Dark Water

Walter Salles, USA, 2005
3.5 out of 4 stars

This could be a constant refrain here, but nonetheless I really have to give credit to Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central for drawing this film to my attention, because the notion of another crummy “J-horror” knockoff with killer washing machines caused me to merely chortle that I’d never see that movie. Unfortunately this seems to have been a common reaction, as the film was a flop. I also didn’t trust my co-worker’s recommendation, as I figured that his taste was suspect. However, Chaw’s belated recommendation led me to give it a chance, and what I found was a very compelling and involving psychological thriller (not “horror” at all), filled with atmosphere and a surprisingly good performance by Jennifer Connelly, certainly better than what I saw from her in House of Sand and Fog. Fumbles the ending a bit, in execution if not in substance. I haven’t seen the original yet but I do doubt it will be as good. It just goes to show that just because the original impetus to make a film might have been bad (remake a foreign film because Americans won’t read subtitles), it doesn’t mean the film itself is bad. Seems obvious, but apparently I needed to learn this lesson again.

Source: Buena Vista DVD
21 February, 9 PM