Film review

[venta]

No spoilers, unless you're very sensitive to what someone says about films before you see them :)


Dark Water

(aka "the film Hideo Nakata made after he made Ring")

Penny trotted round last night and brough me chocolate cookies in return for watching Dark Water. Apart from it being slightly odd to watch a horror film in the daylight, I rather enjoyed it.

Firstly, it's a very, very slow-burning film, almost to the point of being boring. However, this does mean that it racks up tension very nicely, and that things are made to have a lot more impact when they do happen.

Secondly, the slow camera work has the effect of making terribly mundane shots look creepy. It generates an overall atmosphere of "wrongness" even when it's not clear what it is that's wrong.

It's very carefully observed - sometimes a very small movement from a character conveys something. People's reactions are filmed in minute detail - Yoshimi (central adult character) in particular present an enormous amount of information just in her expressions. Or maybe I just watch more carefully, because I can't understand the dialogue ?

And - and I like this in a film - it doesn't attempt to explain the events. It just tells the story, and leaves you with it. The characters really should listen to the music, though :)

I do think a lot of people might find it too slow. But if you think it won't put you off, give it a go... (DVD available to borrow to anyone who can play region 3).

Thanks, addedentry for recommending it.

Comments

Yoshimi battles the plumbing

[addedentry.livejournal.com]

Glad to share. I hope you closed the curtains against the daylight.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

I'll happily bororow it. But I guess I'd better wait until I've survived <a href="www.ambercon.org.uk>Ambercon</a>. (And the answer to your next question is "no, not yet...")

[venta.livejournal.com]

(And the answer to your next question is "no, not yet...")

Well bloody get a move on, then!

Re: Yoshimi battles the plumbing

[venta.livejournal.com]

Curses. I wish I'd thought of that as a subject line.

I hope you closed the curtains against the daylight.

Good lord, no. There's only so much terror you can stand at once. And you haven't seen our curtains. The stuff of nightmares, I tell you.

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

Curses, I've been meaning to watch that: and by the time you read this, no doubt it will be too late to hand it over to Frances for the weekend.

A very drunk (and rather worried) Mark for reasons that will become clear when I;m sober enough to update my own journal...

[venta.livejournal.com]

no doubt it will be too late to hand it over to Frances for the weekend.

Not at all... I shall force it into her grubby little paw at work tomorrow.

(and rather worried)

I'm sorry to hear that. I'll think generalised good thoughts at you, until your update makes it clear what I should be sending you :)

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

TVM. Was quite fun, in a not-quite-as-good-as-Ring kind of way. I don't know what happened to the creator early in his childhood, but it was obviously unpleasant and involved girls with long hair covering their blurred faces.