This film was rated R. Despite this, the film was mostly one you could let your kids watch, but I strongly doubt this film would hold their interest. HOWEVER, there is a very brief and very brutal scene towards the end which makes the film a BAD idea to show the kids, so think twice about letting them see it or speed through this scene.
The box cover for the DVD described this film as "Hitchcock-like". If I only had a dollar for every DVD or video cover that compared a movie to Hitchcock's, I'd be a rich man!!! Unfortunately, in most cases the films are NOTHING like Hitchcock's. I really wish distributors would STOP comparing films to Hitchcock's--just let them stand on their own!
The film is very slow moving and at times very detached. While this does NOT make it a bad film, it does make it one that many will give up on very quickly as they are looking for a film with more energy. As I have a high tolerance for non-traditional movies, this didn't completely turn me off--though infusing SOME energy probably would have helped the film. About the only time there was energy was in an all too brief scene, Daniel Auteiul's character finally lets his guard down and begins bawling--but this ends almost as soon as it starts. Now I do understand that this emotional constriction was the writer's and director's vision, but I still think the film might have been improved by making the characters a little less cardboard-like.
As for the plot, the idea of someone watching and videotaping you and sending bloody drawings to a family is a really neat idea. Plus I loved how the film then became a movie about personal responsibility. But then, the film just kind of died...as if they ran out of film. The last 20 minutes of the film really did not seem very satisfying. Had I been involved in the production (like that could ever happen--ha), I would have had the film end with Auteuil committing suicide. Now THAT would have been an interesting ending. As it was, it just left me flat.
The box cover for the DVD described this film as "Hitchcock-like". If I only had a dollar for every DVD or video cover that compared a movie to Hitchcock's, I'd be a rich man!!! Unfortunately, in most cases the films are NOTHING like Hitchcock's. I really wish distributors would STOP comparing films to Hitchcock's--just let them stand on their own!
The film is very slow moving and at times very detached. While this does NOT make it a bad film, it does make it one that many will give up on very quickly as they are looking for a film with more energy. As I have a high tolerance for non-traditional movies, this didn't completely turn me off--though infusing SOME energy probably would have helped the film. About the only time there was energy was in an all too brief scene, Daniel Auteiul's character finally lets his guard down and begins bawling--but this ends almost as soon as it starts. Now I do understand that this emotional constriction was the writer's and director's vision, but I still think the film might have been improved by making the characters a little less cardboard-like.
As for the plot, the idea of someone watching and videotaping you and sending bloody drawings to a family is a really neat idea. Plus I loved how the film then became a movie about personal responsibility. But then, the film just kind of died...as if they ran out of film. The last 20 minutes of the film really did not seem very satisfying. Had I been involved in the production (like that could ever happen--ha), I would have had the film end with Auteuil committing suicide. Now THAT would have been an interesting ending. As it was, it just left me flat.