Review of Dark Places (2015) by Rostek P — 31 Jul 2015

I had one big issue with Gone Girl - its inconsistency, especially in terms of tone. And I can't even begin to tell you how many issues I have with this film and I usually enjoy that genre. The thing is that I can't relate to these characters and it's a real pity because they're really fucked-up people and it's so easy to relate to their kind.

The thing is that most of the characters don't make sense, especially Ben who's supposed to be the person that really makes sense for the story to work. His one crucial choice in life is something I can't relate to.

I can't understand his motivation. You gotta be pretty confused to believe that somebody did that out of love, or because he cared. Ben's big dramatic choice in life is all about forgiveness, according to Libby (who's the film's protagonist who refuses change for two-thirds of the whole mess and then simply changes overnight), but to me it's all about a character acting in a certain way, so that the twist could click into the plot.

It happens not out of character's needs but out of structural problems, which is a storytelling crime I can't forgive, even somebody like Flynn whom I don't expect great things from. And here she did nothing to make me change my mind about her skills.

There's no nuance and no motivation in the characters she created. It was so weird caring about the case being resolved in the way you want a case you've read about in the papers being resolved.

Pure voyeurism with some semi-humanistic touches here and there, but no real connection. And that's because of the way the characters were created. Not to mention the whole last act introduction of a new character who changes everything.

And that character isn't there out of necessity to create conflict, even tension. He's there because he's needed to make the twist work. But let me not spoil, even though I'm pretty sure that midway through the crucial bathroom scene you'll be just as disappointed as I am.

Other than that, the last act where the tension is supposed to be hitting the roof drags even more than the pretty boring first act (with its neglect of characterization and obsession of showing us how much of a mess Libby is in the most unspecific and boring way).

But that third act has a suspensecul scene between Libby and a crucial character (or two) that's so laughably executed that it should be a walk of shame for both its director and the editor. Libby says it's important to forgive.

That's the morale of the story. But the film had too much moral in the last five minutes, I felt like I wasn't able to take it. Too much moral for such a tiny story.