Miramichi

[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
Let me just start out by saying that the audience attending the screening I saw seemed to enjoy the movie. It was very effective in building up a level of tension and delivering genuine scares. The strength of this movies lies in the visuals. Now, having said that, there are a number of problems that I encountered in the movie which made it less than satisfying for me. First of all, the casting of Sarah Michelle Gellar made me feel that her character was never in any danger that she couldn't handle - afterall, she is Buffy, and what are ghosts compared to vampires, right? Secondly, the non-linear storytelling of the film seemed to confuse a lot of people in attendance. Unlike the brilliant film Memento, it didn't really seem to serve a purpose here. Next, there was a problem with the story itself. The premise of the film is that when someone dies in a fit of rage, they leave behind a curse in the place where they died. In the movie, it is actually the victims of this violent rage that are haunting the house. The killer of the woman and child is the one that should have the grudge. Lastly, having seen the Ring, I can already spot certain cliches in japanese horror movies which made the film utterly predictable for me. Straggly haired, (... ) female ghost corpses whose spirits are trapped within an object (house, or videotape, as in the case of the Ring) exacting revenge on innocent individuals who happen to violate a curse placed on the object (entering the house, or watching the videotape, etc) In the case of the Grudge, there is at least one character (the detectives assistant) that is completely forgotten about, and another (the sister) who never enters the house (... ) The logic established in the movie by its premise is completely ignored at times. There also seems to be an obsession with ghosts captured on video and the viewer realizing that the ghost can see them too. Admittedly, very creepy the first time you see it in a film - but this was not the first. Japanese horror films have begun to remind me of Japanese animation and Manga. They are very special when you see them for the first time, but you quickly realize that there is a sameness to all of them. Anyway, turn your brain off, take your date to this movie and, if nothing else, she will probably jump into your lap and bury her head into your chest several times during the course of the film. Now, that is worth the price of admission. ;-)

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