For a movie attempting at a chilling, twisted originality, 'The Pyx' plays straight some standard features—the nudity (Elizabeth's ass, Jane's perky tits), the religious items. The same approach, on testosterone, will result in 'Angel Heart', some 15 yrs later.
In 'Angel Heart', a guy—not a policeman—investigates, and the corpses start piling up.
In 'The Pyx', Plummer sketches gently the policeman he's playing—low—keyed, inconspicuous, nonchalant, yet macho and tough; anyway, Plummer is good, and effortlessly intriguing. As a storytelling, 'The Pyx' is a masterwork of non—linear classicism; and I believe this screwed storytelling narrows the plot, it narrows the plot severely, almost incredibly much, enhancing in exchange the oppressive atmosphere. The director focused on the storytelling's virtuosity, with rather typical '70s emphasis on experimentalism. But the outburst of violence barely squares with the vagueness of the story, and it seems unconvincing to leave it so wholly unexplained, as if the core was hollow; we should know more about Keerson's mind (Keerson is played _lispingly by Roux, a quite ridiculous lisping, withered villain), and why does he begin so resolutely a hopeless battle with the police, plus signing the scenes with gory inverted crosses, etc.. This movie is original, interesting, intriguing and flawed.
The plot is quite meager, underdeveloped—sketchy, if you will—more like a pattern of hints, ultimately unsatisfactory. I mean, 'The Pyx' doesn't deserve its reputation of the movie of the Satanism; it could of been, it missed. The truth is, the movie, the script doesn't really enter the world of the drug addicts, of the _occultists, etc., Montreal's underworlds. It merely hints at those. And the action was too hurried for the confrontation between the policeman and the blasphemer not to look way too contrived and _malapropos; they are exchanging comic books lines, as if they would of fight off since forever. That kind of highly dramatic showdown would of required a longer succession of events in the police's investigation—not a mere day .
But then again, one must acknowledge the movie's attempt at some sound theology—the prostitute refused to confess, yet she protects the host, which means she's herself worthy of receiving, and not desecrating it by unworthy communion—she becomes herself a host, adding her sacrifice to that she benefits from.
Every masterpiece (which 'The Pyx' isn't), or at least intensely original work, is a standalone; nonetheless, 'The Pyx' is a chance to find out about Montreal, the novelist Buell, or Plummer, whose career reminds me of Hackman—both, good actors who have been, for a while, in good movies. Plummer resembles a smart priest, he has this sharply intelligent clerical air; more of a genuinely priestly type than, say, V. Sydow.
Karen, a remarkably gifted actress, was the very feminine, bitchy, wry type—here, in the role of a messed up woman. An American actress, she was 33 yrs when shooting this movie. She is a Scientologist, four times married, and essentially a '70s actress.
She sings a few tunes, Ethereal Wave, or ethereal goth, though by the early '70s none would have called them that, that have been justly remarked. Her songs are of the classy folk type, tentatively anticipating Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins—and significantly contemporary with Cohen's crooked folk.
Original and well—meaning, adorned, studded with thoughtful imagery, 'The Pyx' chooses the impressionistic haze of the early '70s, over the relevance of 'Cruising's descent into Hell; the synopsis of 'The Pyx' promises a descent into the underworld, which this movie _ain't—but a minutely sketched pattern of disturbing images, and veiled hints at a sickly world one would of liked to find more about. Such as it is, it surely _ain't one of the naturalistic descents into the Hell of some nastiness; and here is also its originality and even beauty of sorts.
Plummer plays a sharp, focused cop; one of his better roles.
Daddy Plummer must have been the most affordable supporting actor ever—since it looks like everyone could afford him for supporting roles—since The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Night of the Generals, Battle of Britain, Waterloo, until Malcolm X, Wolf, 12 Monkeys, The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Alexander—an interesting physiognomy, not much of an actor—not with contemporaries like Hackman, and squashed between the generation of Newman, and those of O'Toole, Nicholson, etc.; Plummer was 2 yrs older than Barray. The stage demands less _expressivity.
