Genres

Visitors Review

John Woodside 2012-05-25 15:43:15

Compelling and Unsettling

I was drawn into this film by the uneasy feeling that the centralcharacters were being drawn into a slow-sucking situational quicksand,an experience that for most of us only happens in nightmares.If you prefer snappy pace and predictability in your films, move on. Asthe other reviews indicate, you either really like this film, or reallydislike it for any number of reasons. At times I wanted to grab the"hero" by the shoulders and give him a shake to snap him out of hisapparent lassitude. At that point I realized the movie was working forme, I was invested emotionally. Casting stays refreshingly clear ofstereotypes with not a "pretty boy" in sight, and direction,performances and technical credits are mostly right on the mark.This picture would have done so much better at the box office if it hadlet the potential audience know that Patricia Highsmith was the authorof Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." For those of us not familiarwith Highsmith's work, the title "The Cry of the Owl" is just too farremoved from the essence of this film to be a draw.So when you have the opportunity to see this film, relax, put your feetup and watch the first ten or so minutes. If you fall asleep, or findyour mind turning towards undone kitchen tasks, then get back to"Jersey Shore" or whatever else gives your entertainment rush. If thisfilm passes the ten-minute endurance test, you'll find it evolves into100 minutes of compelling entertainment, destined to linger in the darkcrannies of your mind for longer than you might expect.

Jizdenky 2012-05-25 07:40:05

Shattered Still Life

'The Cry of the Owl' has a wicked sense of humour. On the surface, itmay appear as a thriller but it is more of a dark comedy with subtlehumour. After all one cannot fail to see the irony in the premise: astalker being stalked by his stalker. Of course, once the premise isintroduced this oddly absurd movie, the story turns into a game ofjealousy, betrayal and murder.The execution is quite interesting. It has an old fashioned look to it.Most of the visuals are quite photographic. The slightly washed outcolour give it a gloomy look reflecting the colourless lives of thecharacters. Most of the film is seen through Robert's point of view andthe twists are surprising.The film is philosophical too. Robert stalks Jenny because sherepresents the illusion of happiness. However, once Jenny invites himin, this illusion is shattered and he loses interest in her. In a laterscene, he describes to his wife Nickie that the first time he saw her,she was like a beautiful statue and then she moved, and it was alldownhill. He seems to be more fascinated by an illusion of perfectionand is put off by the humanness of people.Jenny, on the other hand, who is more messed up than Robert, thinksit's fate and that they should be together. She immediately dumps herboyfriend and stalks Robert but eventually she too realizes that herillusion is shattered and the more she tries to cling on the further heslips away. In a way, Nickie too tries to hold on to Robert and, inevent, uses more extreme measures. Ideals and illusions are whatinstigates trouble in these characters' lives.Paddy Considine is excellent as the awkward, passive, neurotic lonerRobert. Julia Stiles is mostly very good as the pretty Jenny (eventhough there are a few sequences were she's a little off as she failsto depict Jenny's anguish and despair convincingly). Caroline Dhavernasis terrific as Jenny's more sexually aggressive counterpart. JamesGilbert is irritating.Subtle and quiet, yet dark, funny and even twisted, 'The Cry of theOwl' is a well-crafted little film.

DrStranglove 2012-05-21 22:10:18

Horrible direction not saved by good acting.

Yea this was a waste of time. Though Paddy Considine did a fairly goodjob of bringing some life to the film via some decent acting, theoverall pace and unbelievable plot aspects keep the film on a downwardspiral ending in a climax more of a whimper than a bang.Of note is the lackadaisical way in which this adaptation took keyelements of the novel and pretty much left them in the book. And asmentioned above, the lack of believability in certain scenes ruined thesuspension of disbelief of this reviewer. Examples (spoiler free) areof characters acting how no one ever would, police behavingmoronically, and the sensation that Paddy's character is so much a whipthat he deserves anything he gets.My advice, don't wast any money on this one.

2012-05-21 09:19:53

'Kafka with a Vengeance.'

