Dirección: Alexandre Aja.
País: USA.
Año: 2008.
Duración: 110 min.
Género: Terror.
Interpretación: Kiefer Sutherland (Ben Carson), Paula Patton (Amy Carson), Amy Smart (Angela Carson), Cameron Boyce (Michael Carson), Erica Gluck (Daisy Carson), Jason Flemyng (Larry Byrne).
Guión: Alexandre Aja y Gregory Levasseur.
Producción: Alexandra Milchan, Marc Sternberg y Gregory Levasseur.
Música: Javier Navarrete.
Fotografía: Maxime Alexandre.
Montaje: Baxter.
Diseño de producción: Joseph Nemec III.
Vestuario: Ellen Mirojnick y Michael Dennison.
Estreno en USA: 15 Agosto 2008.
Estreno en España: 3 Octubre 2008.

Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) ha tenido días mejores. Ha pasado casi un año desde que el inestable detective fuera suspendido de su trabajo en el Departamento de Policía de Nueva York tras haber disparado fatalmente a otro policía que trabajaba de incógnito, un accidente que no sólo le costó su empleo, sino que le llevó al alcoholismo y desató la ira que le alejó de su mujer e hijos. Ansioso por superarlo y reunirse de nuevo con ellos, Carson se emplea como vigilante nocturno en las calcinadas ruinas de los almacenes Mayflower. Lo que una vez fue símbolo de prosperidad y opulencia ahora va deteriorándose en la oscuridad, devastado por un gigantesco fuego que se cobró muchas vidas inocentes. Mientras patrulla por los espeluznantes y chamuscados restos de los almacenes, Ben advierte algo siniestro en los fastuosos espejos que adornan sus paredes. En su inmenso cristal se reflejan unas imágenes terroríficas que le inquietan profundamente. Además de proyectar terribles imágenes del pasado, parece que los espejos también manipulan la realidad. Su comprensiva pero escéptica hermana Angela (Amy Smart) atribuye esas extrañas “pesadillas” a su estrés y al sentimiento de culpa por la muerte que ocasionó accidentalmente, pero la despechada mujer de Carson (Paula Patton), una pragmática forense del Departamento de Policía, es menos indulgente. El cada vez más errático comportamiento de su marido la asusta, alejando aún más a su familia y, según ella, poniendo en peligro a sus hijos. Mientras investiga la misteriosa desaparición del guarda de seguridad de los almacenes y la posible conexión con sus fantasmagóricas visiones, Carson se da cuenta de que una malévola fuerza sobrenatural está usando los reflejos como puerta de entrada para aterrorizarles.

¡Madre mía! Que tarde he pasado, ¡Madre mía! Que miedo. Hacía tiempo que no lo pasaba tan mal con una película. No tanto por el miedo, sino por los sustos que pega, ya que las escenas de violencia explicita, ósea un poquito gore, no se me atragantan gracias al modulo.

No se si será por los estudios, por el día, porque hace frio pero estoy hipersensible y gasta huevos que día elegí para ver “Reflejos”. Simplemente acojonante, apabullante y muy buena película. No sé si rebajo mucho mi listo, pero hacia mucho que no pasaba tanto miedo con una película.

Recomendable 100% si quieres pasar unos raticos de miedo.

Stand By Me perustuu Stephen Kingin kirjoittamaan novelliin The Body, jonka ohjauksesta vastaa monitaituri Rob Reiner. Hänen työskentelynsä kameran takana hipoo melkein täydellisyyttä, tosin kiitosta on annettava myös loistavalle käsikirjoitukselle. Ennen tämän elokuvan ilmestymistä Reiner tunnettiin komedioista, ilmestymisen jälkeen hänestä tuli vakavasti otettava ohjaaja. Reiner on ohjannut vuosien mittaa monia hienoja elokuvia, parhaimmistona mainittakoon se tunnetuin romanttinen komedia When Harry Met Sally ja oikeussalidraama A Few Good Men.

Elokuva ei mässäile väkivallalla eikä hienoilla efekteillä, se on puhtaasti tunteisiin vetoavaa kerrontaa aikuisen Gordien (Richard Dreyfuss) kautta. Juoni on selkeä ja toimiva kaikessa yksinkertaisuudessaan. Elokuva on rakennettu hienosti nuorten näyttelijöiden tulkinnan varaan. Ohjaaja luottaa heidän kykyihinsä, joka todella näkyy vakuuttavasti lopputuloksessa.

