Here's Light House Shines' look at CUBE. Which is a low budget film with some high budget concepts. It's one to catch when you get a chance. It's a weird film, I'll tell ya that, but there are some cool effects work here, same folks did some of the work in MIMIC. The review has some spoilers, so watch out.
Surprisingly enough I heard about this film over a year ago while doing some random search on the net, probably looking for porn or something like that. Anyway I stumbled upon this really weird film named CUBE, which reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode. You know, the one with the soldier, the ballerina, the clown and some other random people all in a huge grey cylinder. Where they all had to work together in order to reach the top and get out, though in the end it turns out that they are all just some toys in a bucket and there is no real escape. Which is somewhat similar to this film's plot as well, as the Canadian independent film CUBE is about several such "like" individuals who find themselves in a huge maze or CUBE. With apparently no way out, yet they were all obviously chosen or selected to be in the CUBE for some reason that sets them apart from other individuals.
For initially there are six individuals, well, actually there are seven individuals in the start of the film. Though unfortunately the first person to wake up in the CUBE is also the first person to die, as he blindly steps into a trap consisting of a barely visible steel wire that literally diced him from head to toe as it were ( Great opening scene by the way, really got the whole movie started). Hence we are left with only six main characters. All of whom mysteriously just woke up one morning to find themselves somewhere in the CUBE, or more aptly, woke up in a single room of an immense CUBE. As the CUBE itself is is made out of over 17,000 smaller CUBES, each of which is roughly 14x14x14 feet. Which gives you a general idea of just how huge this thing is to begin with. For it seems that in the dead of night six seemingly random individuals were selected and transported to the CUBE, for what we can only guess is some sort of test. Otherwise why would they have selected such characters as Reenes, the escape artist ( Played by Wayne Robson, though he is the next to die via a face full of acid). The mathematician Leaven played by Nicole deBoer ( who you may recall as a semi recurring character on the Kids in the Hall as well as from the sci-fi channel original series Deep Water Black, or better yet from one of my favorite Outher Limit episodes, The Quality of Mercy). Worth the seemingly average office worker with a secret ( Played by David Hewlett), Quentin the cop ( Please note the actual prison names, Leaven, Worth and Quentin), played by Maurice Dean Wint. The autistic savant Kazan played by Andrew Miller, and lastly the always moral Dr. Holloway played by Nicky Guadagni.
All of which have to learn to put aside their petty differences and find a way to work with one another and figure out a way out of the CUBE, as that is what the ultimate purpose of their being there is. Or so it would seem, though you never really do find out for sure. As it is discovered fairly early on in the film that Worth's character was actually involved in the creation of the CUBE, or at least in the creation of it's outer hull. Yet he doesn't really know anything about it, albeit his unique knowledge of the general size of the CUBE eventually allows Leaven's character to plot their course or progression through the CUBE via simple geometry now that she knows what the overall size of the CUBE is or should be. While Dr. Halloway's character on the other hand constantly reminds people how stress can affect the mental processes as well as the fact that under such conditions, without food and water they have roughly three days before they are too tired or weak to move ( So they are all aware they are on a time limit). Hence Quentin's character continues to always drives them on, whether they want to or not, since their time is so short. As well continues to try and figure out what is really going on and just who or what is behind the huge alien CUBE. Assuming that the CUBES inner workings were as easy to predict as a common criminal's, which they are not. While Kazan's character, who was thought to be pretty much useless throughout most of the film, and surely would have been left for dead if not for Dr. Halloway moral convictions about not leaving anyone behind, can apparently do huge mathematical equations in his head in mere seconds. Which is exactly what Leaven's character ultimately needs in order to safely map and plot a way out of the CUBE ( Their location is based on a huge three dimensional map and complex geometric computations that would normally be done using a computer). Which she eventually does, though not without a few casualties on the way. As it turns out the CUBE itself is constantly moving, or moreso the smaller CUBES that make up the giant CUBE are. Which is why the group initially finds themselves going around in circles, as the rooms keep changing before they could reach the exit. As one of Leaven's plotted points took them outside of the graph or CUBE as it were. For there is one room that acts as bridge and it is constantly shifting positions, only acting as a bridge or exit for a short period of time as it continues it journey through the CUBE ( Which apparently takes days, longer than they can survive without food and water).
Now without giving away too much more I really liked this film, even though I kind of figured out early on that this film would end badly for all involved, as there is really no other way it could end and be even remotely satisfying. Especially is it is actually supposed to be KAFKAESQUE as I think it is in appearance and substance. As nothing ever really works out for any of Kafka's characters, though the autistic kid did manage to get to safety, though we have no idea what safety really means in this world. Nor do we ever know he wasn't put right back into the box so to speak, plus I don't think we are ever supposed to know that and that is where a great deal of this films enjoyment comes from. As I know I certainly got a kick out of watching all the characters argue, come together, work things out, only to argue again and eventually turn on one another as was simply inevitable from the beginning. Which made it all the more enjoyable to watch, as you just knew it was going to happen. You just didn't know exactly how or when and that was one of the coolest parts. So while I don't think this film will ever make any serious cash ( It cost less than $300,000 to make), it will undoubtably become a cult classic. For this film was not only made to merely entertain, but to educate or expands ones thoughts as well. For this film really does make you think, as well as question some of the stuff that we all take for granted in our everyday lives. Well at least it did for me anyway, maybe it will do the same for you too!
Sincerely,
Light House Shines
