The Voices (2014)
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver
Directed by: Marjane Satrapi
Written by: Michael R. Perry
Genre: Black Comedy
Running time: 107 minutes.

Last night Clapham Picturehouse did a preview screening of The Voices exclusively for Slackers Club members, which is a film club for students only, set up by E4 and Picturehouse.  Once a month Picturehouse cinemas across the UK set up Slackers Club screenings, and the best thing? They’re free! Just a little tip from one poor student another.

Jerry (Reynolds) is the new guy at the Milton Bathtub Factory, and when he’s asked to help out planning a party picnic at work he gets the opportunity to come closer to Fiona (Arterton), the pretty British one working in accounting.

From the outside Jerry seems like quite the ordinary guy, a typical bachelor living in an old-fashioned flat above a closed bowling arena with his cat and dog, Mr Whiskers and Bosco. However, as soon as Jerry is alone in his flat his pets starts talking to him. Mr Whiskers, with his Scottish accent and grumpy attitude, is trying to convince Jerry his desire in life is to be a serial killer while Bosco disagrees. This is the first time we get the whole point of the movie title: Jerry is hearing voices that doesn’t exist. In several occasions further out in the movie we’re taken back to Jerry’s childhood and the origins of his mental illness living with an angry father and a mentally ill mother.

During an appointment with his psychotherapist, Dr Warren (Weaver), Jerry admits he’s not taking his medication as promised. On medications Jerry has a totally different perception of real life, and he seems to find living with the voices more comfortable. As comfortable as Jerry might be, skipping his meds entails more than just talking to his pets.

One day Jerry takes the courage to ask Fiona out on a date to his favourite restaurant, Shi-Shan. Turns out Shi-Shan is this crappy buffet restaurant with a terrible, Asian version of Elvis in charge of the entertainment. On his way home after being stood up by Fiona, he passes her on his way home and agrees on taking her to a burger joint by the main road. And in fair of spoiling too much, let’s just say this road trip ends in a quite unexpected way and it’s here the ‘black’ part of the genre shows its presence.

The amount of times I had to ask myself “why are you guys laughing at this?” became impossible to keep track of. On the other hand, I laughed just as much. The characters are just as corky as they need to be, and Ryan Reynolds does a brilliant job in his role as a mentally ill and disturbed, yet humble and sweet, human-being. The manuscript is also a well-written piece of work and is definitely what gives this movie quality.

It wouldn’t surprise me if psychologists and people suffering from schizophrenia will think of The Voices an unfair portrait of what it’s like living with a mental illness and the consequences of it. However, I found it interesting how this movie address mental illness from a completely different perspective than we usually see in films usually categorised within in the ‘Thriller’ genre.

If you’re the ‘black comedy’ type I’d say go for it, if not; don’t waste your time.

The Voices premieres in the UK tonight.

3.5/5