Roolisuoritukset ovat voimakkaita ja hyvin ammattimaisesti tehtyjä, vaikka näyttelijät ovatkin uusia tulokkaita. He ovat luoneet omaista hahmoistaan itsensä näköisiä. Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: Nemesis) näyttelee hyvin tunteikkaalla, sydäntä riipaisevalla tavalla Gordiea, joka on jäänyt auto-onnettomuudessa kuolleen veljensä Dennyn (John Cusack) varjoon. River Phoenix (Sneakers) Chrisinä on vakuuttava. Hän onnistuu saamaan esiin roolihahmon herkkyyden, mutta samalla myös sen kovuuden. Valitettavasti Phoenixin lahjakkuus jäi lyhyeen traagisesti 1993. Corey Feldman (Maverick) on hieno löytö rajojaan etsivänä Teddynä. Jerry O’Connel (Jerry Maguire) näyttelee elokuvassa pelokasta mammanpoika Verniä. Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) on loistava lisä kulmakunnan pahimpana kundina, Ace Merrillinä.

Stand By Me – viimeinen kesä on kaiketi yksi parhaimmista elokuvista mitä on koskaan tehty. Se on kasvutarina, joka käsittelee koskettavia asioita totuudenmukaisesti valehtelematta. Elokuva vetoaa hyvin voimakkaalla tavalla tunteisiin. Se on täynnä kohtauksia, jotka on tehty yksinkertaisella ja toimivalla tavalla hienojen näyttelijätöiden siivittämänä.  Tämä on elokuva, joka ei kulu puhki katsomalla – se paranee kerta kerralta.

Arvosana: 4/5

IMDB

In the movie, Kiefer Sutherland (24) plays Ben Carson, an ex-cop who is dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as alcoholism, and whose family is breaking apart because of his current erratic behavior. He takes on a new night watchman post at a burnt down department store. As Ben begins his new job, he is quick to find that the establishment ruins become alive at night with nightmarish souls that haunt him with horrific visions of their deaths through the huge mirrors all over the forgotten place that have remained surprisingly intact and immaculately clean. Unfortunately for Ben, his predicament and medication makes it hard for his family to believe his sanity at the moment.

As the nights wear on, the visions become more and more perisitent and harmful, and even follows him outside the walls of the department store and into every reflective surface around him. Whatever's possessing the mirrors then starts coming after his family, and his sister Angela, played by Amy Smart (Road Trip), becomes the first victim. Devastated by the loss, Ben starts digging around to find out the truth behind the mirrors and the evil trapped within. His investigation leads him to one Anna Esseker, played by Mary Beth Peil (Dawson's Creek), who is linked to the mirrors and is now a nun. Ben now has to convince Anna to face the past she tried so hard to forget before time runs out for his family.

I have recently convinced myself that it's the slasher flicks that creep me out me and not the ones that deal with the supernatural. This one though, was successful enough to make me doubt my theories, especially since it's an American horror movie. I mean, come on, did anyone see the American version of The Ring? Lame. I only went after seeing this clip:

Clip from the movie Mirrors (2008) featuring Amy Smart

Right!? I mean how creepy was that?

Mirrors is an effective suspense thriller at best, I would say. The parts were the kids fell victim to the evilness in the mirrors and almost died were touching. The acting was good; I though Kiefer really stood out. The special effects were good. The script was bad, lots of plot holes and it needed better dialogue. But I really think its success was largely due in part to the sounds in the movie, whatever jargon is used for that. And I guess it wasn't like "sitting-at-the-edge-of-my-seat" kind of scary, it just had a lot of unexpected moments that brought about the suspense factor. But yes, said moments were enough to give me a mild heart attack. Of course, it could have very well been my lunch earlier that day giving me heart burns.

Also, I learned in this movie that our censorship board truly is the lamest ever. It's the king of all things lame. That clip I posted above? It wasn't in the movie. It got cut, just so the movie could be downgraded to a measley PG-13 instead of its actual R rating. Iknowrite!? Lame. We're probably the only country who would do these lame cuts. Whoever heads that, please resign. Like now. Please. Trust me, you are ruining the movie experience for all of us.

Oh, and finally, I just found out that this movie was a remake of an asian horror flick. Huh, makes sense, doesn't it? It's really not the Americans' forte, these horror movies. The movies always tend to come off as poor imitations. The Asian version (South Korean), Geoul Sokeuro, now that would've probably been downright scary.

