This movie wasn't necessarily scary, but it was mysterious and freaky, I'll give it that. The set designs were great; they really gave the spooky haunted house feeling. The artistry of the multiple statues in the house was good, too. The cinematography was OK; the lighting kind of weakened it. And the acting was good. They weren't the best, but, fairly talented.
However, it was disappointing. The script was, I guess, OK, but the rest - the story, the children's tale, the drama - were all things to frown at. A few of the actions there were really unnecessary, some of the elements of the house that "welcomed" protagonist Eleanor (Lili Taylor), I could see was sort of copied from Rosemary's Baby, as I said - were unnecessary. I think they were put there to make intense moments in the film or "take it far," But as my title suggests, they just couldn't.
Let me state some examples (if some of these were in the book, I can understand why they were there. If not, then I cannot). Near the end, an enraged Luke (Owen Wilson) suddenly went mad, tearing away at Hugh Crane's portrait with a candlestick and then raving away that they should burn the house down, thus angering the spirit of Hugh Crane. This gets him killed. First of all, I don't think they should have gotten him killed. Luke was just a "fellow insomniac," as he likes to quote so much, with opinions and reputations no worse nor better than any of the other characters in there. He had no reason to die. It wasn't going to alter the film so much, nor was it going to teach anything, and it wasn't going to make it better or more intense. In fact, it just made it worse. I was thinking, "whoa, why'd he just do that?" Even so, if he really had to die, then he could've done it in a better way, instead of that random, suddenly-going-mad drama (that was very unlike him) that he broke into. The part where the carpet drags him to the fireplace and he is smashed (or gorged) by that chimney opening thing was scary, but honestly, if the film went like it was supposed too, it wouldn't have to have been there.
And especially so, what was the conflict between Hugh Crane and Nell? At one point she says that he wants her, then later it's revealed that she is one of his great-great granddaughters, indicating the obvious fact that Crane won't let her go like he didn't let his other "children" go. But sooner or later (or the middle of that), Nell sees herself pregnant in the spinning room illusions. Now what? He wants incest with her too? Even if that pregnant thing has got nothing to do with Hugh Crane or her, it's too random. Why'd they put it in there? And if it's not random, that some of the hidden facts in there set if off, then I demand an explanation telling exactly why.
Overall, I would have enjoyed this film if it didn't have such excess intensity. Anybody else would have. I wish I'd seen the original film based on the book (which I haven't read yet). It sure would be nice to watch as a light fantasy-suspense entertainment, but don't expect too much out of it.
However, it was disappointing. The script was, I guess, OK, but the rest - the story, the children's tale, the drama - were all things to frown at. A few of the actions there were really unnecessary, some of the elements of the house that "welcomed" protagonist Eleanor (Lili Taylor), I could see was sort of copied from Rosemary's Baby, as I said - were unnecessary. I think they were put there to make intense moments in the film or "take it far," But as my title suggests, they just couldn't.
Let me state some examples (if some of these were in the book, I can understand why they were there. If not, then I cannot). Near the end, an enraged Luke (Owen Wilson) suddenly went mad, tearing away at Hugh Crane's portrait with a candlestick and then raving away that they should burn the house down, thus angering the spirit of Hugh Crane. This gets him killed. First of all, I don't think they should have gotten him killed. Luke was just a "fellow insomniac," as he likes to quote so much, with opinions and reputations no worse nor better than any of the other characters in there. He had no reason to die. It wasn't going to alter the film so much, nor was it going to teach anything, and it wasn't going to make it better or more intense. In fact, it just made it worse. I was thinking, "whoa, why'd he just do that?" Even so, if he really had to die, then he could've done it in a better way, instead of that random, suddenly-going-mad drama (that was very unlike him) that he broke into. The part where the carpet drags him to the fireplace and he is smashed (or gorged) by that chimney opening thing was scary, but honestly, if the film went like it was supposed too, it wouldn't have to have been there.
And especially so, what was the conflict between Hugh Crane and Nell? At one point she says that he wants her, then later it's revealed that she is one of his great-great granddaughters, indicating the obvious fact that Crane won't let her go like he didn't let his other "children" go. But sooner or later (or the middle of that), Nell sees herself pregnant in the spinning room illusions. Now what? He wants incest with her too? Even if that pregnant thing has got nothing to do with Hugh Crane or her, it's too random. Why'd they put it in there? And if it's not random, that some of the hidden facts in there set if off, then I demand an explanation telling exactly why.
Overall, I would have enjoyed this film if it didn't have such excess intensity. Anybody else would have. I wish I'd seen the original film based on the book (which I haven't read yet). It sure would be nice to watch as a light fantasy-suspense entertainment, but don't expect too much out of it.