Dark Water
Fantastic Four
Empire of Wolves
Dark Water
While this feature does have more resonance and is made with a lot more consideration than most of the latest fright-flicks out there, don't expect "Dark Water" to deliver anything new or groundbreaking. This visually nice-looking psychological/supernatural drama/horror movie is essentially a faithful adaptation of the Japanese original, but believe it or not, the American version is better and creepier. From the start, the movie establishes a haunting atmosphere of anxiety and unease. Director Walter Salles ("The Motorcycle Diaries") has managed to turn this feature, which is basically a clichéd seen-before, into something that is reasonably clever and quite enjoyable to watch 's even if the ending was, at least to me, horribly exaggerated and sentimental and didn't at all comply with the rest of the movie.
( Julie Vinten )
Following in the footsteps of "The Ring" (1 & 2), here's yet another remake of a Japanese horror flick. Not having seen the original, it's difficult to compare the Oriental viewpoint to a completely Westernized version. Yours truly thoroughly enjoyed Brazilian director Walter Salles' "The Motorcycle Diaries" and watched his latest effort, "Dark Water," conscientiously. Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) is going through an unpleasant custody battle with her ex-husband (Dougray Scott) over their daughter Ceci (Ariel Gade). Moving into a dilapidated apartment doesn't help Dahlia's state of mind as her little girl begins talking to an imaginary friend. Oh-oh 's a kid who sees (and talks to) dead people. Actually, it's not that bad. Despite the film's snail-like pace, Oscar-winner Connelly (backed-up by a superb cast) holds your interest until the bitter end.
( Laimons Juris G )
Fantastic Four
This comic book adaptation is anything but fantastic. In fact, it seems that nothing really quite works for "Fantastic Four." The inept directing, the lousy storytelling, the bad casting and the terrible acting are to blame for the total failure of this feature. The CGI is immensely poor, and you wonder how in our day and age it's possible to release a visual effects-based blockbuster in such a terrible state. "Fantastic Four" is an unbelievable bore to sit through. Quite some time is spent introducing the characters and setting up the story, but the filmmakers forget that something actually has to happen to make the movie entertaining. It's all setup and no delivery. In the last scene you feel like something might soon come about 's and then the movie ends.
1/2 ( Julie Vinten )
A number of film critics have been dissing Hollywood's latest sci-fi adventure tale featuring Marvel Comic's first family of superheroes. What they all seem to have forgotten is that comic books, after all, were meant for kids. The rubbery Mr. Fantastic, the hard-as-a-rock Thing, Invisible Girl Susan Storm and her flying, burning hot brother Johnny have been entertaining generations of youngsters for nearly 45 years. After a cosmic storm in space, their DNA mutates and they acquire superpowers. One major delight is the lack of four-letter expletives throughout the visually impressive production. Another plus is the attractive and appealing cast, particularly noteworthy are Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis in leading roles. "Fantastic Four" is an enjoyable morsel of family entertainment; all you need is a tub of popcorn.
( Laimons Juris G )
Empire Of Wolves
Based on the novel by Jean-Christophe Grange, the writer behind the popular French movie "The Crimson Rivers," this action-thriller with political undercurrents is regrettably a total mess. A series of murders occur in the Turkish community in Paris. Somewhere else in Paris a young woman is experiencing memory loss and is haunted by nightmarish visions. These seemingly unrelated stories gradually intertwine. The feature is fast-paced, brutal and has a sense of atmosphere, but director Chris Nahon ("Kiss of the Dragon") can't handle the complicated narrative. It seems like the filmmakers have crammed every character and plot-point of the book into the feature instead of shaping the story to fit a two-hour movie narrative. Consequently, the storyline jumps about, never gathering the numerous threads into a comprehensive story.
( Julie Vinten )
Off to a slow, but intriguing start "L'Empire des loups" suffers from a convoluted and confusing storyline. A young woman (Arly Jover) is tormented by an apparent loss of memory. Meanwhile, a rookie police inspector (Jocelyn Quivrin) is searching for a sadistic serial killer. Somehow a down-and-out, disgraced ex-cop (Jean Reno) seems to fit into this inscrutable puzzle. Michel Abramowicz's gritty cinematography is the only saving grace in this regurgitation of worn-out cliches. Based on the popular Jean-Christophe Grange detective novel, the movie rushes in all directions but never manages to get anywhere. The ridiculous crackpot notions about Turkey and Turkish nationals come across as offensively ignorant. If you have nothing better to do, read a book, bake a cake or just watch the clouds roll by.
1/2 ( Laimons Juris G )
