Review:
Warm Bodies is a
fun mix of genres with a surprisingly fluid (yet subtle) message. The film is
about two young people (star-crossed lovers, if you will) who happen to be from
different sides of a giant wall. The zombie-apocalypse has happened, and the
surviving humans have built a massive wall protecting them from the zombie
masses that surround them, but they still need to scavenge outside their
protective enclosure for supplies from time to time. During one such supply run,
Julie and a group of her friends are attacked by a zombie horde, but one of the
zombies, R, has an unexpected reaction upon seeing Julie. R finds his life as a
zombie to be unfulfilling. He is bored and craves connection. When he sees
Julie, something changes within him and he decides to protect her and not eat
her. He takes her back to his home, and the two of them form an unlikely bond
that could save humanity. Just a warning: this
review does contain some plot spoilers, so seeing the film first would probably
be wise before reading the full review.
It would be easy to dismiss Warm
Bodies for many reasons based on its premise – like: it is just another zombie
movie trying to exploit the current fad (headlined by the AMC series The Walking Dead) and
a Twilight copycat
supernatural genre teenage romance aimed at drama-caving young women. However,
writer-director Jonathan
Levine’s film (based on Isaac
Marion’s novel)
is so much more. Yes, it is a zombie movie and yes it does center around two
young characters, one a zombie and one a human girl, who develop a
relationship, but Levine also addresses social issues, fleshes out great characters,
and infuses the film with very funny material. And, best of all for genre fans,
it is a good zombie movie too.
Visually, the film has a very typical
post-apocalyptic look – things are in shambles, civilization has collapsed and
retreated into an entrenched area, and dangerous creatures roam the wasteland. Plus,
the action beats are done very well, fitting what one might expect in a zombie
movie. However, Levine quickly makes it apparent that this is not a typical
zombie film, as it opens with voice-over narration from R. He explains the
mundane life that he has as a zombie and his inner aspirations. What works well
about this is that Levine has established R as a character the audience can
relate to – how different is R’s life to the banality of the typical day-to-day
life of the viewer (aside from being a zombie) and all R wants is to not be
alone, which is what we all want really. Outwardly, R cannot really
communicate, so the use of voice-over allows him to stay in character while
still enabling the audience to get to know him. This is the first major
difference between most zombie movies and Warm Bodies. Here, the zombie is the
main character and not just the monster (and they are still the monster too, as
they do attack and kill humans). The audience actually gets to take a stake in
their story.
Levine likes to switch gears and genres
with the film. It starts out like a typical zombie movie (with a twist, as R, a
zombie, is the main character and the audience hears his inner thoughts), but
after R and his fellow zombies attack and kill most of Julie’s friends (R eats
her boyfriend) he takes Julie back to his home and the film shifts to more of a
romantic comedy. Julie does not know what to make of R. She does not really
like him at first (because she is terrified of him), but as she gets to know
him she sees there is something different about him. R, on the other hand, is
trying his hardest to impress Julie, as he has fallen for her almost
immediately (a common troupe of young love in movies – the main character
having a crush on a seemingly unattainable girl or boy, and over time they come
around). R acts chivalrously towards Julie, trying to both keep her safe and to
evoke some affection. They share some pleasant times and Julie does form an
affinity for R, but this relationship only exists in isolation. Her group would
not approve and likely would shoot R in the head, and his group would not
approve and likely eat Julie’s brains.
While it is certainly not new
territory to have characters from two opposing sides form a bond, Levine does
it in a manner that still feels fresh, while referencing Romeo and Juliet (of
course) and making a social statement as well. Shakespeare’s play is probably
the most famous to feature star-crossed lovers, and Levine pays tribute (along
with Marion, the novel’s author). First, and maybe the most obvious, are the
main characters’ names: R and Julie for Romeo and Juliet. Second, there are
visual and narrative references as well – most notably there is a scene in
which Julie is on the balcony outside her room and R has snuck into the human
compound to find her and calls to her from below the balcony. This is maybe the
most iconic of the Romeo and Juliet imagery.
Levine seems to also be very
interested in delivering a social message with the film about love being the
answer to problems and not fighting or war. It is the love and understanding
between R and Julie that unites the humans and zombies, rather than one making
the other subservient or eradicating them. Once Julie gets to see the zombies
interacting with each other, she realizes that they are misunderstood and not
so much different than humans. One of the final images in the film sees the
massive wall that separates the humans from the zombies being destroyed, which
invites memories of seeing the Berlin wall come down. Again, Levine is
promoting love, understanding, and togetherness rather than hate and fear. What
is great about Warm Bodies is that Levine never forces feeds or is heavy-handed
with this social message. It seems to organically come out of the narrative (a
sign of good direction).