เรื่อง : Mirrors
แนว : เขย่าขวัญ, สั่นประสาท
นักแสดง : Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Cameron Boyce, Erica Gluck,
Amy Smart
กำกับโดย : Alexandre Aja

ตามปกติแล้วการตื่นเช้ามาแปรงฟันอยู่หน้ากระจกทุกวัน เป็นกิจวัตรประจำวันของทุกคนหรือ
บางคน เวลาแต่งตัว หวีผม หรือแต่งหน้าก็ต้องส่องกระจก ไม่พ้นไอ้เจ้ากระจกเงา เวลาขับรถก็ไม่
พ้นต้องมองกระจกส่องข้าง ส่องหลัง แต่ถ้าเจ้ากระจกที่ใช้ในชีวิตประจำวัน วันดีคืนดีเกิดมี
วิญญาณร้ายมากระชากชีวิตคน คุณจะทำอย่างไร?

ในเรื่องจะกล่าวถึงอดีตนายตำรวจชื่อเบ็น ที่รักษาตัวจากอาการติดสุราเรื้อรัง ได้แยกกันอยู่กับ
ภรรยาพร้อมลูกชาย และลูกสาวที่น่ารักของเขา จากพฤติกรรม ทำให้เขาต้องการกับมาอยู่กับ
ภรรยาและทำให้เธอยอมรับ โดยการไปสมัครงานเป็นยามตอนกลางคืน ที่ห้างเก่าห้างหนึ่ง ซึ่ง
ปัจจุบันถูกทิ้งร้างไว้ เนื่องจากไฟไหม้เมื่อครั้งอดีต

โดยตัวห้างนี้ การตกแต่งจะประกอบด้วยกระจกเงาเป็นส่วนใหญ่ มันดูออกจะพิลึกสำหรับผู้ที่ไม่
คุ้นเคย และเบ็นก็เป็นหนึ่งในนั้นที่ต้องมาเฝ้ายามในกะกลางคืน สิ่งประหลาดเริ่มเกิดขึ้นกับเขา
พร้อมกับภาพหลอน และเสียงกรีดร้องที่โหยหวน และเหตุการณ์เหนือธรรมชาติต่างๆ ทำให้เบ็น
เริ่มเชื่อและตระหนักว่ามีวิญญาณอยู่ในกระจก และความลับดำมืดเมื่อครั้งอดีตที่ต้องค้นหาที่นี่ !!

ถ้าอยู่ในกระจกแล้วแลบลิ้นปลิ้นตาคงไม่เท่าไหร่ แต่ด้วยความที่เกิดจากสาเหตุอะไรไม่ทราบได้
เจ้าสิ่งเหนือธรรมชาติเหล่านี้ได้ตามล้าง ตามหลอกหลอนเบ็น อยู่ทุกขณะจิตและลามไปถึงครอบ
ครัวอันเป็นที่รักของเบ็น กระจกดูเหมือนอยากจะเล่นงานครอบครัวของเขา ตามที่เบ็นคิด...
แล้วเบ็นจะทำอย่างไร ต้องหาวิธีและหยุดยั้งมันซะแล้วเบ็นคิดในใจ

ดูป๋าคีเฟอร์ ที่เล่นเป็นเบ็นในเรื่องแล้ว อดนึกถึง แจ็ค บาว์เออร์ ใน 24 ไม่ได้ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นท่าทาง
คาแรคเตอร์ และคำสบถที่ติดตาของป๋า หุ หุ หุ กลายเป็น 24 ในด้านมืด ไล่บี้ดับวิญญาณร้าย

There Is Evil... On The Other Side
จริงๆ แล้วปีศาจอยู่ตรงหน้าคุณ เมื่อคุณส่งกระจกในบางครั้ง

4,5

Directed by: Alexandre Aja . Written by: Sung-ho Kim (Korean motion picture "Into the Mirror") Gr�gory Levasseur Alexandre Aja . Starring: Kiefer Sutherland Paula Patton Cameron Boyce Erica Gluck Amy Smart Mary Beth Peil John Shrapnel Jason Flemyng .

Ex poliziotto divenuto custode notturno di un grande magazzino abbandonato è convinto che degli specchi lo scrutino.

