The Woman in Black
We hadn't gone to the movies in ages; the Dude broke our dry spell by insisting we see The Woman in Black. He'd read the book - he's a huge fan of Victorian ghost stories - and he was also interested in seeing how the Hammer Film re-boot went. Also, he has a thing for guys with mutton chops. So yeah, it was a big ball of expectations.
And then he could barely watch it because it was too scary.
I liked it. Daniel Radcliffe is maturing into an excellent actor. It was a little distracting in the beginning - Harry Potter, what are you doing over there, go back to Hogwarts - but once I got over that, I really enjoyed his performance.
Sets were beautiful, capturing the atmosphere perfectly. That house. That village. The scenes inside the mansion were perfect: the Victorian style made each room draped in darkness, cluttered with the flotsam of the characters' stormy lives. Long halls that disappeared into shadows, massive windows hidden behind drapes and covered in grime, each corner cluttered with curios.
In the end I think it relied too heavily on the GHOST POPS INTO THE FRAME SURPRISE! Also, while the plot revolved around denying women's agency, the movie gave little screen time to the (very few) female characters.
And then he could barely watch it because it was too scary.
I liked it. Daniel Radcliffe is maturing into an excellent actor. It was a little distracting in the beginning - Harry Potter, what are you doing over there, go back to Hogwarts - but once I got over that, I really enjoyed his performance.
Sets were beautiful, capturing the atmosphere perfectly. That house. That village. The scenes inside the mansion were perfect: the Victorian style made each room draped in darkness, cluttered with the flotsam of the characters' stormy lives. Long halls that disappeared into shadows, massive windows hidden behind drapes and covered in grime, each corner cluttered with curios.
In the end I think it relied too heavily on the GHOST POPS INTO THE FRAME SURPRISE! Also, while the plot revolved around denying women's agency, the movie gave little screen time to the (very few) female characters.