The film also has a lot of great
comedy. The interaction between R and Julie plays very much like the normal
interaction between an awkward boy who is interested in a girl. It is resonates
with the audience because they can relate. But, it also has an additional
comedic undercurrent due to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation: a zombie
making googly-eyes at a young woman and trying to get her to like him.
Unlike Romeo and Juliet, however,
Warm Bodies is not a tragedy. In fact, its resolution is a very neat and tidy
happy ending. (Personally, I thought) it works well, but maybe it is too
wrapped up in a bow for some – especially those looking for a zombie movie,
because ultimately this is not a zombie movie, it just operates under the guise
as one, it is a romance. The resolution seems too easy. Would zombies and
humans suddenly be friends? Well, there are a few factors to consider. First,
they worked together to defeat a common enemy in the Bonies (super zombies that
want to kill both the humans and zombies, once they become more human-like).
Second, R and Julie’s connection ignited something in the zombies that made
them become more human, even restarting their hearts. And third, there is no
timeframe between the events of R and Julie starting a revolution of sorts and
the tearing down of the wall signifying zombie and human co-habitation. Really,
the specifics of how exactly they live together do not matter, as the message
of the film is what is important. We can assume that they worked something out.
The film also embraces many of
the clichés of the romance genre. And therefore, yes, the film does feature
many of the same clichés, but Levine has turned them on their head, so to
speak, by staging his romance in a world ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. Also,
a lot of the humor comes from seeing these cliché romantic moments played
between a zombie and a human girl. The film does not shy away from the clichés.
It draws attention to them and revels in them.
Warm Bodies is not just a zombie
movie or just a romance or just an action adventure. It blends all three
creating a very fun and entertaining experience, and one that actually aspires
to uplift through its positive social message of love. It is the first great
film of 2013.
Technical,
aesthetic & acting achievements: Jonathan Levine has now made four
films, though his last two saw bigger commercial releases. 50/50
and Warm Bodies have both been very good films, blending genres and delivering
great stories with wonderfully relatable characters and meaning. He is definitely
a filmmaker on the rise and one to watch.
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders give the film a
score that equally matches its genre blending aspects. However, it is the
soundtrack that really shines, as it features both great music and songs that
poke fun at and play with the zombie and romance movie features (stuff like: John
Waite’s Missing You, Bruce Springsteen’s Hungry Heat, and Bob
Dylan’s Shelter from the Storm). Levine
uses music cues fantastically throughout the film as well. Javier Aguirresarobe’s
cinematography is brilliant. He creates varying looks for the film depending on
whether something is taking place pre, during, or post the zombie apocalypse. During
has a very bleak color saturated look, while before (seen through memories) and
after are much brighter, angelically lit, and filled with color. Martin Whist’s production design
is equally great. R’s home inside the main cabin of an airplane, filled with knickknacks,
is full of character. The dilapidated and decrepit city (in the wake of the zombie
apocalypse) feels just as authentic as any zombie movie.
The film is comprised mainly of only
a few main roles, and the cast is great across the board in them. John Malkovich plays Julie’s
father, who also happens to be the leader of the humans (because if she is
Juliet, then her father must be the patriarch of the Capulets). While he does
not have much screen time, he is able to create the sense of a menacing and
vindictive father that would never trust in a zombie. Analeigh Tipton is fun in
support as Julie’s friend Nora. She is kind of goofy and sweet, but kind of
badass too (she reminds me of the girls in Red Dawn a little). Rob Corddry is brilliant as R’s
friend M. He has perfect comedic timing and brings heart and emotional depth to
his role as well (something that is very important in aligning the audience
with the plight of the zombies). Tipton and Corddry bring so much more to their
roles than the typical throwaway one-dimensional best friends to the leads parts
that the romance genre usually churns out. Teresa Palmer’s Julie is fairly
complex for a teenage romance film. She is dealing intense emotions with the
loss of her mom (turned by zombies and then shot in the head by her father), a
distant father who is driven by hate, a boyfriend who is pulling away, and of
course the zombie apocalypse, and yet she wants to be in love, have fun, and
just be young but does not really have that luxury. This is why her mini-vacation
away from her life with R (once she got over her somewhat debilitating fear)
affects her so much and why she forms such a strong bond with him, because he
enables her to feel those things. Palmer is able to covey all these emotions
drawing the audience into the narrative and love story, as she must carry most
the scenes with R merely reacting to her (due to the nature of his character). It
is by far her best work to date. Nicholas
Hoult has a very difficult role as R. He has to be a zombie, yet be a
character the audience can relate to and care about. The voice-over narration
helps, however Hoult is able to do enough with his face to sell his inner
emotions. It is easy to overlook the performance, but it is great work.
Summary
& score: Warm Bodies is both an exciting zombie movie and a funny
and charming romance. It even has genuine and positive social message. It does
all this while feeling fresh and original. 7/10
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