Video games never seem to translate well to film, or most of the time anyway. Once in a blue moon you do get one that isn't a total stinker like the first Tomb Raider movie or Alien V.S predator, but even then they rarely turn out to be better than average. Silent Hill for these reasons is definitely one of the best game to film translations but that sadly, doesn't make it a great piece of cinema. Don't get me wrong its entertaining stuff, and a good Saturday or Friday night movie, but looking at the cast and crew involved along with the undeniable quality of the source material it's really a bit of a pity it isn't better. The Story follows Rose, who's daughter Sharon is sleepwalking and when she does she talks about a place called Silent Hill. Rose decides to take Sharon to the town of Silent Hill in the hope that what is clearly disturbing her daughters mind can be resolved when she see's the place. The place itself is now a ghost town, abandoned for years it would seem, however when Rose and Sharon reach the outskirts of the town they have an accident that leaves both mother and daughter knocked out. When Rose wakes up Sharon is missing, and its up to her and Police officer Cybil to find the little girl, in a town where everything is far from what it seems. The high point of silent hill is undoubtedly its visual aspects. Director Christophe Gans has created a place both creepy and hauntingly beautiful, and the monsters that inhabit the town are some of the best I've seen on the silver screen in a good while. Screewriter Roger Avery can't replicate that success in his script however. Its wooden and far to long and at times the heavy script slows the film down horribly. Its admirable what Avery's tried to do, build a little more character and humanity into a genre that so often lacks it, but in the end he doesn't pull it of. The performances on the other hand are solid and believable. Rhada Mitchell makes a good fist of the leading role, and young Jodelle Ferland who has to play multiple parts as the story develops is a name to look out for in the future. Laurie Holden and Sean Bean aren't taxed by easy parts, though when it counts they get by just fine. Its also commendable that the film has gone the whole 9 yards and grasped an R rating. The source material requires the more adult and mature rating a Pg-13 certificate would have doubtless not been enough to coax up the required effects and mature tension.
Review of Silent Hill
