Many reviewers compare Saw to Silence of the Lambs or Seven. It is neither. It is psychological thriller done with a lesser known cast. There is blood, there is gore and there is also a story.

The movie opens with two men chained to pipes on opposite sides of the room. Their instructions are simple: if stranger A want to live, he must kill stranger B. And so begins the journey.

Relentlessly flashing backwards and forwards to present time, Saw employs a non linear story structure. Perhaps there are reasons for this, but excessive use of the technique can compromise clarity. In this movie the abuse is borderline.

After allowing several days to reflect on this film,the main shortcoming still nags me – tremendous effort went into the beginning and ending while the middle, well muddles.

What works about Saw

1) Ending – the best of any film this year and last.

2) Opening – definitely one of top five opening scenarios.

3) Very grungy, real look adds to the experience.

What needs more work

1) Danny Glover. Completely miscast here.

2) A tiny hint as to Jigsaw’s ( the killer’s ) motivations would have been nice.

3) Less flashbacks

Based solely on the ending, if you like thrillers or even quasi thrillers, see Saw.

Verdict: Matinee / DVD.