THE AISLE SEAT - "THE X FILES"
by Mike McGranaghan
I was not looking forward to The X Files. I have only seen the TV show twice, and both times I hated it. Friends and family members who are "X Files" devotees insist that I just had the misfortune of catching two bad episodes. They may be right. The X Files - the movie - surprised me with its quality. This is an eerie, exciting movie that works even if you know nothing about the show. I'm still stunned by how much I enjoyed it.
The movie follows the continuing exploits of Fox "Spooky" Mulder (David Duchovny) his partner Scully (Gillian Anderson), two FBI agents who specialize in otherworldly cases. I have a feeling that the less I say about the plot here, the better, because part of what made the movie work for me was the ever-deepening level of conspiracy that unravels, with a surprise at every turn. It begins with a little boy falling down a hole in Texas and ends with mankind facing a nasty destruction. Paranoia is everywhere, especially since the government seems to be in on the conspiracy.
Conspiracies fascinate me. Oliver Stone's JFK is one of my favorite films simply because it asks all the right questions. The conspiracy in The X Files is (I hope) not really possible, but it does play on a fear that many of us have: the fear that our own government is keeping secrets from us. Martin Landau co-stars as a doctor named Kurtzweil. He often encounters Mulder in dark alleyways and gives him little clues. Although his screen time is brief, it's an intriguing character because he knows a lot of things he probably wishes he didn't know.
The success of "The X Files" has always been due, in part, to the characters. I liked the first scene they have together in the movie for the way it perfectly introduces them with only a few words. They have a rooftop discussion about the value of expecting the unexpected that gives the audience an immediate idea of their personalities. Mulder is the believer, the one who really buys into all the paranormal stuff; Scully is the cynic, the one who demands absolute proof and never gets it. Duchovny and Anderson have an unusually effective chemistry together. Mulder and Scully have different points of view, but both are very low key and intelligent - something the actors make crystal clear.
Writer/creator Chris Carter obviously has as much affection for them as he does for all the governmental double-dealings and alien activity. I think it bears mentioning that - as smart as the characters are - the story is every bit as smart. A lot of movies have smart characters in a dumb plot, or dumb characters in a smart plot. The X Files has it right on both sides. Even if the events depicted in the film aren't real, they somehow seem well within the realm of possibility. And if something along these lines could occur, I would want people like Mulder and Scully fighting the good fight out there.
I found myself being continually drawn in to The X Files. Every fifteen minutes or so, some new development is revealed that takes the paranoia to a new level. There's a real sensation here that the mystery gets deeper and the danger grows nearer. There are also some really scary scenes, especially a creepy one involving a mysterious tent in the middle of a corn field. The movie tempers its thrills with intelligence. It worked on me. (The ending gets a bit bogged down with special effects, but I'll forgive it that minor flaw.)
Now for the big question: Will I give "The X Files" another chance, based on my enjoyment of the movie? The answer is yes. The cable channel FX shows reruns every day. I plan to catch a few of them to see if the devotees were right. But since this is a review of the movie, let me pay it the ultimate compliment I can think of: Even if there were not a popular TV show and a pre-existing cultural phenomenon, The X Files would still be a terrific movie.
(
1/2 out of four)
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