EIFF 2009: Pontypool (2009)

Pontypool is a film that at first appears to be one thing but reveals itself to be something different. Or at least it takes a genre we know and turns it on its head, defying all of the clichés we've come to recognise. It's unnerving, sardonic, and a hoop-load of fun.

When a mysterious virus breaks out in a small town in Ontario, Canada, chatty radio host Grant Mazzy is left holed up with his two colleagues where they can do nothing but sit and wait. Mazzy stays true to his radio hosting ways as he keeps the public informed from his booth as the virus outbreak grows ever worse.

Pontypool - which is, according to the movie, a nickname given to a very small Ontario town - is essentially a zombie film (although director Bruce McDonald has insisted repeatedly they be referred to as "Conversationalists"), but it's a zombie film with a twist. Not to give too much away, but suffice it to say that it's unlike any other film of the horror sub-genre I've ever seen or heard of, using an everyday aspect of life and human interaction as its hook. And I really can't believe someone hasn't thought of it before.

It's a great mixture of terror, thrills, and dark humour, all the while with its tongue lodged firmly in its cheek. It never clearly defines itself as one thing or the other, and that's one of the beauties of it. It can be enjoyed by a host of different types of movie fans, from those who love uneasy tones and jump-scares, to those wanting something a bit different than what we usually get with this type of thing. And director Bruce McDonald and screenwriter Tony Burgess (based on his novel Pontypool Changes Everything) keep the whole thing as a strange kind of morbid fun.

But the real brilliance of Pontypool is how it goes against what we expect from the zombie film. Sure there is the idea of a mysterious infection breaking out and spreading quickly from person to person, as well as elements of gore and the "small group of people trying to stay alive" routine. But that's not only to be expected but it's needed, is it not? It's in how the zombie storyline plays out and is shown that makes the movie stand out from others of its type.

First off, we virtually never leaves the confines of the radio station where host Grant Mazzy - a wonderful, charismatic, fun Stephen McHattie - is keeping whatever public may be listening out there informed of what's going on and the fact that he and a few others are still alive. Someone's out there other than you, that's the message sent out to a public we never see - you're not alone in this crazy land of the infected. Its limited location may have been down to budget constraints, but McDonald, as he does with just about every other possible hindrance, turns this into a positive thing - a feeling of claustrophobia is rarely absent here.

McDonald leads us on a guessing game, only letting us get wind of much needed information as our main characters do. We get various calls about what's happening in other places that force us mentally to go through the ordeal of what's happening to people as opposed to just seeing it on screen. Since we never see all that much of the public in danger or the infected zombies, the gore is thankfully kept to a minimum, as if it hadn't have been, the film would have lost a bit of the restraint and subtlety that make it so great.

Having said that, we do get to see some of the zombies in action, and I think it would have been a bit disappointing if we hadn't. But again, in spite of the obligatory blood around the mouth, the horrible groaning and the evil-looking eyes, the film never takes it to an unnecessary level with the gore or bloody violence. Modern zombie films like Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later are as gory as can be, but Pontypool doesn't lump itself in with those movies (not that there's anything wrong with them, of course).

I've read some reviews that criticize Pontypool for introducing a new character about halfway through the movie that serves little purpose other than to provide exposition of things we already know or can at least work out on our own. And even though to a certain extent that's true, I thought it was a wise decision because this (rather important) character gives us a taste of the outside world we've only, up until that point, known through phone calls. I never felt like the movie suffered from the addition of an extra character or two, as it always keeps its main character (and to an extent our second main one) firmly in mind.

Just like its twist on the zombie genre, and the way it keeps us just as much in the dark about what is going on as the characters are, the ending of Pontypool is also fantastically uncommon. Again, not to give too much away (it's undoubtedly a film you're best knowing as little about as possible before watching it), but if this were big budget Hollywood fare, let's just say the conclusion would be much more optimistic. Overall, as far as pure enjoyment goes, I enjoyed Pontypool more than any movie in the last few months. It may not satisfy those out there who like their zombie movies to be fast, bloody, and furious, but for anyone who likes to be diverse in their film choices, Pontypool is an absolute must. Fan-tastic.

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