Despite its undeniable status as a cultural icon and avatar of the ‘90s uneasy zeitgeist, “The X-Files” always struck me more for its nudity – as in, the emperor’s nudity – than for its rating as a speculative sci-fi heavyweight. Pairing a skeptic and a believer in the investigation of so-called paranormal events was an excellent formula, but the show’s insistent and self-indulgent mystery-mongering, while forming the backbone of the show’s complexity, reeked of intellectual dishonesty. Science was pitted against faith in the ideological opposition of Scully and Mulder, with the scientific method little more than a space cadet cast helplessly adrift in the vast space that is the desire, the need, to believe. The endless convolutions of the show’s alien conspiracy mythology, coupled with perpetually elusive evidence, made it clear that while the truth might be out there, answers were not – despite weekly encounters with the weird that should have filled a warehouse with enough evidence to persuade the most zealous disbeliever. Then again, this was a show for which even decisive endings for stand-alone episodes were anathema to its commitment to ambiguity, making the X-Files an exasperating exercise in open ends and loose threads. Forget reason; believing is justified by wanting to believe.
With a title like “I Want to Believe,” this second X-Files movie clearly hasn’t abandoned old habits. It does, however, leave behind the so-far unresolved alien conspiracy mythology along with the exotic phenomena like mothmen, genies, and serial killers who can squeeze themselves through small openings. The story delivers instead a clichéd game of “is he or isn’t he a psychic” involving a pedophilic priest in search of salvation. It’s of no help that the object of a tit-for-tat between Mulder’s belief and Scully’s skepticism ends up a sideshow to the film’s terrifically creepy, but decidedly not paranormal and somewhat derivative, central mystery. As a non-fan (to put it mildly), I can only speculate that in this lies a reason why serious fans of the series might be disappointed.
Surrounded by Tension
The series’ beautiful craft, however, is on full display in the film. Chris Carter directs with a knack for dynamic, but not jarring, camera angles and an eye for mood enriched by Bill Roes’s cinematography. From the dark corporate interiors of FBI headquarters to the “Fargo”-like vistas of snowy landscapes, “I Want to Believe” has polish without pretension, like the old pro who dresses for style and not for trend. The result: there is a crawling tension in every scene, even in those moments that telegraph themselves through storytelling conventions. “I Want to Believe” is, in terms of the cinematic experience, a classy piece of entertainment.
But however elegant a chiller the film is on its own merits, those pesky expectations associated with Carter’s gambit remain in play. “I Want to Believe” is aimed at padding the fan base with new viewers without (ahem) alienating existing fans. Yet the goals are largely incompatible. The mythology is far too complicated to be mashed up in an easily digested form for a film aimed at reviving interest in the series. Similarly, the high-concept weirdness of the show’s phenomena could easily overshadow the essential quality that gives the X-Files its heart – the quality an introduction has to tap into to lure new viewers into the trap.
Carter’s solution, while controversial in a “can’t make everyone happy” kind of way, is as sensible as it is surprising: offer a character piece. “I Want to Believe” introduces the best feature of the series by using the crime as an excuse to examine Mulder and Scully, whose riveting chemistry brings the couple on par with Steed and Mrs. Peel. Set 10 years after the end of the series, “I Want to Believe” finds Scully practicing medicine in a dour hospital and Mulder lying low – until a case with a paranormal component prompts the FBI to tap Mulder’s expertise. The film does deal briefly, but reasonably, with the circumstances that ended the series and sent Mulder on the lam, then jumps into a rueful meditation, mediated by gruesome crime, on morality, the nature of belief, and the toll exacted by investigating X-Files. We get Mulder’s drive – obsession might be a better word – and Scully’s skepticism in conflict with a faith tempered by caution, all beautifully underlined by a notable score that includes a tellingly wistful rendition of the classic theme. Duchovny and Anderson return to their roles with ease and depth, bringing a certain weariness sparked by dogged determination.
Paradoxically, while the series’ build-up to human extinction is left unresolved, “I Want to Believe” has a semblance of emotional closure to make the film feel like a fine epilogue, the series finale it never had. Carter has hopes for a third film, one that returns to the series’ mythology – the timing would be good, since according to the mythology doomsday falls on the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012. Although I’m still not a believer, nor likely to revisit a series I generally dislike, I actually hope Carter gets his one last chance to wrap things up – if he can.
Entertainment Value: ** (out of two)
Technical Quality: ** (out of two)
X-Files: I Want to Believe. Written by Chris Carter and Franz Spotnitz. Directed by Chris Carter. Starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly and Xzibit. 104 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for violent and disturbing content and thematic material).
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