Would Dakota Fanning be the next Natalie Portman, or Christina Ricci? It's not a longshot, given the credible performance here in Hide and Seek. I still remembered that she managed to stand on her own against the enigmatic Denzel Washington in Man on Fire, and here, she does a commendable job beside veteran Robert De Niro.
The premise of the show suggests suspense, thrills and maybe something of the supernatural perhaps? It explores the relationship between a psychologist and his daughter, after their wife/mother died in a suicide, or is it? What is the impact to a child who witnesses the death of a parent?
Whilst the blood and gore are kept to a minimum, what you can't see actually sends shivers to you. The buildup shows a lot of potential, but too many red herrings and the pacing at the end leaves much to be desired. Any alert movie goer will anticipate and guessed the twist that is offered halfway through the film, and once that is done, the narrative seems to drag itself into an ending.
Robert De Niro breezes through his role - nothing new to offer here, whilst Famke Janssen and Elizabeth Shue up the babe factor.
Watch this not expecting a tight narrative or a shocking ending, but watch this for Fanning's performance.
1 comment:
This movie is connected like links in a chain. When a link falls apart, the whole movie falls apart. For this movie, its how the girl reacts to Mr. D. Callaway/Charlie throughout. She knew exactly who Charlie was and yet she wasn't terrified of him. When she was having fun with him as a playmate, she should have acted as though he was happy to be in his presence. This made no sense. This did not happen. She acted as though they had a typical father/daughter relationship--even though, she knew what her father was about. Can you say big problem?!
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