Rating of
1.5/4
The definition of a cheap thriller.
memento_mori - wrote on 08/26/13
And like so many other cheap thrillers, this one has (drum roll please): You guessed it! The dumb blonde that cries for the majority of the time she's on screen!
I just can't get over how terrible the script is developed. These characters have been brought together for a reason. Into a claustrophobic situation. There is room for likability and character study there, but no. Instead the characters just fight and prove themselves to be nothing less than stupid, basically running into the clutches of the killer.
There is a completely unnecessary subplot in this movie, that lasts five minutes. This is kind of a spoiler, but do you really care?:
The blonde in this film told her boyfriend she was pregnant, so that they could get married. Truth is: She wasn't pregnant. She was just jealous that he was seen sitting with another woman. Yup, thanks writer. Your characters are awesome.
The acting is hilarious. That's not good, because it's supposed to be dramatic. Dr. Perry Cox from Scrubs plays a frail husband in the movie, and every line he delivered was sounded like it would come from Adam West.
Some actors were actually trying, like John Cusack (I give most John Cusack performances a pass), Alfred Molina or Ray Liotta, but the rest did not even try to embody their personas. A bunch of shouting does not excuse for good line delivery!
James Mangold doesn't know how to build suspense in a thriller. His direction is not terrible, but it isn't a standout either. Dramatic events come off as comical, especially when characters get killed off.
And let's not forget the stupid twist. Yeah guys, it's the one that's been done a thousand times! Take a guess as to what it is, I bet you're right.
Pretty much everything is half-as*ed in this movie. The characters are dumb, the direction is sloppy, the writing is uneventful and not scary, the actors are at least trying, but it won't get them anywhere, because the rest of the film is not giving them a chance.
