The Rule of Jenny Pen - New Release Review
Director: James Ashcroft
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, John Lithgow, George Henare, Hilary Norris
Written by: James Ashcroft, Eli Kent
Produced by: Catherine Fitzgerald, Orlando Stewart
Cinematography by: Matt Henley
Original Score by: John Gibson
Synopsis:
Confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, a former Judge must stop an elderly psychopath who employs a child's puppet to abuse the home's residents with deadly consequences.
Thoughts:
Perverse and deeply disturbing, 'The Rule of Jenny Pen' is a difficult watch at times but the two leads Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, two of the best actors of their generation, make it impossible not to be entranced by this peculiarly cruel film.
James Ashcroft directs from Owen Marshall's short story about a respected Judge (Geoffrey Rush) who, after suffering a debilitating stroke, must learn to live amongst other elderly patients in a nursing home. Judge Stefan is not an easy man to get on with and is very judgemental from the outset. A man who believes he is on another level to most men. Living in a nursing home for the weak minded and weakened bodied is a huge downfall for him and has all but vanquished his pride and self-esteem. It becomes even more difficult and unbearing when he encounters a fellow patient by the name of Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) who turns out to be bullish and deranged. Can he stop him?
As expected Rush and Lithgow are both in fine form here. Magnetic charisma in very different ways. Lithgow is having the time of his life here portraying a sadistic and mercilessly callous man who has fallen from grace and is now victimizing his fellow patients in the most heinous way possible. Lithgow has tapped into that special place that helps him to so often excel as a villain. He's proven before that his dark side is his best side in films like 'Blow Out', 'Raising Cain', 'Ricochet' and even slightly less barbarous roles like 'Santa Claus'.
Geoffrey Rush's performance is a little more restrained though he has to show moments of intensity, particularly during some outbursts. He is able to convey so much with so little effort and it's little nuances that really help to establish his portrayal as authentic and believable.
There's quite a few disturbing scenes when Lithgow gets up close and personal with Rush and another character played by George Henare, an ex rugby player who has terrible problems with his hips and legs. Director James Ashcroft does a fantastic job at creating a tense and excrutiatingly upsetting atmosphere during these emasculating sequences. His previous film 'Coming Home in the Dark' addressed abuse at an all boys school and he's carried that theme on here too on the opposite end of the life scale and somehow it's equally appalling.
Does it get a little silly and hard to accept? Yes it does admittedly. This nursing home seems to have no nightshifts which essentially means it's open season for Lithgow's maniacal abuse to go unoticed. And when the Judge fights back, initially vocally and then eventually on a physical level, the day staff shrug it off and almost gaslight him. A scary thought that sadly is probably a reality in a lot of these types of institutions.
'The Rule of Jenny Pen' isn't a horror film in a traditional sense, although the clever editing and fantastic use of light certainly makes it an uncomfortable watch. But the real horror lies in Lithgow's devilish eyes, manic performance and his menacingly weird attachment to a child's doll that he uses as a hand puppet and his avatar of evil.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
'The Rule of Jenny Pen' is in UK and Ireland cinemas March 14th from Vertigo Releasing