Look Away

I caught this on Showtime with time to kill and my expectations were low, but wow, nice surprise. Love the atmospheric feel, and wow India did a great job! For some reason, i thought it may be some kind of Lifetime movie type deal, i was soooo wrong. It kept my attention the whole movie, and with India that's not hard to do. It's worth a watch.

Either way, I really enjoyed it. Very atmospheric. Some people might not like the amount of questions the ending leaves unanswered, but I felt like it really benefited from not telling you anything for certain, just leaving you horrified and wondering.

'Look Away's' main attraction was its premise, maybe not exactly original, the ideas themselves are not new really but it did sound like the film was trying to do something fresh with them. Nonetheless though, it actually sounded very creepy and interesting. Some of 'Look Away' sounded like it could be relatable too. The cover and advertising were attention-grabbing and looked creepy, almost nightmarish, and also like Jason Isaacs quite a lot as an actor.

Seeing it, being encouraged by people saying it was for them better than expected and the above average rating as of now, 'Look Away' is not a great film and has flaws. Which actually happened to be the general consensus for the film hearing about it. Unfortunately these flaws are not large and a couple bring the film down rather significantly. As indicated though, there are quite a number of good things here in 'Look Away'. Would call it decent but uneven, which is actually not too bad a position to be in as a film and an acceptable distinction.

Beginning with 'Look Away's' good things, the acting is better than average. India Eisley carries the film intensely and poignantly and Isaacs is good support. So is Penelope Mitchell. Mira Sorvino is not the best used but she does a reasonable job too. The film shows a foreboding atmosphere and has a slickness to how it's shot. The use of sound is suitably ominous and not obvious or cheaply recorded.

Most of the story compels. There is a genuine creepiness, with the mirror image being appropriately sinister. There also is some subtle tension and the melancholic tone to some parts is poignantly done. Found myself relating to the protagonist, none of it is intelligence insulting (generally the viewer is treated with relative respect) while there is an effort to not be predictable. The direction is more than competent.

There are issues though. The script can be quite weak and sounded underwritten. Some of the pace is a bit too slow and like trudging through mud in the scenes where there is not as much as going on as others, a bit of trimming might have helped.

Am aware that Mark is not really a character one is meant to be like, one that one is meant to feel anger towards, but he never really grows in development and irritates throughout. Worst of all, as others have said, is the ending, which took ambiguity and unresolved questions to extremes and came over as confusing and unfinished.

Overall, an uneven film but with a good deal to commend it. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This was a very disturbing movie on so many levels. It's worth a watch but the ending really misses the mark.

The first part is excellent; touching, creepy, interesting and really very chilling at times. A mix of believable characters and relationships, very well acted. The stage is set perfectly, but unfortunately in the second half the violence somehow undoes the tension already established. It's as if they couldn't resist the temptation to overdo it. Less would have been much more. Rather than build on the psychological and atmospheric creepiness, they throw it away with a rather unimaginative, predictable story arc, where the very dramatic actions feel over the top, and lack impact. A shame, as this really could have been excellent. Nonetheless, worth a watch.