It appears as if audiences either love or hate this film. For those people who hate it, the major complaint seems to be that they found the movie confusing and disjointed - and this is a completely understandable statement, given that the main aim of this film is to present a story as seen through the eyes of someone who has a fractured mind.
A very brief synopsis: The movie opens with a series of flashbacks, introducing us to the main character, Ben (Colin Firth). Ben awakens from a week-long coma only to discover he has lost his wife in the very same car crash that put him in the hospital in the first place. Whilst recovering in hospital, he also learns that an R'n'B diva has been brutally murdered, and he soon finds himself obsessed with the details of her grisly murder. He moves into an apartment complex -- an old hospital currently undergoing renovations -- and meets his landlord, the sweetly innocent Charlotte (Mina Suvari). Soon after, Ben's grip on reality begins to loosen as he tries to piece together what happened to his wife and uncover the suspicious reasons behind his obsession with the murdered diva.
I own this movie on DVD, & have watched it multiple times. It never ceases to mesmerise, even though I know how the story plays out. The acting is quite good, although Mina Suvari's character can come across as a little wooden at times. Colin Firth is such a quality actor, and he does a brilliant job here convincing us of his tortured-soul status, in a role quite different from his usual 'just-a-normal-guy' routine. In fact, I think his 'just-a-normal-guy' reputation is actually part of what makes this film so creepy - because his character is clearly not 'normal'.
When watching this movie viewers should keep in mind that this story is told *entirely* through the viewpoint of a man whose own view of the world is fractured. We, the audience, are given no "life raft" points of view from the other characters in the story. And this is one of the reasons why this movie is so brilliant: the story-telling is disjointed, because the main character's own thought processes are disjointed and non-linear. The editing and cinematography are an important part of the story-telling, featuring jump-cuts, unique camera angles & the use of reflections to depict a shattered perspective on reality. Metaphors & red herrings abound and soon the audience - like Ben - is left wondering what is real and what is all in Ben's mind.
A very brief synopsis: The movie opens with a series of flashbacks, introducing us to the main character, Ben (Colin Firth). Ben awakens from a week-long coma only to discover he has lost his wife in the very same car crash that put him in the hospital in the first place. Whilst recovering in hospital, he also learns that an R'n'B diva has been brutally murdered, and he soon finds himself obsessed with the details of her grisly murder. He moves into an apartment complex -- an old hospital currently undergoing renovations -- and meets his landlord, the sweetly innocent Charlotte (Mina Suvari). Soon after, Ben's grip on reality begins to loosen as he tries to piece together what happened to his wife and uncover the suspicious reasons behind his obsession with the murdered diva.
I own this movie on DVD, & have watched it multiple times. It never ceases to mesmerise, even though I know how the story plays out. The acting is quite good, although Mina Suvari's character can come across as a little wooden at times. Colin Firth is such a quality actor, and he does a brilliant job here convincing us of his tortured-soul status, in a role quite different from his usual 'just-a-normal-guy' routine. In fact, I think his 'just-a-normal-guy' reputation is actually part of what makes this film so creepy - because his character is clearly not 'normal'.
When watching this movie viewers should keep in mind that this story is told *entirely* through the viewpoint of a man whose own view of the world is fractured. We, the audience, are given no "life raft" points of view from the other characters in the story. And this is one of the reasons why this movie is so brilliant: the story-telling is disjointed, because the main character's own thought processes are disjointed and non-linear. The editing and cinematography are an important part of the story-telling, featuring jump-cuts, unique camera angles & the use of reflections to depict a shattered perspective on reality. Metaphors & red herrings abound and soon the audience - like Ben - is left wondering what is real and what is all in Ben's mind.
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