Thriller deludente, con poche idee diretto da un ex promessa del cinema di genere quell'Alexandre Aja autore di Furia e del remake di Wes Craven, Le colline hanno gli occhi. Anche questa volta il regista francese si cimenta in un rifacimento (il sudcoreano Geoul sokeuro - Into The Mirror, inedito in Italia) ma il suo repertorio fatto di elementi visti migliaia di volte negli horror di ultima generazione (il buio, la solitudine, la casa stregata, i rumori, il passato che non muore) stanca e cattura poco l'attenzione. Ci mette del suo anche il protagonista Kiefer Sutherland tanto convincente e credibile nella serie televisiva 24, da ripetere tic, mosse ed espressione del celebre Jack Bauer anche quando non richiesto dal copione. Molto sangue e scene efferate non bastano però a convincere uno spettatore più suggestionato dalle scene cruente che realmente inquieto di fronte a una storia di male che non appare mai credibile. Aja prova a citare un po' tutto, l'immancabile Shining e anche la saga di Saw ma l'impressione è quella di trovarsi davanti a un esercizio di stile molto vuoto e da un punto di vista drammaturgico privo di verosimiglianza e molto banale, almeno nello scioglimento dell'intreccio. La vera pecca, la vera mancanza in questo film così come in molti horror recenti, è l'inconsistenza di un maligno molto fracassone ma del tutto slegato da una realtà. Il diavolo come qualcosa, di astratto. Ed invece è la cosa più concreta e vicina che ci sia. L'unica sequenza veramente suggestiva è quella finale, tragica e disperata e, vivaddio, senza un goccio di sangue.

When a truly bad actor wants to be seen as a good actor, they often go gruff, they often go moody and, mercilessly and all-too often, they often go unhinged. Gruff, moody and unhinged have saved the careers of several of the worst actors of our generation. By lowering their voices to a growl, grimacing a lot, smoking, going nude, going off the rails, womanising, chowing down on cock, getting punched in the gut in the rain, wearing a dirty trench coat and growing stubble, your shit actor can pretend they’re a brooding, Brando-type character tortured by inner demons; and not that arsehole you remember from that shit ‘80s teen film you used to like until you grew up and started watching proper films. The sort of films that don’t star Corey Feldman or Andrew McCarthy - those sort of films.

Several examples spring to mind. There was bumbling teen dude Keanu Reeves’s transformation from a shockingly bad actor in dross such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Parenthood, to troubled, chain-smoking misery guts in Constantine.

There was bubbly, annoying, Tom Hanks barnacle Meg Ryan, who showed us her unconvincing serious side when she opted to get her tits out and become Jim Morrison’s wasted fuck-piece in the monumentally awful The Doors.

And then there was Hanks himself: shouty, whiny and fuckwitted in Splash, Joe Vs the Volcano, The Money Pit, Volunteers, The ‘Burbs, Forrest Gump etc., then brow-beaten and squinty and terribly, terribly worthy in Saving Private Ryan and Philadelphia. Who saw that last one coming? I certainly didn’t - not on the evidence of Big.

By far and away the least convincing gruff transformation for me, however, is Kiefer Sutherland. His schtick in the ‘80s and early ‘90s was to play serious types, loners, badasses and scumbags. Not being able to act his way out of a paper bag, he did this in an incredibly unconvincing fashion in a string of forgettable films that made a lot of money thanks to teenagers, teenagers’ ability to swallow vast tranches of offal, and the invention of VHS.

There was his turn as a vampire in the appalling The Lost Boys; as a cowboy in the shittenfest that was Young Guns and Young Guns II (a bad actors’ ensemble piece spanning two truly evil movies); as a twat in Chicago Joe and the Showgirl, Flatliners, Bright Lights, Big City; and there was his ill-advised go at classic literature when he donned the cape and hat of Athos and became the second-least convincing musketeer in the history of cinema (the first was, of course, Chris O’Donnell – a man who must surely be in the running for the title of ‘Worst Actor of all Time’?).

Then, mercifully, he went away. Like acne and a disturbing crush on the fattest girl in the school, he was left behind as a part of our adolescence.

Sure, he’d pop up from time to time in successful guff such as A Few Good Men, JFK and A Time To Kill, but they weren’t Kiefer movies, they were Tom and Jack and Demi and Samuel L. movies, where Sutherland was called on to play a redneck shitkicker with an unconvincing Southern drawl and a not-particularly menacing menacing streak. For the most part, his career as the ’90s ended and a new century was born was a downward spiral into obscurity as he started punching at his real bad actor weight in direct-to-video masterpieces such as Ground Control, Desert Heat, After Alice and Cowboy Up. The shit actor had finally found his Tom Berenger-shaped niche. He was down where he belonged: with the likes of Chuck Norris and Cynthia Rothrock.

