MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Psychological Horror/Stars: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Patricia Kalember, Eriq La Salle, Ving Rhames, Brian Tarantina, Anthony Alessandro, Brent Hinkley, S. Epatha Merkerson, John Capodice, Kyle Gass, Lewis Black, Perry Lang, Macaulay Culkin/Runtime: 113 minutes

I think it can safely be said that, should one make a list of the most powerful organs in the human body, one that definitely should get a place on that list would have to be the human mind. I mean not only is this the part of the body that helps ensure that we breathe and sleep as well as we can, but it also helps us move, helps us regulate our stress patterns (a function that for quite a few of us out there is dead set on the overdrive level at pretty much all times), helps our other organs function at their optimum levels, and is even the organ that is responsible for the formation of our memories and dreams respectively. It is that last category incidentally which I feel is worthy of talking about here. No it’s not because this movie review is about to suddenly turn into a TED talk on the wonders of imagination, but rather due to an idea related to it that cinema of all genres has long showcased a fascination for. That being the very thin and even more fragile line which exists in all of us to help us in our day to day efforts of distinguishing between what is real and what is the product of our imagination, however active or inactive we perceive it to be, and (even more importantly) what happens when an individual repeatedly crosses that line with such a ferocity and intensity that you’d swear they were wielding it less as a vital mental barrier and more like a jump rope. Indeed it is this very topic that has resulted in quite a few intriguing slices of cinema with some of the more noteworthy examples being 2001’s A Beautiful Mind which told the story of real-life genius mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. and his battles with schizophrenia, 2010’s sci-fi heist film Inception where I must admit even I still to this day don’t know if the man is in a dream or reality, 1991’s Barton Fink, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (big surprise there I know), 2000’s Huey Lewis and Phil Collins-fixated American Psycho, 2010’s ballet gone bat guano Black Swan, and even 1990’s Total Recall (the less said about its remake the better) to name but a few examples. Among the list of cinematic entries that deal with this particular topic however, there is one that sadly does not get nearly as much love as a lot of the others which is surprising to me. Not only because it’s a genuinely good slice of cinema, but also because it was an influencing for a very popular video game series from legendary developer Konami. That slice of cinema would be the, also from 1990, psychological horror film Jacob’s Ladder and honestly it may have a few hiccups here and there, but overall with the aid of fairly vivid work on both sides of the camera this is one waking nightmare you cannot afford to miss.

The plot is as follows: Jacob’s Ladder gets its nightmarish odyssey underway by taking us back in time to the long-ago year of 1971 to that infamous place known as Vietnam. It is here where we quickly meet our hero, a member of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, by the name of Jacob (or Professor as his squad mates have lovingly bestowed upon him) Singer as he and those aforementioned squad mates find themselves all but twiddling their thumbs in a village in the Mekong Delta for further orders. Yet as seemingly relaxed and jokey as the mood is between these brothers-in-arms, we see that things just as swiftly are about to take a turn for the horrific. A turn that occurs when not only does the squad seemingly come under attack suddenly, but a lot of the unit also starts showcasing strange behaviors including seizures and even our hero himself, despite running deep into the jungle, finds himself getting viciously stabbed by a bayonet. From there, the film then moves ahead a solid 4 years where we see that, in the time since his experiences in Vietnam, our hero has chosen to settle in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York with his girlfriend Jezebel and make his way in the world as a member of the postal department. Despite the fact that he seems relatively content in this existence he has managed to carve out for himself, including semi-regular visits to his friend/chiropractor Louie, we see that all is tragically not well upstairs if you get my drift for our friend Mr. Singer. This is because not only does he miss his ex-wife Sarah and the children he had with her, especially one by the name of Gabe who tragically passed away before he left to go fight in Nam, but he has also been experiencing a series of ever-escalating hallucinations and even flashbacks. Not only to the life he had before Nam, but also to the incident in Nam that we witnessed at the beginning of the movie. As a result, we see that our seemingly mild-mannered hero has now started to slip into a sort of danger zone. One where the line between what is real and what is the product of the mind is dangerously blurred, but also one that he must enter. Not for the sake of his girlfriend, his friends, or even himself for that matter. Rather, it is one that he must enter should he wish to find the peace that perhaps he did not know he needed and reclaim a firm grip on the sanity that he has been tenuously losing for quite some time. As for whether he does or not to say nothing of what he discovers along this path through a literal waking nightmare that is something I think I will let you find out for yourself….

