Penned by Michael R. Perry, The Voices centers on nice-guy Jerry Hickfang (Reynolds), who works at a bathtub manufacturer in the small town of Milton. In his bright pink work jumpsuit and bubbly personality, Jerry may come off as a bit manic, and that's for a reason. He's been seeing a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver) to help overcome a recent tragedy, but he seems to be doing great...until she starts asking about his meds. He's been flaky on taking them, although he appears to be getting along just fine. "Have you been hearing voices?", she asks. Well, yeah, he has, from his dog Bosco and psychopathic Scottish cat Mr. Whiskers (both voiced hilariously by Reynolds), who function as the angel and devil encouraging him in what to do.
Jerry just wants everyone to like him, so he's thrilled when asked to coordinate the company picnic alongside British hottie accountant Fiona (Gemma Arterton). When off his meds Jerry's world is a fairy tale pastiche of rainbows and moonlight; everything seems right in the world. So what if he's having disturbing conversations with his pets about murder and envisioning Fiona as some kind of angel, it's certainly better than the grimy, blood-soaked reality when on his medication. Satrapi's subtle use of scenery to capture the true extent of Jerry's dementia is one of the film's brightest spots. After an encounter with Fiona ends in murder, the film takes a grisly turn with her severed head kept in the fridge like some kind of trophy. But she's still a chatterbox, encouraging Jerry to slice off another head so it can keep her company. It gets lonely in the fridge, sometimes. Soon after he strikes up a romance with Fiona's office mate, Lisa (Anna Kendrick), whose innocence and naivete prevent her from seeing beyond Jerry's charms to the dark soul lurking underneath. It's a delicate balance making us care about a deranged killer, but Reynolds succeeds with his warm-hearted, anxious performance. It's good to see Reynolds relieve himself of the sarcastic, cynical characters he generally plays into one that's more vulnerable.While the tone is a little all over the place, and an attempt to explain Jerry's psychosis comes too late and doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie, The Voices brilliantly finds humor and heart in truly heinous acts.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
