Midnight Special
(2016)
(SPOILERS) Midnight Special sadly isn’t all that
special. It seems those ‘80s movies that inspired him didn’t rubbed off enough
to leave writer-director Jeff Nichols with a remotely affecting plot, let alone
one eliciting a sense of wonder. A chase thriller that is only sporadically
thrilling, and a science fiction mystery that turns out not to be so
mysterious, there’s no doubting Nichols’ talent as a director, but I’m less
convinced of his touch when embracing genre trappings.
The picture
is at its most effective during the opening stages, with the encouraging
decision to set the wheels of this road movie in motion midway through events;
Roy (Michael Shannon), his son and prodigy Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) and state
trooper Lucas (Joel Edgerton) are fleeing the arms of the law, and the cult
that has been Alton’s enforced home, courtesy of its leader Calvin (Sam
Shepard). We know Alton is special, we just don’t know quite how; the NSA is
interested, as Calvin’s sermons have been dropping coded official secrets. Whatever
is going on?
Intriguing
as the set up is, the anticipation soon dissipates. Alton is some kind of next
level, highly advanced indigo child, prone to bouts light streaming from his
eyes (or having them merely glow in uncanny Village
of the Damned fashion), an ability to touch others to their core (the
details are vague) and an antenna that picks up signals (as such, his speaking
in tongues is revealed as altogether mundane). Alton isn’t really all that
fascinating beyond his party tricks, particularly since, like E.T. and (the main template for Nichols)
Starman, he just wants to go “home”
(and, as with Close Encounters, he must
journey to a specific spot to do so).
There’s
nothing wrong with the performances. Lieberher gives another strong showing
following St. Vincent. Edgerton apparently
stuffed himself with pies before arriving on set each morning. Dunst seems a
bit haggard, no doubt in the name of her art. Shannon acts slightly mental (so
no change there). But none of them have been given engaging characters. You
expect some nourishment of backstory or character development for Lucas,
justifying Edgerton’s presence, but it never comes. Llike the realm Alton is bound
for, they are wilfully oblique, but not in that way that can sometimes be
rewarding, where less is more because it invites you to speculate and piques
the imagination.
As such, one
rather gets the feeling Nichols had no ideas beyond the limited ones he voices.
Hence the rather lame denouement, as Alton joins his people, the ones who live
above us and watch us (effectively in a different dimension, co-existing with
our own). It’s Tomorrowland redux,
right down to the futuristic architecture and these more advanced beings’ blithe
indifference to the fate of wretchedly average Earthlings. What’s Nichols
trying to say with that? Has he thought about it? He doesn’t consciously seem
to be invoking the Rand-ian reading Tomorrowand
invited, but it’s still a bit whiffy.
Also in the
equation is Adam Driver’s benign NSA agent, unable to rise above memories of
similar ‘70s and ‘80s characters, be they played by Peter Coyote or Bob Balaban
or… usually Bob Balaban. There’s the occasional strong, energised episode in
its favour, such as the sequence where Alton is snatched back by Calvin’s
minions, or a satellite falling to earth at a service station, or the climactic
road block. There’s also a fine Carpenter-esque score, from regular Nichols
composer David Wingo.
Unfortunately,
the latter just adds to the feeling of unworthy homage. Midnight Special is as cap-doffing as JJ Abrams’ Super 8, but shamefacedly so, attempting
to be a little more indie as a counterbalance (too often, Nichols mistakes mood
for content, where the mood is mostly dead space). In doing so, he only highlights
the picture’s essential emptiness. It’s as if he really wanted to make a sombre,
downbeat movie, something closer to, say, The
Dead Zone in chilly texture than the bittersweet warmth Starman, and found his intentions
muddled by themes of family and transcendence. His last picture, Mud, was highly impressive, so perhaps Loving (also due this year, also with
Shannon and Edgerton, but a straight drama) will see him regain his form.
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