Flatliners

Tags

1990's, Flatliners, Joel Schumacher, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, Supernatural Thriller, William Baldwin

The prospect of what happens after death and how five medical students dangerously attempt to discover this form the basis of the stylish and often intense Flatliners. While it sometimes doesn’t reach the existential themes it’s going for, Flatliners still emerges as a spooky supernatural thriller with a fine cast and direction. 

In an eerie looking building which resembles an old cathedral, part of which is being renovated, a group of medical students are studying to become doctors . But soon it’ll be more intense and dark than they ever imagined when one of them gets a rather alarming idea for a dangerous . That person in question is the arrogant dreamer Nelson Wright(Kiefer Sutherland). Joining him, we have talented yet sometimes erratic David Labraccio(Kevin Bacon), sleazy Lothario Joe Hurley(William Baldwin),  diligent, composed Rachel Manus(Julia Roberts) and wise ass Randy Steckle( Oliver Platt) . In the evening, they sneak medical supplies into a disused wing of the building for their planned experiment. Nelson plans to be put into a state of death for a few minutes then be shocked back to life before actually dying for real. He hopes that he can experience the afterlife and live to tell the tale about what he unearths. Nelson’s experiments seems to go well as he admits that he believes. What he doesn’t tell the others is that he is also plagued by an incident from childhood that won’t let him rest. As the rest of group begin undergoing the experiment , they are haunted by their past traumas, misdeeds and sins. Power struggles and paranoia ensue as they try to outdo each other, Nelson becomes increasingly unhinged and David begins developing deep feeling for Rachel. As events darken, they fall victim to the repercussions of their actions and Playing God. What began as a foolish experiment of curiosity into the other side soon turns into a waking nightmare for all involved as they wrestle with the horror of the situation.

Joel Schumacher is at the helm of Flatliners and his gift for stylish content is very much in evidence. Though it should also be noted he also manages to tap into some quite disturbing places and emotional ones too, rising above some of the scripts repetition to craft a spooky supernatural thriller. Despite longueurs in the script , Peter Filardi’s  work on the screenplay here still does a commendable job with it at least getting us to consider mortality and the consequences of our actions in the past. One thing truly worth of praise in Flatliners is the rather striking production design which suggests a haunted house tinged with religious iconography and MTV style gloss. It’s a fertile space where the main characters begin their reckless, clandestine experiments and the set design is rendered with supreme style that backs up the eeriness the film is going for.  And Flatliners does have plenty of style running through its veins right from the get go; courtesy of Schumacher’s always impressive visual directing and the moody cinematography (largely cold blues and deep reds) .  Swirling camerawork in the visions of afterlife contribute to the heady atmosphere of the piece as does a very good mastery of editing and sound. Standout scenes include the slimy being confronted in hallucinatory by his treatment and surreptitious recording of ladies in intimate situations and the students scrambling to save Rachel after the power goes out, leaving the experiment in danger of resulting in permanent death. James Newton Howard is on score duties and he mixes synth heavy atmospherics with choral flourishes that make it a ghoulish and haunting listen.

The cast of then young stars either on the rise or just established is on good form playing these curious and flawed characters . provides intense and later dangerous instability as the ringleader of the warped experiment in life and death. Sutherland always has an edge to him that I find riveting to watch and he doesn’t disappoint as the arrogant instigator of the haunting events. Julia Roberts is also very effective as the lone woman in the group who has her own personal agenda for taking part. Showing a graceful, demure vulnerability and a sense of haunted grit crossed with sadness, Roberts contributes highly to the proceedings with an earnest and convincing performance. Kevin Bacon, who I find to be incredibly reliable in most things, doesn’t disappoint here. He’s the often rebellious atheist who feels he has nothing to lose but ends up becoming the most concerned and caring of the group as he sees things are getting out of control. Bacon balances a youthful recklessness and an eventual maturity admirably and is very good in the part . William Baldwin is appropriately sleazy and randy as the love rat whose treatment of women really comes back to bite him; making him really go over and regret just how awful his behaviour has been to the opposite sex. Oliver Platt is mainly used as the comic relief of the group; constantly telling everyone this is a very bad idea and delivering witty retorts to his comrades. He’s probably given the least to do here but has his moments.