And that’s where he would have stayed - an ex-big gun member of The Brat Pack who’d fallen on high times; another Emilio Estevez; another Ally Sheedy. If fortune hadn’t favoured him, he’d now be starring in joint Russian-Iranian productions with titles such as Kung-Ho Diamond, Last Stand At Pingo-Mino II, and Green Berets Go Space IV. He would have been one of those actors that, upon the announcement of his death many years into the future, you would have said,

“Kiefer Sutherland? I’d forgotten about him. What was that cowboy film he was in? The one where’s he’s a miserable sod with long hair? Gets shot in the second one? Top Gun, was it?”

But, as we all know, Kiefer’s career didn’t turn out like this. Like Roger Moore before him, Kiefer ignored the most important rule when it comes to bad actors (get thee to DVD, Satan!), hung on in there and was rewarded with his very own TV show that went on to be a smash hit around the world.

With the success of 24, Sutherland suddenly found himself being taken seriously by Hollywood again. And they took him seriously because he’d pulled off the neat trick of being gruff, of being moody, and of being unhinged. Using the classic actors’ tricks of mumbling, eye-darting, looking dishevelled, tortured and hunted, Kiefer took a big fat leaf out of Russell Crowe’s and Colin Farrell’s books, emulated the first layer of those actors’ performances, and became one of those post-80s, post-muscle-bound, post-Reaganite everyman action-hero-with-issues types that seem to be what the paying public wants to see in its leading men nowadays.

It was Kiefer reborn, and it was only a matter of time before Hollywood once again came knocking.

And that’s why Friday sees the opening of Kiefer’s first proper, big-budget headliner since being welcomed back into the bosom of the Hollywood elite – Mirrors.

Telling the story of an off-the-rails NYPD detective who has ‘killed a man’, Mirrors sees our Kiefer taking up a job as a security guard in a creepy, fire-damaged department store whilst on suspension from duty. The store – which used to be a 1950s mental asylum, surprise, surprise – is filled to the brim with mirrors; mirrors that contain the souls of those killed by the evil that lurks within them. Once they have their hooks into Kiefer, the things in the mirrors are free to enter any mirror connected with him, and that means his estranged wife, his sister, and his two Latin American (?) children are under threat.

But why, you may ask, are the mirrors picking on Kiefer and his family?

Why, because the souls trapped within want to be set free, and for that to happen Kiefer must unravel a mystery that involves the department store’s previous life as an asylum, a possessed twelve year old, a strange name etched into one of the mirrors, a nun, and ‘something in the basement’.

That’s right, it’s a formulaic horror movie that never strays far from the well-trodden haunted house plot we’ve come to know far too well over the years. It’s as predictable as Ghost Ship, Thirteen Ghosts and House on Haunted Hill. With only a scene where a woman’s face is torn apart before our eyes, Mirrors hasn’t enough shocking moments to lift it above the norm, and isn’t, in its central performance, unhinged enough to put it into the unsettling psychological shocker category either. The thing is, with the correct actor, it could have been.

As discussed, the problem Sutherland has is he cannot act. Because of this disability, he is as unconvincing as a loose cannon shitbag detective with a dysfunctional family and a really, really crap job as he was as a cowboy, or a vampire, or a G.I. or a redneck southern shitkicker with a bad accent. This therefore wastes a potentially interesting lead character. As he frowns into those mirrors, you can’t help but remember he was peddling this inner-demons guff way back in Flatliners, and it wasn’t very convincing then, either. Whereas the modern everyman actor such as Farrell, Crowe or Norton can genuinely convince you that their lives are shit and, boy, are they feeling it, Sutherland just plays Doc from Young Guns – but with more frowning.

There’s a difference between a genuine performance of a man brought to the brink of madness by circumstance (Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson have all done it with an aplomb that takes your breath away), and an actor who’s probably seen his dad go through hell on earth in a film such as Don’t Look Now, and has decided to give it a go.

On TV - a medium that tends to be forgiving of terrible actors – it’s fine to act all sullen and worried and gruff for forty five minutes. You can get away with it because, well, it’s only TV, isn’t it? But on the big screen, when asked to carry the film for a running time of nearly two hours, you cannot forgive so easily unless the actor is very, very good. Kiefer Sutherland is not, and never will be, very, very good.

