The Pyx

The effects aren't great and the movie jumps around in time a lot - if you aren't bilingual (English and French) then you might not get it right away. However, it's original, and Karen Black is beautiful as a heroin addicted hooker. I love the shots of Montreal in the 1970's throughout the film. I plan to watch this again someday. RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1 Casting - 1/1 Directing - 0.5/1 Story - 1/1 Writing/Screenplay - 1/1 Total Base Score = 4.5 Modifiers (+ or -) Originality: 1 Total RealReview Rating: 5.5 (rounded up to 6 for IMDB)

Deadly dull occult drama starring Karen Black as a murdered prostitute who sings folk songs over the action and Christopher Plummer as the detective investigating her death. The film alternates confusingly between her story in the past and his investigation, and the songs that Black sings are just headache inducing and shrill. The film is overloaded with bizarre symbolism that makes no sense, and it takes forever to really get going, by which time it's too late. There was probably a good idea behind the story, but it is so badly executed through which direction and photography and acting that it becomes a chore to sit through. Black had a great eye for choosing off kilter characters that have made her a cult icon, but this is not one of them. Plummer's hairstyle (obviously a toupee), meant to make him look younger, just makes him look silly. This definitely ranks up there as one of the worst occult movies ever made.

The ambitious script deserves some credit for the way it keeps intercutting the past with the present tense, a technique that results in some intriguing effects; in one scene we see somebody killed, in the next scene there he is, moving and talking! But, the pace of the film is plodding, the performances detached and completely unengaging (or maybe the characters are detached and completely unengaging; in any case, you don't sympathize with them), the direction too "arty" (for example, a driving scene with no dialogue runs about five minutes, while one of Karen Black's "melancholy" songs plays on the soundtrack). Plus, the VHS print I saw was SEVERELY damaged. (**)

Karen Black shines as Elizabeth Lucy, a heroin-addicted prostitute, in one of her finest roles from this under-rated and little-seen French-Canadian effort, filmed in Montreal. She also composed and sang three haunting songs which appear on the film's soundtrack. Christopher Plummer is also first rate as the policeman investigating her mysterious death; with somber overtones and a feeling of dread, the film, the film alternates between flashbacks and current time. Highly recommended, for those who like intelligence and thoughtfulness in their thrillers; they will not be disappointed with this one. The supporting cast is all equally proficient, and effective in their roles, especially Yvette Brind Amour as Meg the Madam. The grim and despairing world of heroin usage is presented unflinchingly as well in a hard-hitting way. The beautiful city of Montreal is presented in several time shots as well; to me, at any rate, one of THE very best and over-looked films of the early 1970's.

Cynical detective investigates the murder of a prostitute, a case which has occult underpinnings. Murky, unpleasant picture with bloody deaths and odd * shots of Karen Black (perhaps it's Black's body-double, for you rarely see Karen's face connected to the shapely naked figure). Christopher Plummer does a great job as the investigator; a handsome wise-ass, he's terrifically funny in his offhand manner and gives this a big boost. There's a bummer of a subplot involving a homosexual, and the damp Canadian locales are visually dull, but I did admire director Harvey Hart's structuring of the before-and-after storyline. Despite some great reviews from the critics, "The Pyx" just kind of tails off, and the credits hit the screen before you can stop scratching your head. ** from ****