A Shock to the System (1990)

Directed by: Jan Egleson
Written by: Andrew Klavan
Based on book by: Simon Brett

It’s pretty kick-ass whenever black comedy is done right. No compromises, no switchbacks, no tritely false happy endings. While I can’t say its quite as brilliant as “Homer’s Enemy,” “A Shock to the System” is still fairly kick-ass as it is succinct and brutal–not to mention funny in a low key, audacious kind of way (though a few deep belly laughs happen occasionally).

Like that episode of the Simpsons, the comedy is dark and STAYS THAT WAY. It goes all of the way. The leading Michael Caine character, in one of the movie’s greatest assets, not only isn’t redeemed but doesn’t care one way or the other. As it should be.

Watch that face, listen to him:  Michael Caine.  I laughed so hard at one scene in particular which had Caine’s disaffected Graham waving good-bye to his detestable, insatiable wife while holding a saccharine smile for just a bit too long.  A rather clever use of the ‘f’-word at another point made me laugh nearly as hard.

Let’s talk about Michael Caine for a moment. He’s subtle, he’s smooth, he’s funny and he’s great. He brings an authority and believability to almost any character he plays. Understated, graceful, dry–Caine is, for me, one of the few actors that can command me to watch a movie simply because he’s in it. I just love to see him work.

Here, Caine plays a character that either breaks his sense of morality or has it broken; its a little open. He’s an exec in an American corporation with a shrew of a wife and a soul-sucking, patronizing position. Right off the bat, like James Mason’s Ed Avery in “Bigger Than Life,” we can tell a little disgruntlement is growing. He resents his life and seems to grow smaller, to have less energy every day.  Eventually, after he reaches a breaking point, we see him lose his humility and degradation and become more lithe, sexual and ruthless before our very eyes.

But its funny. Its funny partly due to the screwy, modernistic score that undercuts all of the action, from the film’s calm but creeping and engaging direction by Jan Egleson, from its tight, trim screenplay that’s rightly ruthless and unsentimental, but its funny most of all because of Caine’s performance as Graham Marshall.

As an actor, Michael Caine doesn’t screw around.  He doesn’t ever announce that he’s acting.  We get behavior that reflects a quiet, reflective understanding of what makes us human.  So, naturally, he’s funny.  Not necessarily in the way that makes you laugh, but grounded and realistic.  In this movie, though, his character is indeed very funny as he is cold and brutal.

Caine’s character, in what might be a gimmicky way to start the movie, gets a ‘shock to his system’ when he touches an ungrounded light bulb chain. I suppose the movie could want me to see this as his catalyst for his transformation, but I didn’t really care. Caine’s very real performance grounded (NO GODDAMNED PUN INTENDED) this silly premise for me and made his character transformation more about what it takes to push a man beyond his principles of good and evil.

And so, we witness Michael Caine’s methodical take down of all of the oppressive forces that gave him shit. That’s almost all I really want to say about what happens. There’s a potential love interest that works pretty well, he becomes more cold and frightening as the movie progresses, you know…its pretty good.  I’ll say this, I guess: the scene that’s truly key to the story and his transformation–one of my favorites out of a number of good ones–is one where Caine deals with one of the several bums that he presumably encounters every day. He’s had a bad, bad day at the office and tells him, increasingly authoritatively to ‘go away!’ In one swift second, he’s accidentally pushed the bum right in front of an oncoming subway train and instantly kills him. For a while, he’s oppressively paranoid and panicked, yet, as in “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” he finds that he’s not in hell, he’s not been punished; he is, as he puts it, “free.” Its all downhill from there, bobby boy.

You could use this movie as a great example of the kind of authorship an actor can bring to a film.  Despite the movie’s many positive, smart qualities, they are all elevated and transcended by the depth of character that Caine is willing to plumb in his performance.

I think my main problem with this movie is its swiftness. It may just be a bit TOO succinct. Hell, its only an hour and a half long…it hardly seems long enough to soak in the shifting psyche of a complex man. Its no “Taxi Driver” that’s for sure.  However, its tone is true.  The skilled, deadpan direction, the performances, intelligent–despite certain gimmicky touches–screenplay and score make the weaknesses less important.  The score in particular is very inventive and, thankfully and remarkably, remains completely free of post 1990 decay. No synths to speak of (except in a short, in-the-scene bit of Stevie Wonder), nothing dated really. In fact, the whole movie may work even better now than then; which may have more to say about our modern apathy towards morality demonstrated by our higher-ups than it does about the perfection of the production.  Our stale, stifling offices haven’t changed much in 22 years.

There are a few weaknesses in the otherwise very smart and dark script, as well as there being a poorly cast minor supporting character that consequently serves an only functional role at best.  The emphasis in the narration on the ‘dark magic’ metaphor manifests a couple of times too often in actual spoken dialogue.  Once, really, was too much.  These little perturbations break up the darkness and create the momentary vibe of a cute ’80′s fantasy rather than a grotesquely cynical, dark comedy.  Though the feeling only lasts for a moment, its enough to be a little jarring.  Before long, though, we get right back to the darkness and all is mostly regained and forgiven.

I should add that Peter Riegert (remember him from “The Mask?” “Animal House?” “Local Hero?”) is perfect as Caine’s main younger superior in what simply isn’t an Oscar kind of role. It isn’t a meaty role–that belongs to Caine–but he fills it with a natural understanding that never shifts into overt villainy. He’s really just a sleaze and a shrewd, cold-hearted businessman to me rather than really being out to get anyone in particular (as in many a lesser film).  Elizabeth McGovern as well gives a very good and very different kind of performance that makes her more than just a love interest.

But really, the descent of Caine’s character is what this movie’s all about. And, because its Michael Caine, we want him to get away with it; despite how unremittingly ruthless and slick he becomes. And he never apologizes–not even when he gets the girl.

Aaron J Brian