THE CRY OF THE OWL is a tense, somewhat disjointed story with Kafkaesque overtones ('marked by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger'): had the film been distributed with the information that it taken from a 1962 novel by Patricia Highsmith ('Strangers on a Train', 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and the follow-up novels with that character, etc) it would have likely garnered a larger audience. It is a strange psychological thriller that slowly works its way under the viewer's skin. The screenplay was written by director Jamie Thaves who successfully captures Highsmith's extraordinary story.Robert Forrester (Paddy Considine) is a troubled, depressed but decent young man who retreats from the big city and his ex-wife for the tranquility of a small town in Pennsylvania. For some not obvious reason he begins to night stalk a young woman Jenny Thierolf (Julia Stiles), gazing in the dark at the apparently happy Jenny alone in her secluded house. Jenny inadvertently befriends Robert despite the fact that Jenny is in a relationship with Greg Wyncoop (James Gilbert): Greg confronts Robert, a fight ensues and Robert flees after saving Greg from drowning in the river. In a twist of circumstances Jenny begins to stalk Robert, admitting that she has fallen in love with him, but Robert avoids her advances as he is still in the process of an ugly divorce with his wife Nickie (Caroline Dhavernas), a strange behaving woman who feeds on Robert's lack of self worth. When Greg goes missing Robert becomes the prime suspect. With the police on his case the 'crime' becomes threatening, and in typical Highsmith fashion, everything twists and turns at the end, creating a claustrophobic and irrational series of events until the story ends with some questions answered and others left hanging. The actors are excellent and the cinematography by Luc Montpellier adds to the haunting creepiness of the film. Jeff Daniels' minimal music score underlines the tension. Before watching this film, remind your self that you are dealing with Patricia Highsmith's brand of mystery and the film will be more appreciated. Grady Harp, April 11

Pembleton 2012-05-12 14:42:27

It IS a dark comedy! And an excellent bad dream...

Virtually ignored on it's release, barely reviewed in the press, Ithink this is a great film that is misunderstood and unfairlymisjudged. This movie is essentially a dark comedy and a bad dreamrolled into one. The story, based on the novel by Highsmith, is absurd,of course it's a comedy as all Highsmith's work is essentially darklyhumorous, come on, a stalker who gets stalked by his victim? Thedirector has a very subtle touch and I think this is why so many peoplewatching this film are lost, the film doesn't make conventionalchoices, it simply doesn't make it easy on the viewer that's why somany people feel confused by this movie, but in my opinion many viewersthese days are unable to recognize when a film is interesting, doingsomething different from the norm, and this film is doing exactly that.The film has touches of Lynch, Cronenberg and the Cohens about it yetrefuses to follow any of those directors paths.You could say it is quite old fashioned, it relies heavily on mise onscene, a lost art today in most films, but to label it Hitchcockian isdoing the film a great disservice because the label is too easy toapply here and the director, I believe, is well aware of the obviouscomparison and is constantly playing with those notions. This isperhaps more a philosophical thriller than a psychological one andperhaps that is why it doesn't satisfy everyone, maybe the film couldhave benefited from a little more tension, but for me it is anintelligent dissection of the dangers of the romantic mind.Robert wants the perfect woman, he stares at her through her window asif in a painting, but he knows the perfect woman doesn't exist, whenJenny invites Robert in the 'real' woman is exposed as being even morenuts than him. Look at what Robert says to Nickie, his ex wife, at theend, 'when I first saw you , you were like a statue, then you moved andit was all...downhill from there on in.' He's only happy with thefrozen image of a woman, I believe both Jenny and Nickie's death arekind of willed by this man in some dark way, set in motion by him atthe very least, the women he loves are more beautiful to him in death(as statues) than alive. At the end Robert gets what he wishes for, tobe in the painting (the window) himself but always alone. Recommendedonly for those with a wicked sense of humour, patience and a sharpintellect.

