It’s not the preposterous plot that makes “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” such a painful viewing experience. It’s the delivery.
I can’t tell what this movie thinks it’s doing. In the opening narration, a little kid narrates his life story: Louis (Aiden Longworth) is seen in a variety of amusing little comic episodes, all about the accidents that have dogged his existence.
He’s survived them all — even an electric shock, which the sequence plays for laughs. The music is cheerful during this, and you wonder whether this lucky kid is “touched by an angel” or “touched by fate” or touched by some other bad screenwriting cliché.
In fact, “9th Life” is all about murder, adultery and insanity, and Louis spends most of the movie in a coma. You may wish for the same fate after a half-hour of watching this movie.
During a picnic outing with his mom (Sarah Gadon, memorable in “Indignation”) and stepdad (Aaron Paul), Louis takes a fall off a cliff. He survives, but in an unconscious state.
His doctor (Jamie Dornan, the “Fifty Shades” dude) tries to piece together what happened. There’s a cop on the case, too, a sketchily written character given much more oomph than she deserves by Molly Parker’s sly performance.
In flashbacks, we see Louis interacting with his psychotherapist, played by Oliver Platt, who sips tea out of a mug for almost his entire performance. Or maybe it’s not tea.
The film is based on a novel by Liz Jensen, and directed by Alexandre Aja. He scored a hit with his 2003 French thriller “High Tension” and did a tepid remake of “The Hills Have Eyes.”
Aja directs with energy, but the tone is way off. The style is glib where the source material seemed to be reaching for a “Lovely Bones” vibe.
There’s one good touch: a sea monster that emerges in Louis’ subconscious mind. This creature is covered with seaweed and barnacles, and looks especially cool when swimming.
Along with its other problems, “9th Life” has a young protagonist who’s really kind of a jerk. When it’s hard to find anybody to root for, a movie like this probably has issues.
“The 9th Life of Louis Drax” (1 star)
A misfire about an accident-prone boy (Aiden Longworth), his coma, and the mystery that surrounds his parents (Sarah Gadon, Aaron Paul). The movie doesn’t know what tone to strike, and the melodrama that surrounds this situation is unintentionally laughable. With Jamie Dornan.
Rating: R, for violence
Showing: Meridian
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