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Reviews
Voice from the Stone (2017)
Nothing happens!
The first 20 minutes of this film are fine, starting in classic gothic style. However, Emilia Clarke generated very little likability as Verena and I cared even less about Klaus and Jakob. The concept that the stone held certain power was extremely shallow in how it was presented. I was bored watching this film and only continued watching in the hope that something exciting/scary/emotional/heartwarming might happen in the end. Nothing does. I wouldn't recommend this film. Watch Crimson Peak or The Awakening instead. Neither of those are amazing but they're a great deal more entertaining than Voice from the Stone.
Hungry Hearts (2014)
Original subject matter, good understated performances but left me cold.
I give this film a 7/10 for it's ability to generate psychosocial discussion regarding an important issue. Mental illness in expecting/new mothers is not a topic often tackled in cinema and I commend the director for taking this up. I guess the fact that I think Jude and his mother handle the Mina's ill health completely wrong is irrelevant. Many people would not handle such a stressful and emotive situation all that well. However, I am concerned that the film will leave too many viewers perceiving Mina to be the villain. I hope this is not the case but the film seemed to make concerted effort not to guide our emotions and sympathies in any particular direction. For me this meant that I was left with a cold and unsettled feeling at the end of the film. I'm not a person who wants or needs a Hollywood happy ending but I appreciate a film which has something to say/provides some wisdom or a lesson. This film does not provide this. It leaves us to make up our own minds regarding the ethical moral implications of the issues presented.
El guardián invisible (2017)
Trying to do too many things.
Nice cinematography and decent acting but this film didn't know what genre it wanted to be. In my opinion it should have left out the supernatural element (which seemed pointless) and should have used the time to focus more on the main character's past which was never satisfactorily explored. This could have given the film a bit more depth, particularly around the theme of purity which was trying to be a link between her childhood experience and the murders but failed to do so with any real significance. As it stands it's too long and lacking the intricacies required to make it a really good film.
Gone Girl (2014)
Should have been an 8. Let down by the last 30 minutes
Firstly, I would recommend that people watch this film. For the most part it had me hooked with some interesting ideas and nice plot twists. Affleck was good at walking his character along the line between likeable and unlikable (probably because this is the way that Affleck comes across in real life), and Pike's acting was sound until towards the end (which I suspect is more to do with the directing than Pike's acting skills).
Sadly, the film was let down by the last 30 minutes, which came across as rushed and/or overly edited. The storyline became totally unbelievable and I was no longer able to suspend my disbelief. Which was a shame because I feel the potential was there.
So here are the SPOILERS...
These are the plot holes that I took issue with:
1. Why did Amy suddenly lose all ability to be duplicitous when being interviewed by the police when she had managed to "keep in character" for months or even years before this?
2. Why did the police/feds not see anything unusual in her behaviour, especially as we had been made to focus so heavily on Nick's behaviour earlier in the film?
3. Why did the doctors let her return home with her husband so easily when she had said how afraid of him she was?
4. And why, oh why, did Nick stay with her when he knew she had committed murder and tried to get him arrested and killed?!!!
I think there would have been scope to justify the last point through Nick's desire to keep the house and bar but this was never effectively conveyed. I also feel that Nick should have been darker in character, which would also have helped justify the end.
Ultimately, I really wanted this to be an 8/10 but, alas, I really don't think it is.