Hello there, I'm Jim. I am 16 years old and hope you enjoy my reviews. Don't be put off by the title...
Hello there, I'm Jim. I am 16 years old and hope you enjoy my reviews. Don't be put off by the titles but i can never think of any good ones.
Member since:12.10.2005
Reviews:11
Members who trust:7
Gothika, according to uncut, is 'the best armrest-gripper so far this year.' Although this may be going a little too far it certainly had its moments and although I wouldn't say I was petrified the story was just about enough to keep me watching.
Dr Miranda is the main character of the film and is played by bond girl Halle Berry. She works as a well respected criminal psychologist in an asylum for crazy criminals. She is treating a patient called Chloe, played by Penélope Cruz, who claims to be being raped in her cell. Naturally Miranda puts this down to hallucinations and does not investigate the matter. On your typical stormy night Miranda drives home and finds her usual route to be blocked by her beloved husband's best friend who happens to be a policeman. She follows the other route and after crossing a bridge she is forced to swerve around an unhealthy looking girl standing in the middle of the road. After leaving her car and confronting the girl she wakes up in the asylum she had been working in. She is then informed by her previous co-worker and friend DR Pete Graham, played by Robert Downey
Jr, that she has been there for 3 days. Also he tells her that she has slaughtered her own husband with an axe and that she is being tried for murder. On top of this she starts to discover that not all the patients are as crazy and delusional as they previously seemed. Is Miranda going crazy or is there more to hand than meets the eye? How will she cope being the patient instead of the doctor?
Gothika does contain the occasional surprise but it is hardly a scare-a-minute movie. To be honest I would say it is more of a psychological drama than a horror. The story does follow the usual horror road and rarely strays from the well beaten track made by other unimaginative directors. The atmosphere and suspense is at best mediocre and the story itself is little more than average. A seasoned film watcher will be able to predict what is going to happen with ease and even the not so esteemed viewer will find they can guess around 75% of the film.
The directing of the film was the main cause of disappointment throughout. French director Mathieu Kassovitz has always worked doing French films before, such as the hit Amelie, and it appears he would be a lot better of if he had stuck to them rather than trying his hand at the English speaking film market. Not only was this his first English film but it was also his first film in this genre which is not particularly well disguised with an alltogether slippy performance. It was both uninspiring and uninteresting at the same time and although nothing was death defyingly terrible at the same time nothing was outstandingly good either, with maybe the exception of the special affects.
The acting is relatively good throughout the film but at points the urge to skip though the scenes when Miranda is screaming or crying is immense. All the characters appear quite natural but the husband's interests turn out to be a little bit random. The clothing of the characters is quite authentic but personality wise they sometimes feel a little stiff and they don't seem to have very many levels to them. The actors themselves were not to blame for this though as they can't help it if they were underused. It was the writing of the film itself that really lets them down.
The setting and general scenery wasn't flawless but it was realistic. It could have done with a few more intricate details to spice the film up a bit as the general colour scheme of the film is dull but not in a particularly scary or un-nerving way. The asylum was probably the most opposing scene but like much of the film parts of it were corny and unoriginal.
One seemingly shining point of the film was the special effects. Unlike some films nothing seemed over exaggerated or too computerized. There also was no visible strings or other basic apparatus used for movement of objects visible during the whole film. The make-up on some of the characters was highly realistic and their appearance may have been one of the scariest parts of the film. Also the director Mathieu Kassovitz of France did not go over the top with effects and only used them where necessary. This maybe the one thing he did get right.
The film tries to put together a smooth flowing plot containing different little sub-plots. Although the plot may well have been smooth-ish it was certainly not the work of a genius and in many cases the sub-plots and main plot were as familiar as the back of my hand. Like the characters the plot seemed to work on very few levels and the levels it did work on were basic and generally not very original.
All in all I would recommend watching the trailer rather than the film itself. It contains far more thrills and chills and is by far better value for money. One silver lining of the film was the suitable use of special effects and the look of the characters themselves. The dull personalities of the characters were down to the writing rather than the actual acting of the roles. If you're looking for a proper scare-fest I wouldn't get this film but, as hard as it may sound, if you have time to kill you could find worse than Gothika
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Good review, thought this was a great film, really enjoyed it.
shell72 11.04.2006 18:44
I really enjoyed this film I wonder if it was the age bracket that allows us to see things differently any thats not important
A great well written review shell xxx
lisa2062 04.03.2006 20:00
Good review!! I thought Halle Berry was excellent in this!:)
The title ofGothikaprepares you for a spooky, atmospheric thriller with an emphasis on ... more
supernatural mystery. The best way to appreciate the movie itself is to understand that it's a waking nightmare that needn't make sense in the realm of sanity. Makin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The title ofGothikaprepares you for a spooky, atmospheric thriller with an emphasis on ... more
supernatural mystery. The best way to appreciate the movie itself is to understand that it's a waking nightmare that needn't make sense in the realm of sanity. Makin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A brilliant and respected criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is an ... more
expert at knowing what is rational. What is logical. What is sane.But Miranda's comfortable and stable life are thrust into terrifying jeopardy after a cryptic encoun...
Advantages: easy to watch with very little thinking involved, talented cast Disadvantages: complete rubbish, not scary, themes pieced together from other films
littlem 09.04.2004 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Gothika (DVD)
![Gothika [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78509296.jpg "Gothika [DVD] [2004]")
Oct 12th, 2005
exceptional by (5%):
very helpful by (95%):