Claudio Carvalho 2012-05-11 18:08:31

Melancholic Thriller

The depressed and needy designer Robert Forrester (Paddy Considine) hasjust moved from New York to work in the Lavigne Aeronautics in a smalltown. Robert is under pressure and stalking Jenny Thierolf (JuliaStiles), sneaking around the woods every night to see the happiness ofthe young woman that lives alone in an isolated house. Robert isdivorcing from his manipulative and cynical wife Nickie Grace (CarolineDhavernas)in New York and is not interested in another relationship atthat moment. When Jenny sees Robert snooping her, he introduces himselfand she surprisingly invites him to talk to her and drink a coffee.When Jenny's boyfriend Greg Wyncoop (James Gilbert) proposes her, sherealizes that she does not love him and breaks up with Greg. Then Jennyfalls in love with Robert and pursues him everywhere; however Robertdoes not want to commit with her. Robert is loathed by Greg's friendsand one day, Greg forces Robert's car off the road and attacks Robert,but Robert hits him in self-defense and leaves Greg unconscious nearbya river. When Greg goes missing, Robert becomes the prime-suspect ofthe police. He loses his promotion; he is suspended from his job; hisfriend Jack Neilson (Gord Rand) leaves him; his landlord asks his houseback; and Jenny commits suicide. When Robert is shot on the street, heis sure that the responsible is Greg, but nobody believes in his words."The Cry of the Owl" is a melancholic thriller based on a novel ofPatricia Highsmith and a remake of a Claude Chabrol's film of 1987 thatunfortunately I have not had the chance to see yet. The story isengaging and sad and the performances are top-notch. The beauty ofCaroline Dhavernas' eyes and face is impressive and her characterNickie Grace is a real bitch. The jinx of Robert Forrester is credibledespite some stupid attitudes. The conclusion is open tointerpretations and I Intend to compare with Chabrol's film. My vote isseven.Title (Brazil): "O Vôo da Coruja" ("The Flight of the Owl")

chrismichaeld 2012-05-11 18:21:48

Exceptional and Very Under-rated

Coming from the viewpoint of a person who had neither heard of thismovie or known of the novel, I was pleasantly surprised. The story initself was cleverly presented by exceptional acting. This is not aHollywood blockbuster by any means but was effective. The music andcinematography were nothing special but still feel like thiscomplimented a compelling story. After watching I do feel like therewere a few psychological undertones to this film that leave you with anuneasy feeling while watching. All of the characters were highlydeveloped and nearing the end you will understand what I mean. For amovie many have never heard of, I would recommend it without a doubt.

wggmn3 2012-05-10 23:38:24

Appreciation for the observations of hansdewolff...

I particularly appreciated the observation by hansdewolff regarding Mr.Considine's performance: "On the other side I did have some troublewith Paddy Considine as Robert. Sure, he played the dull, neurotic,passive and slightly cowardly character to perfection. Yet somethingwas amiss...in the rest of the movie it's just not enough in sync withthe premise of a charming guy who's sought-after by two beautifulwomen"I felt very much the same as I endured the film's first half...not onlyin his appearance did he evoke a grim, dull figure, his emotionalattitude was also bleak and flat...the spectator should care for, ifnot totally identify, with him (he is the main character)...in fact thewhole first half seemed more bleak and grim and ultimately alienatingthan it need have been...maybe not only at times having him be moreappealing (emotionally and physically) would have been to make himsomewhat manic-depressive (certain charming highs as well as alienatinglows), in a sense the contrast established between the urban and therural worlds could be echoed (in a different way of course) bycontrasts in his characterization and dress...it certainly would havemade first half of the narrative less boring and ultimately the filmmore engaging...

hansdewolff 2012-05-05 06:11:24

An almost perfect Highsmith adaptation!

