Review of Stir of Echoes (1999) by Hugo S — 15 Oct 2012

STIR OF ECHOES (1999).

Directed by David Koepp.

Starring Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope«Don't be afraid of it, daddy.»Released about a month after The Sixth Sense in 1999, Stir of Echoes deals with similar themes with a screenplay probably just as clever making it an overlooked gem from writer-sometimes-director David Koepp. Its a shame.A man disappointed in himself cause he feels a bit too ordinary is hypnotized one night by his sister-in-law. What was supposed to be just a joke turns out to be more, as some doors seem to have been opened in his mind. Hypnosis like many truamatic events - car crash, killing someone, near death experiment - can re-establish forgotten abilities or expad the mind. In the case of Tom its a forgotten ability, cause his four-year-old son, has it as well. They both have a «sixth sense», giving them the opportunity to see dead people. In the case of Tom, its only one ghost, but in the case of his son, it seems much more important as he is surrounded by echoes.While is mind is filled with uncomprehensible visions, Tom has to deal with his own failure in life but also cope with a family crisis. Director Koepp understood that a compelling drama is important to make the supernatural elements more effective, just like in movies such as The Shining or The Exorcist. Slowly Tom will understand those visions are actually a request coming from the ghost he has only seen once. She wants him to find her body so her murderer can be caught.Tom: «I'm supposed to dig.»Maggie: «And what is Jake doing?»Tom: «Jake is helping!»[Tom waters the ground with a hose]Maggie: «Why are you doing this?»Tom: «Water softens up the dirt.»Maggie: «No I mean... Could you just stop for a second ? ... Tom can you turn around and look at me when I'm talking to you?»Tom: «What eaxactly don't you understand? I'm supposed to dig.Maggie: «What are you digging?»Tom: «I'm searching»Maggie: «What are you searching for?»Tom: «The question is not 'What?' ... I think we both know very well 'What?', even if we don't want to admit it. The question Maggie, which you can plainly see I'm busy trying to answer... The question is 'Where?'.»Stir of Echoes has the classic ghost story plot but rather than making it bloody and probably laughable, director Koepp decided to make it creepy and disturbing. The technic he used to shot the scenes involving the ghost is pretty clever. In fact he shot the actress at six frames per second rather than the usual thirty, creating some jerky movements. That is a simple effect but its extremely effective. James Newton Howard adds a lot as well in terms of atmosphere and completes what was already begun with a cool looking cinematography.The real success of this film probably lies on Kevin Bacon's committed performance. Rather than seeing it as a star vehicule he really created a character with layers, as the great character actor that he is. His chemistry with Kathryn Erbe, playing his wife, definately help make the drama more compelling. What could be said about the young Zachary David Cope ? He simply is amazing and very creepy.Im not particularly a fan of the genre, supernatural psychological thriller, but this one really worked for me. Its engaging and frightening at the same time. Ive seen it many times and I still love every single lines of this film. The realistic characters with their bits of humor, stuck in a supernatural position is totally believable to me. Stir of Echoes is more than a guilty pleasure for me. I know I love it more than most people but its really a personal favorite of mine, I prefer this over The Sixth Sense. Strong performances with a layered script and fine camera work make this film absolutely enjoyable. A classic in my mind.