Review of The Double Hour (2009) by Jack S — 28 May 2011

A decent Italian thriller that thinks it is better than it is. (Yes, I have just granted this movie the power of cognition.) A lot of it works: Well-acted--the lead actress reminded me of a young Christina Pickles. (What?) Nice plot twists, for people who enjoy that sort of thing. Surprisingly excellent soundtrack: Indie nerds will appreciate Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Mt. Silver Zion contributions; if not, you'll still enjoy the Cure's "In Between Days.".

So what doesn't work? Well, it's shot in digital video, and as a result, looks like crap. (I felt like I was watching a bootleg that I bought on the street.) The movie FEELS much longer than it is, which is not a good quality. And, despite the cleverness, despite the twists, I was rarely on the edge of my seat. And was all was said and done, I didn't really feel satisfied.

Perhaps this is because I really wanted to see "Midnight in Paris," but all the evening's showings were sold out. Perhaps it's because I'm a bit tired of movies blurring the line between fantasy and reality. (In fairness to this movie, it came out in 2009, before the recent glut of those films, but has only now been released in the U.S.).

Eh, it's good enough.