Now right off, it should be noted that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing manages to do a fairly wonderful job all things considered. This starts with the work done at the helm by noted film director Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, 9 ½ Weeks, and of course Fatal Attraction) and he does a terrific job. Not just in his effective utilization of both seemingly run of the mill items in the ordinary world to conjure up a legitimate sense of ominous dread as well as more traditional horror components to strike just the right degree of terror in our protagonist, and by extension all of us as movie goers, but also in his bringing in moments of solemnness and genuine emotional gravitas that are legitimately potent. As a result, yes you are definitely left with your spine tingling and the hairs on the back of your neck standing up on end during this film, but you are also provided more than a few moments where you might find yourself actually holding back tears as well. We also see that Lyne does a masterful job at giving this film a very unusual narrative structure to it courtesy of the seemingly constant hallucinations and flashbacks being suffered by Jacob throughout the film. As a result, not only are you constantly left in a vibe of intrigue as to where this narrative could go, but it also gives off the vibe of being on a drug trip that has gone awry only you don’t have someone there to help you through it. This level of disorienting can also be seen in the top-tier work done by Jeffrey L. Kimball and the rest of the cinematography department for this slice of cinema. Indeed not only does Kimball and his team’s work on this beautifully synch up with the work done by Lyne at giving this slice of cinema the proper mood and atmosphere, but they also engage the camera in ways that prove to be invaluable in making the audience feel as dizzy and disoriented as Jacob is more than once throughout the movie including a party scene that, without going into spoilers, definitely feels like one that would have been hosted by H.R. Giger and H.P. Lovecraft back in the day. Lastly, I most assuredly feel that praise should be afforded to the work done by iconic composer Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia and The Man Who Would Be King among many others) on this slice of cinema’s musical score. Indeed Jarre does a beautiful job here at giving this film a score that is equal parts unnerving, evocative, and even perhaps a hint of soul-stirring at certain points which helps to not only stir up the necessary emotions within each of us as movie goers, but also reinforces the overall film immensely well also. Suffice it to say that it might have a few hiccups here and there (key among them a few issues with the script and 20 minutes of deleted scenes that, in this reviewer’s opinion, should not have been cut out of the final film), but by and large the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing definitely succeeds at both creating the truly twisted yet also emotionally gripping world of the film and making it one that, no matter how hard you try, you just cannot tear your eyes from up until the credits begin to roll.

Of course, the other element that helps this waking nightmare leave as much of an impact on you, the viewer as it is ultimately able to do would without question have to come from the contributions made by the undeniably talented cast of players in front of the camera. This naturally starts with Tim Robbins in the lead role and he is incredible here. Indeed this is a vital cog to making this entire movie function on the level that it does since if you don’t have someone who can both convey a wide range of emotions to say nothing of showcase a zeal for life and everything about it then the movie just won’t be as impactful as it should be. Fortunately for this slice of cinema, Robbins is not only able to give it those things and then some, but he is able to do it in a way that feels like it is genuine rather than acted and/or rehearsed in any way. As a result, when we see him smile and joke with his friends we feel that warmth in our own hearts as if he is joking with us as well, when we see him go through the wringer either physically or psychologically as he quite often does here we are just as impacted by what is occurring as he is, and when we see him scared out of his mind and unable to process just what is real or what is his mind getting the best of him we feel just as afraid as he does. Suffice it to say it’s one heck of a performance and Robbins plays it beautifully. Working terrifically alongside Robbins in this is the late and underrated Elizabeth Pena as Jacob’s girlfriend Jezzie. Indeed this is quite the difficult part to play since you have to have an actress who can be both loving and supportive yet also have moments throughout that suggest there might just be something off about her as well. Fortunately we see that Pena is up to the challenge and is able to give us a performance that is certainly a wonderful reminder of her incredible talent as an actress. Lastly I think I would be very much amiss if I didn’t devote some time in this section to the beautiful work done by the late yet great Danny Aiello in the role of Jacob’s friend/chiropractor Louie. Indeed Aiello was always a class act and here he does a terrific job in a smaller yet pivotal role at playing someone who is a wonderful mix of sincere, gentle, wise, decent, and certainly willing to be there for his friend no matter what. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into this cinematic mix wonderful efforts from such screen talents as Matt Craven, character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince who is nothing short of heartbreaking in his 15-20 minutes of screentime, early turns from Eriq La Salle and the always enjoyable Ving Rhames as two of the other men in Jake’s unit, a wonderfully sleazy turn from Jason Alexander as a more than slightly unscrupulous attorney (who also incidentally could be George Costanza for all I know), and an uncredited yet pivotal role from Macaulay Culkin shortly before his breakout role as Kevin McAllister in Home Alone among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might not be for everyone, but for those willing to take the journey this cast of talent certainly does their part in helping to make it worthwhile.

All in all and at the end of the day is Jacob’s Ladder a perfect cinematic viewing experience? Sadly as wonderful as that would be I am afraid that is not quite the case with this film though not for lack of effort on either the part of cast or crew. At the same time however, is this the worst cinematic effort for any of the talent involved since Tim Robbins signed on to be a part of that abysmal 2011 stab at the iconic DC superhero Green Lantern? Thankfully, I can confirm that is also not the case here. With that being said however, it should also be noted that this slice of cinema is not going to be one for every viewer out there due to either the subject matter, the way the subject matter is handled, the fact that it can be quite the slow burn at times, or some strange blend of the previous three. With that being said however, and should you find yourself able to hop on to the eerie yet equally thought-provoking wavelength that this particular film is operating on then I definitely think you will find this quite the taut and engaging little sit. To be sure, there are a few issues here and there, but with the aid of powerful work behind the camera and equally as riveting work done behind the camera by an extremely well-chosen cast of talent, Jacob’s Ladder is a surreal, creepy if not fairly nightmarish, and yet also in some strange way poignantly emotional look at the perils to be found with an ever-increasing divide between reality and fantasy in the mind of a seemingly every day individual much like you or me that you may never quite be sure where it is headed, but trust me when I say that you will definitely want to stay with right up until the very end. Not just to see where our hero winds up, but so that perhaps you can take something from this film that you might just be able to keep in mind for yourself where ever that winding and infinitely mysterious phenomenon known as life chooses to take you. Make of that dear reader what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Jacob’s Ladder “90” a solid 3.5 out of 5.