Stone
Two men sit awkwardly across from one another; you know their faces well. One is a Hollywood icon—a man who has starred in some of the greatest movies ever made, now reaching the age where most men would retire. Yet this individual is still a powerful figure, and despite his age he is still very clearly in control of every situation. He is Jack Mabry, a parole officer who has spent his life judging men for what they’ve done. Opposite him is one of the great talents of the 1990s, an actor who has been everything from a neo-Nazi to a superhero. He is not in control; rather, he is vulnerable, dejected, and searching for purpose in his life. Despite this emptiness, his calculated mannerisms and subtle exploitations make him very dangerous. He has seen and done things that would break most people down, but he handles his burden with ease. His name is Stone Creeson, he is up for parole after eight years in federal prison, and he will do anything to get out.
John Curran’s latest film is a remarkable character study of prison life and the parole process. From very early on, it is apparent that nobody can truly be trusted in this environment. Robert De Niro plays Jack Mabry, a parole officer with a dark history of domestic abuse and religious hypocrisy. Even though he serves as the voice of the law, Mabry’s own sins leave a tarnishing stain on his entire persona. Edward Norton portrays Stone Creeson, a felon who readily admits to his transgressions and accepts them as an irreversible part of his life. Nevertheless, when the movie begins Stone is a squirrely thug with a defensive attitude and distaste for everyone around him.
The issues of sex and religion set these men on a crash course of magnificent proportions. Curran explores the potential for hypocrisy within a deeply religious population while simultaneously offering insight into the redeeming qualities of faith and forgiveness. Stone experiences a life-altering moment of spiritual enlightenment during the course of the film; at first it seems as though his transformation is an elaborate and misguided act designed to appease Mabry, but as the movie moves forward it becomes clear that Stone is genuinely looking further within himself in search of a higher power. Meanwhile, Stone’s sex-mad wife Lucetta is attempting to seduce Mabry into approving her husband’s parole. Milla Jovovich does a magnificent job of exploiting the weaknesses of every character she comes into contact with; her seductive smile always carries with it an air of sinister intentions—she may be the best thing in this film.
Ultimately, Stone’s only failure is that it doesn’t manage to really go anywhere; it’s a great character study, but not necessarily a great story. Regardless, three stellar performances by Norton, De Niro, and Jovovich all combine to create a dark and gripping film about manipulation, betrayal, and the guilty consequences of a misguided life. Certain aspects of the Stone’s events and character’s motivations seem to be intentionally ambiguous, and it’s better that way. This type of thriller isn’t typically my cup o’ tea, but I couldn’t help but feel awestruck by the time the film’s credits started to roll. Stone may not be the most original story every written, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great film.
