“DREAM HOUSE” Movie Review. ‘Tis HERE where SWEET DREAMS are SHATTERED

“DREAM HOUSE” PRESS PREVIEW

This Reviewer is suspicious of sweet names.

Sugary stuff could lead to dubiousness and tend to be paradoxical towards the end.

“DREAM HOUSE” has a lovely adjective, the type that dreams are made of.

It connotes a heavenly abode where you’d want to go home to rest your weary head, after a hard day’s grind.

That’s the problem.

This house is anything but dreamy. It harbors female ghosts who have an unfinished task.

We are talking about the spirits of a murdered mother and  her two young daughters.

A nightmare awaits you in this dream house should you step in.

And this is where our story unfolds.

Dream House is a horror flick.

Successful publisher Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quits a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz), and their two girls to a quaint New England town.

But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children.

The entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived.

When Will investigates, he’s unsure if he’s starting to see ghosts.

His only clues come from Ann Paterson (Naomi Watts), a mysterious neighbor who knew the victims.

And as Will and Ann piece together the haunting puzzle, they must find out who murdered the family before he returns to kill again.

Apparently the “former residents” are still there – as apparitions lurking somewhere in the house, waiting for it to be reoccupied.

There’s a ghostly presence all over. You witness satanic writing on the basement walls, and then a psychotic murderer who has just been released from a mental institution shows up, fueling further complications.

It seems that the house carries a bad omen, that anyone who resides therein will eventually perish.

“DREAM HOUSE” is directed by Jim Sheridan with a script that is intended to keep you on edge.

You will tally pieces of the jig saw puzzle in your mind, in your race against to uncover the bizarre truth.

A work of film noir, DREAM HOUSE has, unfortunately, nothing to offer in terms of newness.

The directorial treatment could have been better, as it has its fair share of plot holes and inconsistency of editing that tend to be irksome at times.

Despite the suspense, the first half of the feature tends to plod slowly.

The film perks up during the second half  where the action and shocks are delivered in succession, and the tempo quickens.

A-listers Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weiz pitch in admirable performances.  They do not disappoint.

All in all, “DREAM HOUSE” justifies an appreciation.

MOTHER AND CHILD Press Review. IF you must, there are always SUNSETS to WARM your HEART.

“You’ve spent your whole life running, trying to catch up with something that has never been there for you.

And all you’ve done is go farther and farther away from the precious LOVE that’s been waiting for you all the time.”

Take a woman’s story.

Then throw in this thing called LIFE.

Yeah, we know that LIFE is a journey fraught with love, happiness, hope, pain, despair, loneliness and eventual death.

Each and everyone of us takes the same route,

We all have to embark on the same roller coaster journey together,

Yet we alight at different destinations.

Now do remember to say kiss and hug and whisper ‘I love you’ to those you love and mean it.

And to always cherish the moment,

Because someday, when you least expect it, that person will not be around for you any more.

MOTHER AND CHILD is brilliantly written and earnestly directed by RODRIGO GARCIA.

Sometimes the editing can be choppy, but no matter.

It’s the substance that counts.

Essentially as the woman’s story unfolds,

we are treated to a film of undeniable warmth and charm,

rich in the humanity and compassion that seems at a premium during these uncertain times.

MOTHER AND CHILD dissects the intricate difficulties of human relationships

and explores the imperfections of life and loving.

Human beings stem from a convoluted race.

Our lives don’t have to be perfect in order to be what is needed.

Didn’t the 1970 film Love Story teach us:

“LOVE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU ARE SORRY”?

Name it and you get all kinds of LOVE -

Love for your friends, neighbors, siblings

and love between a mother and child.

LOVE has always been a journey-of-sorts, layered with horrible trials and tribulations, to make you see and accept sense, to add purpose to your dwindling relationships.

Take not love for granted,

If you do not nurture it,

It will expire and die,

MOTHER AND CHILD spins a yarn of 3 women whose lives had been profoundly affected by ADOPTION.

Karen (ANNETTE BENING) had a baby at 14 and being so young, she gave up the baby girl for adoption on the day of her birth. Since then she was plagued by guilt and was remorseful for the act she should never have committed.

Elizabeth (NAOMI WATTS) grew up as an adopted child – a tough loner. She was an ambitious lawyer albeit very much a distrustful woman. True love was probably not in her vocabulary.

Lucy (KERRY WASHINGTON) was barren and desperately wanted a child. She embarked endlessly, on an adoption odyssey with her husband, seeking hopelessly, to adopt a baby to complete her family life.

Where do all these lead to?

LOVE.

Three women, three narratives criss-crossed to arrive at one FINAL destinaton.

We laugh, we cry because at the end of it all, there’s redemption at the tip of the rainbow,

Heard of sunshine after the rains?

We must learn to forgive, to let go of the emotional baggage, to carry on with life's lot.

MOTHER AND CHILD will play well to female audiences.

ANNETTE BENING, NAOMI WATTS and KERRY WASHINGTON all gave stellar performances,

Hey, Mother’s Day is round the corner.

Treasure wonderful moments with your Mother.

Take her to watch MOTHER AND CHILD.

Hold her hands and tell her you love her very much,

There cannot be a much better idea than this one,

Check this out!

And to all mothers out there,

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

We love you!

For more information, visit

www.gscmovies.com.my