Counting down the IMDB bottom 100 films... see my Ciao homepage for more info and a list of the film...
Counting down the IMDB bottom 100 films... see my Ciao homepage for more info and a list of the films...
Member since:20.05.2004
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Dead End (2003)
It’s Christmas Eve and the Harringtons are going to visit relatives in the country. It’s an annual do and Frank, the father, always insists on driving. Although this year he’s having a little trouble staying awake in the dark, and takes a different route off the highway to keep his mind stimulated. His wife, Laura, children Richard and Marion, and Marion’s boyfriend are all asleep. They all wake up when Frank dozes off and has a near miss with an oncoming car. Regardless he still insists on driving on.
After a fair bit of criticism over his driving everything calms down, until they come across a Lady dressed in white, clutching a young baby. She seems to be in shock, so they take her to find the nearest police station or hospital. Unable to find anything on the seemingly endless road with no turn off, and with no mobile reception, they stop at a forest rangers shack in the hope of finding a phone. It is now that things take a sinister turn, and to say anything more would ruin the tension.
Dead End is quite clearly the first film from writers and directors Jean Baptiste Andre and Fabrice Canepa, but in no bad way. The minimal locations and small cast are fitting with a low budget first feature, and they use them to the fullest. The amount of amusing and believable dialogue on display helps you ease into the plot and characters mindset. They’ve perfectly judged the introductory scenes to allow the anticipation to slowly build and then don’t waste any time getting immersed in the horror.
Speaking of the horror, this is where the film scores heavily. The gradual build at the start is quickly shattered by a feeling of dread and certain doom. The film is turned on its head as a supernatural force is trying to claim their lives. It comes across as creepy more than anything. While there are some particularly grisly deaths, it never shows them in gory detail; leaving your imagination to fill in the gaps. I found this very effective. What they do show is also very creepy. The use of a large black car is especially good, and whilst the lady in white brings back memories of Ringu and old vampire movies of the seventies, they manage to wring out a few more chills from this overly used image.
The performances are all of a good standard with a lot of thanks to the material. Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) is superb as the ever in charge father who is determined to come out on top. Lin Shaye gives an amusing, if slightly over the top, rendition of serious shock, as his wife. Laura. Mick Cain and Alexandra Holden both make convincing older children (a teengaer and mid-twenties respectively). A lot of the family conversations are very well written and delivered, although some of the their reactions are a bit excessive. Finally, Amber smith as the lady in white has little to do, but her sultry looks add a dimension to her character that draws you closer and makes an appropriate performance.
With all this in its favour it’s a shame that the overall story didn’t deliver any of its promise. Already stuck in well trodden territory, using country roads and the woods as a focus, plus the quite derivative imagery. It needed something original to set it aside from other films. Sadly nothing materialised and despite being on the edge of my seat for most of the film, once it was over I really wasn’t that interested.
For films of this type a good ending is everything to me and it just isn’t here. Unlike some, I hadn’t guessed the ending and found it refreshing but ultimately unsatisfying. The story it seems had come to a dead end of it’s own; out of ideas. All in all it was a short and sweet movie showing definite ability, but without it’s own identity.
Rated: 15 Running Time: 85 mins
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Mar 23rd, 2005
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