Spiral (2007)

Spiral (2007) Dir. by Adam Green and Joel David Moore (now Joel Moore)

A reclusive telemarketer, whose dysfunctional friendship with his boss is alleviated when a whimsical co-worker enters his life. But as he begins to sketch his new friend's portrait, disturbing feelings from his past threaten to lead him down a path of destruction.

Joel Moore (Dodgeball, Grandma's Boy, Hatchet, Avatar) pulls a quadruple threat here as he co-directs, co-writes, co-produces, and gets his full on acting groove on. He delivers on all accounts and blows my mind with what he was able to put together. I had been pumped for this movie for quite some time now, and even though I own it, I had never got around to watching it until today. Now I'm a little upset that I waited until now. The movie is amazingly thought provoking, and pulls through as a riveting thriller. I love Adam Green and pretty much everything he has done. I haven't seen Frozen yet, but I hear good things. He definitely does an amazing job with Spiral, and you can see his finishing touches on the project.



The acting in Spiral is top notch all around, but there are three people who do an exceptionally well job. Joel Moore, Zachary Levi (TVs Chuck), and Amber Tamblyn (The Ring, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) give strong, almost flawless performances. It was nice seeing Zachary playing the exact opposite of his character Chuck. He showed range of acting ability, and I applaud him for it. Amber was 100% adorable as the happy, always excited, coffee enthusiast, co-worker. Watching her and Joel's character build their awkward relationship, was like watching synchronized swimming. It was beautiful, and the depth of writing shined through. Joel is the real winner of this film though. It wasn't far off from his previous roles he has played in movies, other than Avatar. He was an awkward and shy man who's anxiety ran his life. He had certain ways of doing things and didn't want to break from that tradition. Amber shatters his world, but he doesn't necessarily view it as a bad thing. It is just something different. After he begins to paint her for the first time, the creepiness of his character just gets magnified, and you slowly start to learn things about him. Zachary actually really helps with this, as he is your anchor to Joel's floating ship. He is a great friend, and is always there to help Mason (Joel). He seems to be the only one that understands him. When things unravel, as they do, the film goes from oh crap to oh shit!



The film itself is made beautifully. It is paced perfectly, and shows Joel's ability as a Director, with help from Green. The dark themes are mirrored perfectly by the symbolism in Mason's choice of music, Jazz. They play off this symbolism and darkness multiple times in the movie, and it is unmistakable. Relying on slow transitions rather than cuts, the directors are able to pace the film to their liking. Long drifting shots and slow camera movement add to the effect. The colors of the film are mild, and calming. It goes into his paintings as well, staying away from vibrant colors. Beautiful cinematography by Will Barratt and the original score act as glue in piecing together this brilliant film. It all adds up, and doesn't disappoint when its time to get to the twisty shocking ending. I wanted to give a cheer and a fist pump when the movie was done.

I'm trying my hardest not to say anything about the movie, so I don't ruin it for anyone, but this film is amazing. I loved every minute of it, and I am happy to own a copy. I think everyone should.

Entertainment Value: 9/10 Brush Strokes
Cinematic Value:9/10 Brush Strokes