Review of Doctor Sleep (2002) by Shane M — 15 Oct 2005

I'm trying to get out of Round-up mode, but I've got so much catching up to do...

[b]Eternal[/b] = bad. The box says "inspired by actual events." But it ought to say inspired by ridiculously improbable illogical events. Supposedly a modern-day vampire story, this follows Elizabeth Kane, a wealthy seductress who uses her powers to lure unsuspecting women to her house where she drinks their blood and then bathes in it to keep her young. Could she be the 16th Century Countess of Blood Elizabeth Bathory? Who cares? The acting is terrible. The characters are always doing ludicrous things. And the plot jumps all over the place. And the really sad thing is that, given the subject matter, this could have been an interesting, suspenseful movie. Just avoid this.

[b]Close Your Eyes[/b] (imdb title is Doctor Sleep) = a refreshing surprise. A hypnotherapist, played by Goran Visnjic ("The Deep End"), has some psychic powers in that he can see part of what his patients are thinking when they are under hypnosis. When he accidentally lets something to slip to one of his patients who happens to be a cop, she drags him into an investigation. His new patient is a young girl who escaped from her kidnapper, but lost her ability to speak. As the therapy progresses, the investigation takes a supernatural turn. The cast is fleshed out by excellent supporting actors, Miranda Otto ("War of the Worlds"), Paddy Considine ("Cinderella Man"). The story line is interesting and there are some very tense moments. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[b]Layer Cake[/b] = quite good. Matthew Vaughn, the producer of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells, makes his directorial debut in this thriller which flows in the same vein as his previous producing credits. This film features twists and turns, bad ass gangster types and O'Brien (Colm Meaney), but it lacks some of the spice and edge of its cousins. The editing and cinematography were flawless, though. Vaughn has a definite visual style and I hope he steps behind the camera again.

[b]Crash[/b] = depressing. From the writer of Million Dollar Baby (another depressing, but beautiful film), Paul Haggis, this is not so much a character study as a thematic study of racism in modern society. It seems everyone is prejudice against some group. The story, and I use the term loosely, weaves between several characters whose lives collide in a car accident. This is a tough movie, with tough performances. And I'm still mulling it over. But some of the dialogue was beautiful, and painful. The actors all give outstanding performances, but Matt Dillon ("City of Ghosts") really stands out. I haven't seen him act like that in I can't even remember how long.

[b]Hitch[/b] = fun. Will Smith ("I, Robot") is one charming bastard. And he is perfect for the role of Hitch, a date-doctor who helps hapless loser types win the girls of their dreams. But he loses his cool when he meets Eva Mendes ("Out of Time"), and falls for her. Though Smith is entertaining, Kevin James ("King of Queens") is the real scene-stealer. As one of Smith's clients, he rules every time he takes the screen.