So 'The Pyx' is one in a handful of leading roles made by Plummer; as demeanor, he resembled a bit Harrison.
In 'Angel Heart', a guy—not a policeman—investigates, and the corpses start piling up.
In 'The Pyx', Plummer sketches gently the policeman he's playing—low—keyed, inconspicuous, nonchalant, yet macho and tough; anyway, Plummer is good, and effortlessly intriguing. As a storytelling, 'The Pyx' is a masterwork of non—linear classicism; and I believe this screwed storytelling narrows the plot, it narrows the plot severely, almost incredibly much, enhancing in exchange the oppressive atmosphere. The director focused on the storytelling's virtuosity, with rather typical '70s emphasis on experimentalism. But the outburst of violence barely squares with the vagueness of the story, and it seems unconvincing to leave it so wholly unexplained, as if the core was hollow; we should know more about Keerson's mind (Keerson is played _lispingly by Roux, a quite ridiculous lisping, withered villain), and why does he begin so resolutely a hopeless battle with the police, plus signing the scenes with gory inverted crosses, etc.. This movie is original, interesting, intriguing and flawed.
The plot is quite meager, underdeveloped—sketchy, if you will—more like a pattern of hints, ultimately unsatisfactory. I mean, 'The Pyx' doesn't deserve its reputation of the movie of the Satanism; it could of been, it missed. The truth is, the movie, the script doesn't really enter the world of the drug addicts, of the _occultists, etc., Montreal's underworlds. It merely hints at those. And the action was too hurried for the confrontation between the policeman and the blasphemer not to look way too contrived and _malapropos; they are exchanging comic books lines, as if they would of fight off since forever. That kind of highly dramatic showdown would of required a longer succession of events in the police's investigation—not a mere day .
But then again, one must acknowledge the movie's attempt at some sound theology—the prostitute refused to confess, yet she protects the host, which means she's herself worthy of receiving, and not desecrating it by unworthy communion—she becomes herself a host, adding her sacrifice to that she benefits from.
Every masterpiece (which 'The Pyx' isn't), or at least intensely original work, is a standalone; nonetheless, 'The Pyx' is a chance to find out about Montreal, the novelist Buell, or Plummer, whose career reminds me of Hackman—both, good actors who have been, for a while, in good movies. Plummer resembles a smart priest, he has this sharply intelligent clerical air; more of a genuinely priestly type than, say, V. Sydow.
Karen, a remarkably gifted actress, was the very feminine, bitchy, wry type—here, in the role of a messed up woman. An American actress, she was 33 yrs when shooting this movie. She is a Scientologist, four times married, and essentially a '70s actress.
She sings a few tunes, Ethereal Wave, or ethereal goth, though by the early '70s none would have called them that, that have been justly remarked. Her songs are of the classy folk type, tentatively anticipating Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins—and significantly contemporary with Cohen's crooked folk.
Original and well—meaning, adorned, studded with thoughtful imagery, 'The Pyx' chooses the impressionistic haze of the early '70s, over the relevance of 'Cruising's descent into Hell; the synopsis of 'The Pyx' promises a descent into the underworld, which this movie _ain't—but a minutely sketched pattern of disturbing images, and veiled hints at a sickly world one would of liked to find more about. Such as it is, it surely _ain't one of the naturalistic descents into the Hell of some nastiness; and here is also its originality and even beauty of sorts.
Plummer plays a sharp, focused cop; one of his better roles.
Daddy Plummer must have been the most affordable supporting actor ever—since it looks like everyone could afford him for supporting roles—since The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Night of the Generals, Battle of Britain, Waterloo, until Malcolm X, Wolf, 12 Monkeys, The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Alexander—an interesting physiognomy, not much of an actor—not with contemporaries like Hackman, and squashed between the generation of Newman, and those of O'Toole, Nicholson, etc.; Plummer was 2 yrs older than Barray. The stage demands less _expressivity.
So 'The Pyx' is one in a handful of leading roles made by Plummer; as demeanor, he resembled a bit Harrison.