"The Cry of the Owl" is a scrupulous adaptation of the PatriciaHighsmith novel with the same title. The novels of miss Highsmith aregenerally considered as crime-novels, but in my opinion they're morelike psychological thrillers. Apart from her famous Tom Ripley novels(a series with a slightly different approach), the rest of her work isset up around pretty much the same theme in every novel: a man (almostalways a man!) gets into trouble by a death for which he somehow is (orfeels) responsible, either trough accident or by an impulsive act. Therest of the novel is spent on how this man deals with his mountingfeelings of guilt and remorse, and whether he will turn himself in, orget caught, or succeed in wiggling himself out of the mess he's caused.The main character is usually a friendly but slightly neurotic,pondering kind of guy who means well but seems to make one wrongdecision after another. Miss H's novels are also always (and rathersurprisingly!) a bit misogynous: women play a dark role, they areunreliable to say the least, sometimes air-headed or at other timesdownright conniving and vicious. In many cases they not only are thecause of the initial crime but they enhance the ultimate downfall ofthe main character."The Cry of the Owl" is about a man who's in the middle of a messydivorce and who accidentally witnesses a (supposed) marital bliss whenhe peeks through a window in his neighborhood. When the woman catcheshim spying on her, she asks him in, and all of a sudden the tables areturned: she starts to stalk him and he gets to deal with her jealousdumped boyfriend.This film has much to say for it. It seems to be pretty true to thebook (I checked the ending with my copy of the novel, it almost fitsliterally!) and the typical Highsmith-atmosphere is capturedflawlessly: the slow pace, the tentative communications between theprotagonists, the unglamorous, almost dull settings, it's allquintessential Highsmith. I very much liked Julia Stiles here, she'stotally convincing as the subdued but inwardly resolved Jenny who turnsthe quiet life of recluse Robert upside down. She's lovely andcompelling in an unobtrusive way and her acting is great with only fewwords but a very subtle use of expressions of her beautiful face.On the other side I did have some trouble with Paddy Considine asRobert. Sure, he played the dull, neurotic, passive and slightlycowardly character to perfection. Yet something was amiss. All of missH's anti-heroes have to be handsome in an all-American way, they haveto look and behave like someone's ideal son-in-law. It's partly thiscontrast between their outward charm and their inward neuroses that'sresponsible for the troubles they get themselves into. So it should bethe same in this story, where it's even more important that the maincharacter is a nice and charming guy, to make it believable thatthere's this very sexy and debonair ex-wife who still lusts after himand that he can have at the same time such an appeal on this prettyJenny. It's also important for us, the audience, to have enough reasonto sympathize with him. With Considine unfortunately this is rathervery hard and his supposed attractiveness is totally unbelievable. Helooks old, ragged and worn out, drags himself around, speaks in aslugged, drawling voice and more or less looks like an escaped convictthe whole movie through. This only fits in the parts where he looseshis cool and beats the hell out-off someone, but in the rest of themovie it's just not enough in sync with the premise of a charming guywho's sought-after by two beautiful women.The other main parts are well covered: James Gilbert is convincinglymenacing as the dumped boyfriend and Caroline Dhavernas is the perfectcounterpart to Jenny, as the sexually aggressive, vindictive but stillcaring ex-wife.All in all, I compliment director (and writer!) Jamie Thraves incapturing Highsmith so well on screen, where so many others in myopinion have failed in this (like the terrible "Ripley's game" withJohn Malkovich!). Apart from the casting of Considine this is anexcellent movie. I rank it 8 out of 10.

Al 2012-05-04 18:40:21

made me sick

I literally vomited at about 70 minutes in. I was watching this while riding my bike trainer and I knew I would be forced to watch the rest because I refused to interrupt my workout to change the channel. I just think the horrible acting and boring storyline made me nauseas. I was equally sickened by the pointless ending but luckily I didn't have anything left to puke up.

franz66 2012-05-02 17:56:54

Depth, darkness, despair and danger in this eerie underhanded mystery.

This film immediately pulled me in with the first scene ofdriving-through-the-dark-night, unrecognizable glows of light flyingby, signs of life in an otherwise black space and arriving at a warmglow in a quaint house and a woman washing dishes. Robert watches herfrom the safety of dark woods, night after night, although he has a topdesign job at an aeronautical firm.The people throughout this film are all askew and odd, relating to eachother around corners and the strange connection that occurs betweenJenny, the woman in the window, and her voyeur Robert is a desperateattempt at something real made by two eccentric individuals marked bydepression and solitude. Like all Patricia Highsmith material, lifeexists on the edge and comfort is not so easily had.I enjoyed the contrast made between the big city, with Robert'smalicious ex-wife living amidst its penthouses, and the small townAutumn leaved rurality that Robert has retreated to. Robert makesefforts to keep himself in his bubble but Jenny, upon discovering him,tempts fate and propels herself upon him, breaking up with herboyfriend to do so and thus setting into motion a weblike story ofviolence, deception, and the inevitable play of loss after loss.I watched this after seeing Julia Stiles on this season's Dexter and Icouldn't help but think the producers must have seen her in this, hercharacters in both being both haunted with pain, yet filled withresolve. Paddy Considine does a great job playing a man who seems tohave been run through the washer and dryer a few too many times, bothdistant and filled with an undercurrent of emotion.I highly recommend this film unless you demand nothing but car chasesand narratives that spell everything out for you in the first tenminutes.

