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Darkness [2002]
Reviewsdull as! Review date: 2008-10-13 Rating: 4 out of 10 why did i bother with this film?it's all been done before!!well to be honest maybe its the recent film ' the messengers' which gave me cause for alarm, as there were so many similarities between the stories that i could barely tell the difference!!!However i enjoyed the latter more as this film still had the repettive feel to it even though it had been done beforehand, watch the newer film and leave this one alone. UNDERRATED Review date: 2007-08-30 Rating: 8 out of 10 There are some films that, even if they have flaws elsewhere, would be worth viewing for one or a few outstanding elements. Although I do not think that Darkness has flaws elsewhere, it is a must-see film based on its cinematography alone, with its editing a close second. Both are consistently inventive and excellent. Surely not everyone is going to agree with me that Darkness is a 10, but if you have an appreciation for the visual aspects of cinematic art, you can't afford to pass up this film. After a brief prologue featuring a young boy talking to authorities about the mysterious abduction of some children, accompanied by a fast-cut montage, we jump 40 years into the future. At the urging of Mark's (Iain Glen) father, Albert Rua (Giancarlo Giannini), Mark and Maria (Lena Olin) have moved their family back to Spain, where Mark was raised until his parents divorced and his mother took him to the U.S. They have two kids, college-aged Regina (Anna Paquin) and the much younger Paul (Stephan Enquist), who are having the expected difficulties adjusting, even though Regina's love of swimming is helping her quickly make friends, including a boyfriend, Carlos (Fele Martínez). They've moved into a big and spooky but beautiful old country house, where they begin experiencing subtly strange occurrences. At the same time, Mark is experiencing the reemergence of a strange brain disorder that causes him to have seizures and behave oddly. As the occurrences in the home and Mark's behavior begin to get stranger and more threatening, Regina suspects that the house may have something to do with it. Much of the film is an attempt to discover the source of the problems, while director/co-writer Jaume Balagueró gradually builds tension through the bizarre occurrences. The answer to the house's mystery is nicely mythological, and the climax and dénouement of the film are nicely original and nihilistic. I can see a few aspects of Darkness putting off some viewers. A lot of people have complained that they found the plot confusing. Apparently, Dimension severely cut the film (as they are wont to do--just look at the fiasco with Wes Craven's 2005 film, Cursed) for its U.S. theatrical release to guarantee a PG-13 rating. I didn't see the U.S. theatrical release; I've only just now seen the film on the unrated DVD release. While the plot is complex, at least given the backstory, and Balagueró doesn't walk the viewer through the plot by the hand--you have to exercise that thing inside your noggin a bit--Darkness is nowhere near the non-linearity, surrealness or poetic ambiguity of many European and Asian horror films. I can't imagine horror fans who have seen and love a lot of the works of masters such as Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Hideo Nakata and Takashi Miike complaining that this plot is confusing. Personally, I loved the plot and the script in general, including the occult-oriented backstory. Secondly, some film fans deplore derivativeness. Darkness takes a lot of cues from Amityville Horror (1979), including the yucky tap water, the difficulty with getting warning telephone calls through, the dad who is gradually turning into a monster, the mystery room, and so on. To a large extent, this is a haunted house film similar to Amityville. There are also a number of other references, including the "evil hallways" as seen in Asian films like Whispering Corridors (Yeogo goedam, 1998) and Dark Water (Honogurai mizu no soko kara, 2002), which probably got the same from The Shining (1980), which is also referenced here in different ways. Anyone who reads my reviews regularly knows that I do not mind derivativeness. I find it relatively unavoidable, and more of a factor of the viewer's knowledge. The films you think are not derivative probably only have that status because you are not familiar with, or do not remember, the films they're derivative of. What matters is how well the film in question handles its material, not how original it is. Darkness handles its material better than many of its influences. Next there are the performances. I thought the performances in the film were excellent, but this is more just a matter of taste. I saw someone complain about Anna Paquin's enunciation, for example, and yes, she does speak quickly and mumble a lot of lines, but on the other hand, many young women do that in real life, so it's probably true to the character. Occasionally the performances go a bit over-the-top, but they should given these characters in these scenarios. But what about the cinematography and editing? Balagueró has cinematographer Xavi Giménez employ a huge range of techniques, which he consistently edits in intriguing ways with Luis De La Madrid. The pacing varies from incredibly fast-cut montages to slow lingering views of architecture. The sets and locations are beautiful, lavishly decorated, colorful, and beautifully lit. Because the film is ultimately about darkness (in many literal and figurative senses), darkness is a major motif of the lighting and cinematography. Varying portions of the frame are pitch black in many shots, with maybe a character's face, or some exquisitely arranged architectural details standing out, often in relatively stark contrast--somewhere between the subtlety of a chiaroscuro effect and the exaggerated contrast of film noir. There are frequent scenes where we strobe into complete blackness. Giménez always finds the perfect, often unusual angle, and varies from stationary cameras to steadicams, crane and tracking shots and even shaky hand-held work that wonderfully increases a hyperactive tension in relevant scenes. Some of the color and texture combinations are breathtaking. Some of the editing is ingenious, such as the water motif scene that cuts back and forth from the car to Regina swimming and so on. It would pay to visually analyze this film shot by shot. If you've not seen this film, you need to. If you've seen it in the theater and were disappointed, perhaps it's worth giving a second chance on the uncut DVD. Big dissapointment Review date: 2007-02-25 Rating: 4 out of 10 I hired this from a local DVD store. Why? It seemed like one of those creepy thrillers inside the house (usually my type of movies) but this, was...one...big...dissapointment! I don't fault the acting, but the storyline instead was rubbish! There was something going on in the movie admittedly however, it didn't scare me at all! The apparent creepy parts were dissapointing and you then begin to sit waiting for more to come. Well it doesn't happen in this movie. It was one big let down..too much talking which made the thrilling side cut out. Not worth it. Go for amityville horror or hide and seek or something as those are very good! Under rated creepy film Review date: 2007-01-31 Rating: 8 out of 10 I really enjoyed this film as unlike most horror these days, it doesn't rely on cheap thrills and jumpy moments, and it also doesn't feel the need to explain itself either. Which is a VERY GOOD THING. Too many films these days feel the need to explain why something is happening in horror, when in fact the unknown is way more scary. Event Horizon is another good example of not explaining they why's of everything. I found this a genuinely creepy film, but if you enjoy cheap thrills and 'Scream-esque' tat, then you, like so many others, won't really enjoy it or like it. Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s): Iain Glen Anna Paquin Lena Olin Giancarlo Giannini Fele Martinez Creators: Anna Paquin (Primary Contributor) Lena Olin (Primary Contributor) Director(s): Recording label: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm EAN: 8717418055509 Binding: DVD Number of items: 1 Format: PAL, Widescreen, Release date: 2005-07-18 Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region code: 2 Running time: 98 minutes Theatrical release date: 2002 Language: English (Subtitled) Language: English (Original Language)
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