So while it’s not a masterwork in supernatural thriller or of existential leaning, Flatliners is still an entertainingly creepy, well acted  and stylish excursion into unusual what if possibilities regarding death and what may dangerously follow

The Seventh Sign

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1980's, Carl Schultz, Demi Moore, Drama, Jürgen Prochnow, Manny Jacobs, Michael Biehn, Peter Friedman, Supernatural Thriller, The Seventh Sign

A mostly engrossing apocalyptic drama/ thriller with religious and mystical overtones, The Seventh Sign didn’t do good business on its original release. But while it is flawed, there is also plenty to praise in this imaginative film that has a gloomy yet hopeful tone and a convincing central performance from Demi Moore.

Around the world, strange phenomena is occurring. In Haiti, all marine life dies in the ocean. In Israel, a desert village that was seized by terrorists is found covered in ice. Meanwhile, in Venice, California, Abby Quinn(Demi Moore) is a young woman who is looking forward to giving birth in two months. She is supported by her decent and hard working husband Russell(Michael Biehn), but she can’t shift feelings of terror as result of an unsuccessful first pregnancy. She’s also been experiencing vivid dreams of ancient times in which a man is struck across the face and asked “Will you die for Him?” Abby and decide to rent out their garage apartment, while is currently on a court case defending a young man with Down’s Syndrome who killed his incestuous parents and claims it was the will of God. The lodger they find is named David(Jürgen Prochnow), a quiet man who seems to know things before they happen and things he couldn’t possibly know. The thing is he is the man who has been present at each of these disasters and is the instigator who breaks the seals that start them. It becomes apparent that the unusual events around the world are part of a biblical apocalypse. There are seven signs referenced in the holy book and David seems to be the bringer of them. His presence begins to unnerve Abby and with more unusual portents of the apocalypse swirling around, she becomes fearful for the life of her unborn baby. It transpires that everything is somehow linked and comes back to Abby and her baby. Around this time, a mysterious priest, Father Lucci(Peter Friedman) appears, having followed the signs and his means may not be that altruistic. Abby confides in Avi( Manny Jacobs) a Jewish student training to be a rabbi, who is familiar with religious texts and helps her to unearth more of the apocalyptic future. But can Abby figure it all out before chaos reigns and her baby is born? And just how does her and the baby she’s carrying slot into the end of the world?

Carl Schultz directs as efficiently as he can and fashions out a fascinating thriller, with deep religious overtones . Certain areas of it require work, but Schultz gives it his all with the material. Visually, the moody cinematography is sublime at bringing a level of gloom into proceedings and a strange mystical aura hovers over it. The Seventh Sign is overall a very creepy film that’s also surprisingly deep in regards to the Apocalypse. It grounds the fantastical events and signs in a real world setting that is truly well executed and not without thought. Biblical prophecy and some elements of Jewish religion and mythology are what keeps The Seventh Sign really going. The sequences of destruction are memorable and unnerving( the blood red moon and a climactic earthquake are highlights , while not going full on overboard with effects). Saying this, I would have preferred if the film had a bit longer on the running time as it may have fleshed out the story even more and elevated it to masterful. As it stands, The Seventh Sign is still a watchable mix of religious drama and supernatural thriller. Mystery is kept reasonably high as Abby attempts to decipher visions and omens in order to save her baby from something she thinks is sinister. The liberal helping of confusion and reason may be here, but The Seventh Sign still holds your attention, despite the logic sometimes lacking for my liking. The hopeful colouring to the film redeems a bit of it with a certain message of hope stirring emotions. I very much enjoyed the Gregorian chanting and synths of the score by Jack Nitzsche. He is skilled at really bringing out that unusual side to the movie through his music and I for, genuinely liked how effectively used it was.

At the heart of The Seventh Sign is Demi Moore with a moving portrayal. She’s got a certain relatability to her here that goes a long way in earning audience sympathy. We witness her frightened mind and burgeoning realisation at the dark situation at hand, with Moore beautifully getting across her desperation and confusion with aplomb. Moore ensures that we emotionally attach ourselves to Abby and her journey into the unknown as the End of Days rages at her door. Her eyes have a deep sadness and vulnerability to them that is often on display in gorgeous close up, but it’s a bubbling strength and bruised resilience that truly shines through for Demi Moore. Simply stated, Moore is the lynchpin and emotional core of The Seventh Sign that is what sticks in the mind after the credits. Michael Biehn is fine as the supportive but concerned husband. The role isn’t much of a stretch but Biehn plays it well. Jürgen Prochnow, of intense face and strong jaw, brilliantly plays the dichotomy of David. He’s both incredibly menacing yet never in your face, but then deceptively gentle and knowledgeable. It’s a fine balancing act that he pulls off admirably. Also on the talk of dichotomy, Peter Friedman, though he appears late, is also a good example of walking between welcoming and very creepy. Manny Jacobs is suitably knowledgable as the young student that Abby comes to rely upon. 

