November 15th, 2015 - Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal (2012)

The Sleepwalking Cannibal

Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal seems to be going for some sort of grandiose statement about art, inspiration, and mortality. I guess it didn't work for me on that level... I just wasn't buying what it was selling. But thesis statement aside, it's still an okay (but slightly pretentious) watch. Not that it's super artsy - I mean, it's still more of a comedy than anything, and it succeeds mostly on that front. Maybe I just hate art?

Thure Lindhardt plays Lars, a famous Danish painter whose artistic output has taken a nosedive; he hasn't painted anything in 10 years (although to me he looked too young for that, but whatever). Lars is looking for a change of pace, and finds it by getting a job teaching in a small art school - I'm guessing in small town Canada (Eddie is a Danish/Canadian co-production), although I don't think it's ever specifically mentioned. Anyways, one of the quirks of the school is Eddie - a strange, mute man (some would probably call him "simple") whose parents died when he was very young. Eddie's aunt is a big benefactor of the school, and they let him hang out there as a gesture of goodwill. But when Eddie's aunt dies, she wants to leave her inheritance to the school - on the condition that they take care of Eddie. And for whatever reason (I guess so there's a movie), they decide it would be best for Eddie to stay with Lars.

As you may have guessed, Eddie has some strange proclivities when it comes to his nighttime habits. The film was originally just called Eddie (per the title card), and I would have appreciated it being more of a natural reveal rather than being spoiled in the title. But I get why they added "The Sleepwalking Cannibal" part. People close to Eddie assumed his violent sleepwalking was cured, but apparently the death of his aunt (and the stress of his relocation to Lars' house) have started things up again. The whole thing catches Lars by surprise, but when he sees the carnage left behind after one of Eddie's incidents, he doesn't call the police - he is instead inspired to paint for the first time in a decade. And once that's done, Lars hides the body to protect Eddie. It's a great painting (I'd assume - you never really see it), and he sells it to help keep the school afloat - it also doesn't hurt that he's trying to impress one of his fellow teachers. So Lars has some noble intentions, but can't seem to get his artistic juices flowing without witnessing some carnage first. So he starts vaguely encouraging Eddie... and as you might expect, things don't go as planned.

There were some things that impressed me about the film. First and foremost is the overall tone. For such an over the top story (and title), Eddie has got a pretty melancholy vibe to it at times. I'm not saying it's a downer or anything, but I sort of expected a gory zom-com romp, and things here are a little more somber. The film has some heart too, as the relationship that develops between Lars and Eddie is really quite touching. A lot of this has to do with Dylan Smith's performance as Eddie. He can't talk, but does a great job selling his regret/sadness with his eyes and body language. I don't think any character in the film is particularly realistic, but Eddie is an engaging character nonetheless.

Horror-wise? You're dealing with a lot more of the aftermath of Eddie's attacks rather than the attacks themselves. You do get a fair amount of blood and grue (it earns it's R-rating) but it's a little more subdued since most of the attacks happen offscreen. There isn't much of a sense of dread or tension to be found, or really any chase/stalk scenes at all. But you do get a little more of an emotional sense of dread - how much will Lars exploit Eddie in the name of his art?

But the central theme of the film regarding art and inspiration just didn't ring true to me. I get the concept of art sometimes being born out of negative emotions (there are plenty of artists out there that become less interesting once they become successful), but I don't think I need to see a movie about it. Or at least, I didn't need to see *this* movie about it. Perhaps I just don't understand art at all. But for whatever reason, the "message" part of the film just didn't seem honest to me.

Still, Eddie is an interesting film, but one that's kind of hard to recommend. It's a little scary, but not very. A little funny, a little dramatic, but not very. It's just kind of an odd duck. So if that sounds okay and you're looking for something different, it's worth checking out.

I would   kind of recommend   this film.