason to believe that his son just may be a sociopath. But it’s not quite that simple. The movie gives us good reason to believe that Jackson might be completely innocent, and that Williams’ paranoid delusions are just a cover-up for his own malfeasance.
The history behind Skeletons in the Closet, detailed in the DVDs accompanying booklet, is long and winding – and ultimately proves that perhaps there was a reason it took ten years for this movie to get made. It’s certainly not the fault of the actors the movie doesn’t work – indeed, Williams has never been better. No, the sparse plot may have been effective as a 20-minute short, but as a feature-length film, it’s stretched far too thinly. It doesn’t help that the movie’s been shot on digital video, and winds up resembling a cheapie PBS special rather than a film. There are certain cases in which shooting digital actually enhances the mood of the movie – The Blair Witch Project being the most obvious example – but here it just doesn’t work.
And as intriguing as the story idea is, it’s also a shade too obvious. Though we don’t find out until the last two minutes who the actual killer is, it’s no big surprise. You don’t exactly have to be Columbo to figure out if it’s the dad or the son doing the murdering, which leads to a suspenseless atmosphere. There’s no tension here, and when it comes to thrillers, that’s about the worst transgression that exists.
But the acting’s good, at least. Williams, an underrated actor that’ll probably never get his due, strikes just the right note as a father who slowly comes to a horrific realization – though nobody seems to believe him. Jackson is also good, though due to the limitations of shooting on digital video, his performance often comes off as a little forced and over-the-top.
Skeletons in the Closet is a little too obvious and far too slow to be an effective thriller, though it may just be worth checking out for Treat Williams’ performance.
Audio: The movie contains a DD 5.1 soundtrack, and it’s good if not spectacular. Dialogue is clear enough, though sometimes the sound becomes a little tinny which makes it hard to make out what everyone’s saying. And jeers to Artisan for not including English captions!
Video: On the other hand, this 1.77:1 transfer is amazing. Transferred directly from the digital source, it’s just about flawless. Like the Toy Story or Bug’s Life discs, it’s as shiny and shimmering as you’d expect.
Extras: First off, a word of warning. The booklet included with the DVD says that a short film by the director is included. It’s not (unless, of course, it’s a really well hidden easter egg). Anyway, the extra features that are included are good enough to make up for it. Primarily, the commentary track featuring the husband and wife team of Wayne and Donna Powers. Wayne speaks the most, though both get an opportunity to talk. And talk they do. There are virtually no gaps, and it’s basically non-stop information dispensed. From the casting to the release problems, it’s all here. This is certainly one of the better commentary tracks to come along in a while, and indeed, proves to be more entertaining than the film itself! Also included are a trailer, production notes, and some cast/crew bios (two deleted scenes are hidden on this page, though they’re nothing special).
Conclusion: Skeletons in the Closet might be worth a rental if you’re a big Treat Williams fan, but otherwise, don’t bother.
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