A flawed film that could have benefited from a bit more on the running time to really get to the nitty gritty of it, The Seventh Sign is nonetheless a very entertaining and unusually thoughtful film.

Gothika

Tags

2000's, Charles S. Dutton, Gothika, Halle Berry, Horror, John Carroll Lynch, Mathieu Kassovitz, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr, Supernatural Thriller

Film Title

Gothika

Director

Mathieu Kassovitz

Starring

• Halle Berry as Dr. Miranda Grey
• Robert Downey, Jr. as Dr. Pete Graham
• Charles S. Dutton as Dr. Doug Grey
• Penélope Cruz as Chloe Sava
• John Carroll Lynch as Sheriff Ryan

Yes the plot may be preposterous and the final act may fly off the rails, but for the  first hour or so Gothika does keep you entertained and evokes some genuinely scary moments.  It is very much a film of two halves, but if you go into it without questioning logic and reason, you might just enjoy this horror/ supernatural thriller.

Miranda Grey is a gifted psychiatrist working at a mental hospital for women. Married to the director Doug and very rational when it comes to her work, Miranda’s life is ordinary enough. Until, one stormy night after her session with a patient named Chloe, Miranda is driving home when she has to take a detour after a closure of a number of roads. Whilst driving, she crashes her car after swerving from a young girl standing in the road. Upon exiting her car, she comes face to face with the girl who suddenly bursts into flames. The next thing Miranda knows she is back in the mental hospital, only this time she is one of the patients. She has been asleep for three days and to make matters worse, she is being accused of murdering her husband. Confused and deeply horrified, Miranda attempts to fathom the events that occurred that fateful night as those around her, including a good friend Dr. Pete Graham, begin to doubt Miranda’s story. The girl who she saw before she blacked out keeps appearing, is she real or just a figment of Miranda’s imagination? Delving deep into her mind, Miranda begins to slowly recover her memory and is pushed to the edge of her sanity as her world falls apart and the events around her become darker. Although full of schlock and a certain unevenness to its tone, Gothika at least succeeds in part due to its stylish direction from Mathieu Kassovitz.

For the good first hour or so, Mathieu Kassovitz keeps Gothika ticking over with frightening imagery, moody lighting and kinetic camera angles that capture Miranda’s life being turned upside down. If anything, the overall visual look and chilling sets keep Gothika rising above the by the numbers script.The atmosphere created is very spooky indeed as we are thrown into Miranda’s tailspin of emotions as she questions what really happened and how she ended up on the other side of the glass. The music provided is suitably eerie and frequently utilised to great effect. Unfortunately, the film as a whole does not feel even enough, as plot holes begin to appear during the last act. It does have its share of scary moments, but many of these feel repetitive and clichéd to say the least. The supernatural element is handled in an ok fashion in the beginning but soon descends into hokey elements. What does keep Gothika from being all bad is the performances. Halle Berry rises above the scripts flaws and excellently portrays Miranda as she is thrown into a nightmare and attempts a way out of the bizarre case. She evokes a sense of confusion and shock that does make you feel for her. Robert Downey Jr. is great as the psychiatrist who is forced to leave his personal feelings at the door when it comes to analysing what Miranda remembers and whether or not she is mentally unstable or indeed innocent of the crime of which she stands accused. In supporting roles, Charles S. Dutton and John Carroll Lynch are fine as the murdered man and his lifelong best friend and sheriff attached to the murder case. Penélope Cruz creates an interesting character in Chloe, injecting menace and a certain vulnerability, as we watch her and Miranda go from patient and psychiatrist relationship to trusting one another.

So all in all, Gothika is flawed and full of plot holes. But if you don’t question this you may enjoy the scary atmosphere, Kassovitz’s visual style and some good performances.