Hey folks, Harry here... that picture snapping wonder responsible for all those wonderful pics from the New York Licensing Show last week is back... but this time it's with a review of DARK WATER, the American remake from that great director Walter Salles and this amazing cast. The original film was waist deep with atmosphere and creeps and was less terrifying and more a dose of the wicked heeby jeebies. From the sound of this review - the film maintains that - but with beautiful cinematography and a series of great turns by this cast. Watch out for mild spoilers. Looks like this could be a good one.
Hi Harry, Pitdoc here from NYC, just back from the
NY premiere of the newest American translation of a
Japanese horror movie, Dark Water. Jennifer Connely
was there ,looking beautiful, but what really caught
my eye was the tall gentleman with the almost snow
white hair next to her. I realized it was Paul Bettany
who's probably leaving tomorrow to go film his role
as Silas in The Da Vinci Code.
So, how's the movie? Well I should first state
that I find most of the Japanese horror movie remakes
more "creepy" than scary , and this film continues
in that genre . Jennifer Connelly plays Dahlia
Williams , A woman going through a lot of changes,
.She's divorcing from her husband( a very
oily-looking Dougray Scott; You'd never think he was
once considered as the next Bond). she has to move
into a new apartment in New York with her 5 year-old
daughter, Ceci. As a long-time New Yorker, this
portion of the movie I felt was most faithful. When
you see John C. Reilly trying to pass off a dingy,
decrepit apartment in a run down apartment building
as " a bargain at $900 a month" you can really
beleieve it. Dahlia changes her mind about renting
the place when Ceci suddenly decides that she wants to
live there.
You soon find out that the reason she likes it
ther it her new "friend", that only she can talk to
,apparently . Add to that the nasty black water
dripping from the ceiling , & Dahlia starts wondering
if she chose the right place. She sees similariites in
some of the tenants of the building with her own
life,and wonders if she's beginning to crack up. Enter
Tim Roth , as her divorce attorney, who apparently
works out of his car.Roth is such a nice guy you
forget he's a lawyer, and wish the film had spent
more time on him. He tries to figure out if she's
haunted,crazy, or if people are trying to drive her
crazy .
No spoilers necessary here, as you can probably
figure out all the twists on your own in the first 10
minutes. I went with someone who saw the Japanese
version , and she said that it was pretty similar.But
good acting by Connelly, Roth, Reilly,Pete
Postelthwaite( as the seedy building super) and
especially Ariel Gade as the young Ceclia. Not a lot
of scares, unfortunately. Director Walter Salles does
a good job of painting the life a lot of New Yorkers
live.
Pitdoc
