Rating of
3/4
Flawed But Pretty Good
Franz Patrick - wrote on 08/01/08
I thought this film took just the right steps. More than half of the time, I was really interested in what was going on because the events that were unfolding were multilayered. Although there are four main storylines, characters fuse into other storylines so the film felt more concrete. As for the actors, I haven’t seen Brendan Frasier in anything for a while so it was nice to see him here. Even though his character was supposed to be this tough guy, the audiences come to realize that he’s more complex than that. He’s actually sensitive and he does think a lot about action and their consequences. I didn’t really expect Emile Hirsch to have that big of a role but I was surprised that he managed to shine every time he’s on screen. In fact, he provided the much needed comic relief when things started to get a little too serious. Lastly, I’m glad that Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t running from a Japanese ghost this time around. Even though her storyline is the weakest because her character is not that deep, I enjoyed watching her because her depression here reminded me of Season 6 of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I guess it’s just refreshing to see her in something else other than an inferior Japanese horror remake. Overall, about two-thirds of the film worked for me so I am ultimately recommending it. I’m surprised that not a lot of critics liked this movie because I thought it was focused and consistently fascinating.
