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A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

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A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

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Old 07-15-17, 06:21 PM
  #26  
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Re: A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

I just caught this. Overall I was glad I watched it, though it has it's flaws (including for me that it was overlong by at least 30 minutes, and I didn't think the lead actor could carry the movie). Too bad it was such a box office bomb, because I like to see ambitious good-looking original works in the horror/sci-fi genres. The title didn't help, and with the lack of "stars" saying "from the visionary director Gore Verbanski" wasn't enough in the marketing to draw audiences.

I have a couple of questions ... pardon if they seem obvious and/or stupid This is where I really miss imdb message boards ... this sorts of questions I could usually find posted and answered there. Needless to say, huge spoilers are involved:

Spoiler:
I'm not sure I completely get how the "operation" worked. So you have these magic eels that are the key to extreme longevity. The facility pretends to be an elite spa/resort. The patients are given the nasty eel-water and a procedure extracts the filtered product as the elixir in the blue bottles (which the staff and other privileged people get to take to keep themselves young). The process turns the subject into a desiccated husk which eventually is disposed of as eel food.

What was the deal with the bodies floating in those chambers? Characters we saw in those chambers we would later see walking about. And we would see people physically falling apart (like losing teeth) only to look well again later. Is the idea that they're being given a little exposure to the "good" elixir so that they can be repeatedly used as human filters (and maybe they're only killed after they're "used up" after multiple procedures)? Or are they allowed to heal on their own (and everyone there must have dentures/implants/bridges for their teeth). Why does no one remember the eel treatment? That strikes me as something memorable. The main character clearly remembered ... is just more special than everyone else?

On a more day-to-day matter ... how can this place stay in business? Everyone who checks in there disappears (to become eel food in the end). And it's not like these are people who will be missed ... I got the impression all the patients were wealthy and powerful.

That was a whole lot of wedding guests at the end (presumably all of them "in on it" and having access to the youth elixir). More than the staff and even a few of the upper-class villagers. Were some of the patients in on it too? Is there some kind of world-wide elite conspiracy that's keeping this place going? If so, that seems to go against the idea that Volmer is running everything.

I know ... I'm probably devoting way too much mental effort into this movie
Old 05-20-18, 04:28 PM
  #27  
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Re: A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

Just watched this. I really wanted to like it. Started off with a lot of potential, but in the end it was just too long and predictable.

2/5
Old 05-27-18, 09:43 PM
  #28  
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Re: A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

Watched it today.

Still think this was Verbinski getting out some of his Bioshock ideas. Has he ever commented on this?

I’d recommend it. Was a bit surprised there wasn’t some psychological bs twist like Shutter Island or Fight Club. Story turned out to be relatively straightforward.

All of Verbinski’s movies are paced like older movies. There is so much packed in that they feel very long. You check the time and realize it’s only 45 minutes in. Rango and the POTC movies feel that way too. He doesn’t pace it fast and spit out the story the way most modern films do. I like that.
Old 05-27-18, 09:52 PM
  #29  
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Re: A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

To address the questions above... the dumb old people all willingly do it. As seen when the CEO guy is happy to be in the iron lung thing. Then they are incubated. Then back to normal. Till their bodies eventually die. Then they’re fed to the eel pond. It’s all about purity and concentration. Much like superfoods and higher end supplements in real life.

There was also a quick line about how unwilling hosts wouldn’t produce the same output. So the hosts needed to be willing.

And the Doc Baron was all about purity.
Old 10-02-18, 12:28 PM
  #30  
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Re: A Cure for Wellness (2017, d: Verbinski, s: DeHaan, Goth, Isaacs)

Finally watched this just now, streaming on HBO. I really enjoyed it, but admit that some days maybe I’m just in the mood for style over substance.

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