Saturday, April 09, 2022

Movie review - "Visitors" (2003) ** (warning: spoilers)

 I saw this at the Valhalla in Glebe with high ish hopes... it sounded intriguing a limited location film on a yacht, reuniting Richard Franklin and Everett de Roche in the thriller genre. There are some really spooky moments - a yacht is a creepy place, and star Radha Mitchell has a compelling presence with her look and beauty. Nicely shot. Effective sound.

Main problem - not enough happens. It's a series of scares. Other boat thrillers things happen - Dead Calm they've lost the kid in the opening sequence, they pick up Billy Zane, Sam Neill gets stranded and has his own B plot, he has a goal, Nicole has to sleep with Billy, etc etc 

De Roche/Franklin needed to think more in terms of acts... a real visitor on the boat, as opposed to a fake visitor (she can be unsure). Big things happening at home - not just an unexciting affair between Dominic Purcell and Totti Goldsmith but, say, her father having been murdered or her mother has escaped. Or, I don't know, a shark attack. Some progression.and genuine threat. Or have Radha follow in the footsteps of a woman who went missing on another voyage so they could solve that mystery.

I think a lot of it is too easy for her. There's no storms. No real threat. Even the pirates aren't real. Also very under-developed relationship with that random accountant.

I was getting more confused as it went on and the ending didn't seem to make sense with Radha not stepping off at the end (I mean, why not... okay Tottie rooted her boyfriend but she still ponied up the cash) No sense of triumph at the end. They should've killed off Radha at the end. At least that would've had some oomph.

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