This Is NOT "A Summer Place," Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    There is no Troy Donahue, Sandra Dee, romantic theme, or campy mother-daughter argument between Dee and Dorothy McGuire, resulting in a phone being flung.

                                     I have to hand it to Emily Blunt, for versatility, and looking good as a blonde. I never knew she was married to John Krasinski; in fact, I never knew who he was, as I did not watch "The Office."

                                     So I came to this film, fresh.

                                     I had heard it compared to "Cloverfield," which is a better film, but "A Quiet Place" makes the same error that the earlier film did, in showing the monstrosities lurking about.  It would have been better to have kept them off camera.

                                      What "A Quiet Place" offers is a feral post apocalyptic journey of a family having survived an unexplainable invasion of creatures who can hear every one of your movements, and then jump in for the kill.  The first twenty minutes is supposed to set the mood for the film, but was destroyed by the mostly pubescent Alpine audience, who could not handle the silence, and so engaged in their own chatter.

                                          Krasisnki's film, overall, is like one by M. Night Shyamalan, if Shyamalan knew what he was doing. Which he hasn't, in, like, forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           He also pays homage to any number of films--"Night Of The Living Dead," "The Blair Witch Project," the aforementioned "Cloverfield," "Signs," and Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."  The creatures, when shown, are more fully realized replicas of those used in "Signs;" at least, that is what they reminded me of.  But unlike "Signs," they are not cheaply made.

                                            The real thrills come from tensions generated.  The opening scene on the bridge, where the family loses one of their children, is shocking.  The Abbot family is clearly in danger, but these moments of high tension are often coupled with scenes of absolute incredulity.

                                             Survival depends on being silent.  Emily Blunt has two scenes that test this.  One is her walking down a basement stairs, and stepping her foot onto a protruding nail.  Add to this the fact she is eight months pregnant, and eventually has to give birth in silence, with the audience sitting there, wondering, "What the hell---???????????"  There is no way I could retain silence, having stepped on a nail.  As for childbirth, well, I am not qualified to speak on that one!

                                                But what about the possibility of sepsis?  That issue is not even addressed.

                                               Once again, as she did in "Wonderstruck," Millicent Simmonds delivers a winning performance, even as she seems to be aging out of juvenile roles.  What could be next--regional productions of "The Miracle Worker?"  "Children Of A Lesser God?"  A full blown revival of "Johnny Belinda?"  Now, there's a thought!  If only "Cold Case" was still around.  The writers could mine real gold of a story for Millicent.

                                                 Who, though I will not say how, turns out to be the brightest bulb in the family, and the heroine who saves the day.  Though Emily gets the last shot, it is Millicent's impact that will register with the viewers as they leave.

                                                   "A Quiet Place" shows Krasinski has promise.  Now, let us see him deliver, with a genuine horror masterpiece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!