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Dark Water (2005)
psychological thriller... but not so thrilling
An interesting, potentially moving story that could have been better done. Somehow was rather limp, rather than taut with tension. Since I have had lots of problems with leaky apartments and uncooperative building supervisors, the characters' problems felt more like a renters' nightmare than anything - and weird noises and startling flashback images didn't add any creepiness, though they were clearly supposed to. I was vaguely reminded of The Tenant, but that film was WAAAAY creepier than this one. The nature of the ghost might throw some viewers, as it is from a Japanese novel and ghosts in Japan come from a different tradition than those in the West. Japanese ghosts are less impersonal and more like an evil spirit, taking an intense interest in a living person. But still, the ghost struck me as more a sad thing than a scary thing.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
surprisingly engaging for a Disney thing
I went to this to accompany my friend and her 7 year old grand daughter, not knowing anything about it. When the Disney logo came up, I groaned inwardly... but then proceeded to really enjoy the film. There were a few very Disney moments, where the sentimentality was strong, but I think that's what people like about Disney. It was also a sad story (I had vague flashbacks to being a kid and watching Where The Redfern Grows), so I kept looking at our young companion, but she was draped horizontally in her chair, eyes narrowed and apparently barely awake. She later said she was "bored" while my friend and I agreed we liked it a lot, that the child actors were terrific. I don't know if our kid was a bit too young, or if "bored" was code for "made me feel uncomfortable" (knowing her, I think it was probably the latter). Would be a good show for nine and ten year olds I think.
El laberinto del fauno (2006)
more about reality than fantasy
I was hoping/expecting a grim but glorious flight of fancy, but this film is very much about raw reality. More of the film was about the war than it was about imaginary landscapes and creatures. I didn't find any escapist relief, and neither did the characters, in my perception. Everyone I think will have their own sense of what it's about - it is a layered, complex story with a lot of blood and drama and emotional intensity.
I noticed del Toro did not credit the 1973 film The Spirit of the Beehive as an influence, which disappoints me. He MUST have seen it, as it is a very famous Spanish film, and one of the finest art films ever made. It is about a child around the same time, dealing with the Spanish Civil War indirectly, via fantasies about the 1931 James Whale "Frankenstein" film. Beehive is quietly understated, and deeply powerful for those who pay close emotional attention to its slow unfolding... very different from the high drama and visually spectacular creatures of Labyrinth, but thematically very similar.
Little Children (2006)
clear-eyed view of human beings
I saw this director's debut film, In The Bedroom, which was extraordinary, and wondered if he would be able to keep up such quality. This film is just as complex, full of human subtleties, and interesting turns. I hesitated to go see it because of the pedophile character, but this part of the story was well handled. There's a moralistic tone to the tale, but I didn't find this preachy at all - the viewpoint of the film is rather too detached for any judgments to be really heavy. This film is firmly in liberal-minded territory, giving every character a chance to express themselves, in various ways, and be understood.
Eragon (2006)
very derivative, okay for kids
Much of the visuals in this movie seemed to lifted from other films - mostly Lord of the Rings, but I also spotted a little Constantine. The dragon effects are well done, though the dragon herself is awkwardly put together and reminded me of a giraffe crossed with a dinosaur. The bad guys are truly creepy looking, there's some strong, dark imagery there. Older kids might like this if they are into the books, but the crowd of middle school young teens who sat through this one with me spent much of the movie listening to ipods, running up and down the aisles, making snide remarks, and fidgeting. In key scenes, they were quiet and attentive, but after the movie, the crowd was loudly disappointed and scornful - nobody liked it. Normally I don't like a theatre to be a quasi-playground, but I actually didn't mind, as it gave me something to focus on that was less boring than the movie. I am curious to know if the books are a lot better than the film - I trust they must be.
Cursed (2005)
pretty good for a classic sort of werewolf tale
I was expecting this to be awful, and it wasn't. There was a consistent humour running through it, and the monster character was interesting enough to look at. No jaw-dropping special effects, but pretty good - I wasn't distracted from the story by poor effects. I expect a werewolf in a werewolf movie to look gray and furry and ugly, and it was just that. I like Ricci and thought she was good, the whole cast was good. I noticed Wes Craven's hand in it by the odd touches of surrealism, details here and there like a cuckoo clock with a wolf jumping out - I thought the film could have used more of that imaginative quirkiness. The ending is a bit glib. A classic tale with a lightness to it, nothing heavy here, or particularly gory, except for a couple of scenes.
This Filthy Earth (2001)
grotesquerie
Having read the comment of the person who had to work in post-production on this film, I extend my sympathies to you! This is a very hard film to sit through and keep an unqueasy stomach. In fact, I think I got about halfway through, having been quite patient, before deciding that whatever point the filmmakers had did not justify their approach, and I left the theatre to see another film at the festival. If I had not been at a festival, I might have hung around for the ending (at this point I must say my fest friends are continually amazed by my patience with off-putting art films!) This movie is unrelentingly focused on the gross material aspects of existence. The reality we all live in is full of death, life, pain, pus, blood, mud, bodily orifices, rain, sun, and everything else our senses are inundated with, but the presentation of it in this film feels like having your head ducked into a trough full of manure. What is most unsettling is the impression that this is exactly what the film makers were trying to do...
Six Days Seven Nights (1998)
lacks energy somehow
Growing up, Han Solo seemed the height of manliness, and I have always seen Harrison Ford in that light... but even so, that doesn't mean I want to see him in the lamest, most persistent movie cliché going (old grizzled guy meets young slim blond hottie, and they mysteriously gravitate together at the lips). This cliché is tolerable to me only if the pair have a good, witty, energetic script (because this situation has to be humorous or it is just overdone and lame) and are playing off each other with almost visible sparks. None of that is happening here. If the woman had been less strident and stiff in the role, I could perhaps have semi-ignored her and pretended I was stuck on a desert island with Harrison Ford instead of her... but at least she has real presence, if not a lot of talent, so ignoring her was not an option.
Vampire's Kiss (1988)
yes its black comedy, but its not well done
This arty film is all over the place - confusing in tone, odd in concept, jarring in many moments, and with a central character that is not sympathetic enough to be more than very distantly interesting to the average viewer. It is rather poorly written, lacking in wittiness and elegance. I wonder what another director might have done with the material - either go toward more campy, or more psychological horror? Although I can't imagine either change improving this film very much. Cage gamely gives a fascinating performance, but mostly this film is just disturbing without being either very funny or very creepy - it's just... really odd.