TeamPadalecki 2012-05-02 11:20:58

Creepy

The movie kept me interested as I watched it to the very end. I didn't know exactly what the movie was about - but I thought it had a couple of good twists. All-in-all, Julia Stiles deserves better roles.

2012-04-26 10:08:29

Weird and creepy

This movie could have been better. It kept you guessing about everything, but left you feeling just,,,meh! I was disappointed in the acting.Julia was good, just not great! It's hard to review this movie.

jackclancy 2012-04-25 16:56:57

Time wasted watching this!

What a waste of time...acting was pathetic, as if actors were walkingthrough their roles so they could pick up their paychecks. This moviemade no sense, was unbelievable from the beginning, middle,while theending still did not tie the movie together. The characters were leftundeveloped so you had no idea what their motivations were. So manyunanswered questions, I lost count. How many of you would actuallybelieve this could really happen?! I enjoy Julia Styles' films, butthis one ranks far below her talents. Can someone please tell me whatthe point of this movie is, if there is one? I am very surprised somany enjoyed this film,guess they had plenty of time on their hands towaste. Don't buy the hype, it's not worth it.

Sonia 2012-04-25 01:05:22

a walk out

Horrible movie. Walked out of cinema. Lead 'actor' made comical faces when he did react at all. Uncharismatic and poorly cast Lothario. Can't imagine all 3 women chasing him.

Ms 2012-04-24 21:12:23

Don't waste your time

I wish I would've read these reviews before wasting hours of my life that I cannot get back. I thought I would give Julia a chance...but the situations didn't make sense. A girl living alone in a large house out in the woods finds a strange man outside of her house watching her and she invites him in???? What kind of nonsense is that???? No danger there!!! But after getting past that part I thought I would stick it out only to be VERY disappointed at the ending...true waste of the money they used to make this film!!!

voided-1 2012-04-22 05:48:50

Disconcerting and eerie

I actually came to this film because I was a fan of the director'sdebut (The Low Down). This is a completely different genre but I thinkit shows he can make films that are diverse, but high quality. So, thisis essentially a psychological thriller but the tone is extremely darkand disconcerting. It almost seems supernatural at times and does getyou thinking. I haven't read a Patricia Highsmith novel but I have seenfilm adaptations and this seems to fit in with her usual themes ofduplicity and such. The performances are uniformly good. Considine isassured as the lead but Julia Stiles is excellent with a calm intensityin her role.

herb-924-148734 2012-04-22 01:03:16

awful

A work of art must have some coherence, even if its gaps and lacunaechallenge an auditor. This one is a mess. The girl "inexplicably"becomes attracted to her stalker (as the summary says). He rejects herbecause he prefers to see her happily washing the dishes. His rivalhides out in Chicago with the connivance of his ex-wife (how did theyhook up?) and, instead of concocting a clever revenge, the rival justshoots through a window, mortally wounding the young man's neighbor andnicking him. (He later wanders through the hospital, untreated in hisblood-stained shirt). The stalkee "inexplicably" commits a ritualsuicide (why? -- she doesn't really say). Then the shooter is released(!), albeit when his deadbeat father "inexplicably" pulls in the localpower structure. The ex-wife begs for the ex-husband to exculpate her.How could he, even if he wanted to? Styles must have been reallypuzzled by her character, who is, finally, just plain nuts. But"inexplicably" -- there's no basis for her bizarre behavior. I wouldnot wish this flick on anyone. The final sequence is macabre andunbelievable and, don't worry, the film has no ending. It just stops.But an hour and a half too late. Fantasy demands that we accept therule of the world the writer creates. Live drama demands that wesuspend our disbelief. This one asks that we keep believing in thingsthat both could not happen and cannot be believed when they do.

2012-04-18 02:55:23

Twisted ending

This review is from: The Cry of the Owl (DVD) The previews of this movie looked really suspenseful. I like Julia Stiles' acting. Although I enjoyed this movie, at the end I just said "Huh?".

DARK KNIGHT 2012-04-17 13:33:45

NOT A GOOD FILM FOR ALL TIME

this film not have a good story to see.i really confuse what happen in this movie.this film have a big question why first actor go to that house? however this movie not good.