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Reviews
The Marsh (2006)
Enjoyable IF you like horror / suspense movies
Most of the reviews here seem to have been written by people who don't truly enjoy the horror genre. Why criticize a horror film because it's "unoriginal"? Maybe it's because I've been watching films for over 30 years, but believe me, there's nothing original in any horror plot. Yet, I love these movies. Most of the fun is involved with how the story unfolds, how it arrives - not with how original the elements are. Clichés can still be fun. This film has great production values for a low budget film, and solid acting by Forrest Whitaker. The female lead seemed to be a weak actress, but it could have been because the script was indeed weak, and I kept wanting her to SAY SOMETHING. This film is atmospheric with a snowy, cold atmosphere, creepy special effects (note, creepy, not startlingly horrific) and a solid plot foundation in an old tragedy. The children's book illustrations were great, even down to Stickyfeet's alligator companion, which shows up as a childhood stuffed animal. The villain was indeed horrific to me, as the sexual murder of the child was more than "misguided and pathetic" to me. Not to mention the teenage selfishness and carelessness that made the whole tragedy possible. Yes, filled with clichés, weak dialogue, but still interesting and fun to watch. In the world of B horror films, it's a B+.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Queen Latifa's character references Rear Window?
I admit that I thoroughly enjoy crime/detection/noir films. (If you don't, as many posters here seem, then why are you watching this movie?) It's the journey (characters, atmosphere, dialogue, psychology), not the end (shocking surprise ending) to me. Thus, I don't care about total uniqueness of plot -- because it's all been written/filmed before.
In that vein, and I mean this in a good way, I see some (enjoyable) similarities here with Rear Window. For example, does anyone think that Queen Latifah's character, named Thelma, was a reference to the wonderful Thelma Ritter, who played the nurse assisting Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window? Both of them were caring but sharp and full of zingers.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it...but I really enjoyed this movie and especially the main characters and the performances of the actors. Jeffrey Deaver has an entire series of Lincoln Rhymes books and I wish Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington would reconvene to do them all.