Girls, I am telling you, we had so much fun, at this film! Well not all of us; my beloved fell sick, because the film uses the found footage technique a good deal, with lots of shaking, pivoting camera work, so, if you are prone to motion sickness, do not see this movie.
The movie is far from great, but I will say this--it was the first M. Night Shyamalan film I was willing to sit through, since "The Village," which was a good 11 years ago! And, unlike that film, I did not figure out what was going on here. Though, when I did find out, I was ashamed of my inability not to. It was pretty straightforward.
The real mystery, that hangs over the film, is why a mother, who has been estranged from her parents for 15 years, would send her children to them--and the kids have never met these people--while she goes off on a sex jaunt, with her boyfriend! Tramp! Maybe there WAS a reason her parents did not speak to her.
Now, this is the part of the post where I will ask you to stop reading, if you intend to see this. Because I might drop some spoilers here and there, so don't say you were not warned.
I loved the cast. The grandparents are played by Deanna Dunagan, the original Violet Weston in "August:Osage County," on Broadway and at Steppenwolf, while the grandfather is played by character actor Peter McRobbie, who has played everything from a judge to a doctor on the "Law And Order" franchises, and was so frighteningly hateful as Jake Gyllenhaal's homophobic father in "Brokeback Mountain."
In fact, he brings a little of that performance here, which is why I kept saying to myself, throughout the screening, "This guy was in 'Brokeback Mountain.'" Which works, because not only is he not a nice man--he is not the grandfather.
You see, the grandparents' farm just happens to be near a mental institution--how convenient, because, believe me, if I had to live on this farm, I would have to shortly be put away there!!!!--so they are not really the grandparents but escaped mental patients. The real grandparents are dead, having been murdered by the disturbed couple, who are not married. Dunagan's character, Claire, drowned her children in a lake, which is what got her there; one script flaw is it is never revealed what put McRobbie's character, whose name is never learned, there. In one disturbing /disgusting scene, pedophilia is suggested, but that turns out to be a falsity, when something more disgusting than disturbing takes place.
Obviously, these two formed a friendship at the asylum, and when he discovered Claire wanted another chance at family life, they murdered the real grandparents (who did volunteer work there, so they knew the kids were coming) and took over their roles, so Claire could be gratified.
Does this sound a bit contrived? Wait till you see what kind of gourmet goodies Deanna cooks up! Where did this schizoid granny learn to cook? Not in the mental institution, I can tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The biggest surprise turns out to be the presence of one of my favorite actresses--Celia Keenan-Bolger! I just LOVE Celia, darlings, and when her name appeared on screen during the credits, I cried out her name so loud some one behind us yelled back, "Who's that?" She does a great job, in her scene with the blueberry concoction! She swings!!!!!!!!!!! Go, Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The kids are OK, but the real star is Shyamalan's sense of visuals; his only saving grace. That, and his skill with actors. The nighttime scenes, with naked granny scratching at the walls, and Pop Pop posturing and getting all gussied up for a night on the town, would make great musical numbers. Add to that a hate number for the kids to their mother, for sending them there! I am telling you, this could most be the most ghostly musical since "Follies." I can't guarantee the same artistry, though.
I have experienced worst visits at actual people's houses! This one is at least different!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drop in, at your own risk, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you, Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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