'Spider (2002)' strikes me as a very uncharacteristic David Cronenberg film. Entirely absent are the graphic splashes of "body horror" for which the Canadian director is famous, replaced instead with another facet of the human condition: the mind. Though I went into this film expecting a thriller, it was really nothing of the sort; 'Spider' could more accurately be described as a slow-burning psychological thriller, surprisingly low-key by Cronenberg standards (think along the lines of Brad Anderson's 'The Machinist (2004)'). However you categorise it, I very much enjoyed this moody tale of a recovering mental patient, Spider (Ralph Fiennes), who begins to revisit the events – real and imagined – of his childhood. Ralph Fiennes, one of his generation's finest actors, does an extraordinary job of carrying the film in an almost wordless role; his dialogue is largely restricted to feverish, incoherent ramblings, but there's torment behind his every gesture and syllable; even his staggered gait is pitiful to watch.
2002 was a good year for Fiennes, who also played Francis Dolarhyde in the underrated Hannibal Lecter prequel 'Red Dragon (2002)' {yes, you'll also find him in 'Maid in Manhattan (2002),' but every man is allowed one mistake}. Miranda Richardson, in dual (and later triple) roles, undergoes a remarkable transformation as both Spider's beautiful housewife mother, and the vulgar tart who seemingly replaces her. So convincing is the shift in persona that, quite honestly, I didn't realise the two were played by the same actress until I watched the DVD special features afterwards. Gabriel Byrne has stated that his own role, as Spider's father, was the most difficult in the film, and you can see where he's coming from. Bill Cleg must project two personalities simultaneously: that of an overwhelmed working-class father perplexed by his son's mental illness, and that of a malevolent and murderous drunkard, the latter a fabrication of Spider's disturbed young mind.
2002 was a good year for Fiennes, who also played Francis Dolarhyde in the underrated Hannibal Lecter prequel 'Red Dragon (2002)' {yes, you'll also find him in 'Maid in Manhattan (2002),' but every man is allowed one mistake}. Miranda Richardson, in dual (and later triple) roles, undergoes a remarkable transformation as both Spider's beautiful housewife mother, and the vulgar tart who seemingly replaces her. So convincing is the shift in persona that, quite honestly, I didn't realise the two were played by the same actress until I watched the DVD special features afterwards. Gabriel Byrne has stated that his own role, as Spider's father, was the most difficult in the film, and you can see where he's coming from. Bill Cleg must project two personalities simultaneously: that of an overwhelmed working-class father perplexed by his son's mental illness, and that of a malevolent and murderous drunkard, the latter a fabrication of Spider's disturbed young mind.