With an actor such as the aforementioned Norton in the lead, this movie could have been lifted above the humdrum thanks to a performance that would have made you believe you were watching a down-at-heel scumbag losing his life and his marbles to a building full of satanic mirrors. With Sutherland, you just don’t buy it, and it ruins any chance this film had of rising above its interesting - if not especially original - premise.

That’s why, in my opinion, Kiefer should go back to the small screen where he belongs, and leave the cinema stuff to the big boys.

Ben Carson is een ex-politieman die zijn baan verloor na een fataal incident, aan de drank is geraakt en zich heeft vervreemd van vrouw en kind. Bij gebrek aan beter, begint hij als nachtwaker van een gigantisch uitgebrand warenhuis. Wanneer hij zijn ronde maakt door het vervallen gebouw, ontdekt Ben dat er mysterieuze dingen aan de hand zijn met de grote barokke spiegels die aan de muren hangen. Hij ziet angstaanjagende beelden uit het verleden en merkt tot zijn schrik dat de spiegels poorten vormen naar een duistere dimensie die de realiteit aantasten. Ben moet de oorzaak zien op te sporen om zijn eigen leven en dat van zijn gezin te redden van het kwaad.

Na het zien van deze film, vond ik hem wel oke maar niet denderend. Ik heb de film gewoon thuis gekeken vandaag bij daglicht. Soms waren wel enge stukjes maar mede door het geluid. Als ik m in het donker had gezien denk ik dat dit een stuk enger was geweest. De begin scene vond ik wel freaky en de scene van Amy Smart in bad. Verder deed t me niet veel.  Het einde vond ik wel iets aparts hebben en opzich wel leuk bedacht hoe het er uit ziet. Kiefer deed me de hele tijd toch aan de serie 24 denken. Ik denk dat dit altijd zo zal blijven, khad dit namelijk ook al met de film The Sentinel. Kiefer is en blijft Jack Bauer, ik welke film je hem ook treft.. Al hoewel, in Twin Peaks: fire walks with me had ik dit uiteraard niet.

Cijfer 6.5
Een film die ik zeker niet snel nog een keer hoef te zien, ook al ben ik wel een kiefer fan!

Reseña:

Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) ha tenido días mejores. Ha pasado casi un año desde que el inestable detective fuera suspendido de su trabajo en el Departamento de Policía de Nueva York tras haber disparado fatalmente a otro policía que trabajaba de incógnito, un accidente que no sólo le costó su empleo, sino que le llevó al alcoholismo y desató la ira que le alejó de su esposa e hijos, teniendo que pernoctar ahora en el sofá de su hermana, en Queens. Ansioso por superarlo y reunirse de nuevo con su familia, Carson se emplea como vigilante nocturno en las calcinadas ruinas de los almacenes Mayflower. Lo que una vez fue símbolo de prosperidad y opulencia ahora va deteriorándose en la oscuridad, igual que se va corrompiendo un barco fantasma, devastado por un gigantesco fuego que se cobró muchas vidas inocentes. Mientras patrulla por los espeluznantes y chamuscados restos de los almacenes Mayflower, advierte algo siniestro en los fastuosos espejos que adornan sus paredes. En su inmenso cristal se reflejan unas imágenes terroríficas que le inquietan profundamente. Además de proyectar terribles imágenes del pasado, parece que los espejos también manipulan la realidad. Su comprensiva pero escéptica hermana Ángela (Amy Smart) atribuye esas extrañas “pesadillas” a su estrés y al sentimiento de culpa por la muerte que ocasionó accidentalmente, pero la despechada mujer de Carson (Paula Patton), una pragmática forense del Departamento de Policía, es menos indulgente. El cada vez más errático comportamiento de su marido la asusta, alejando aún más a su familia y, según ella, poniendo en peligro a sus hijos. Mientras investiga la misteriosa desaparición del guarda de seguridad de los almacenes Mayflower y la posible conexión con sus fantasmagóricas visiones, Carson se da cuenta de que una malévola fuerza sobrenatural está usando los reflejos como puerta de entrada para aterrorizarle a él y a su familia.

Fuente: Butaca.

Por estos días se vuelve una tarea complicada encontrar una película de Terror/Suspenso innovadora, y esta no es una excepcion. Aclaro, es una buena película, es entretenida, te mantiene expectante durante un gran tramo del tiempo, los efectos especiales están muy bien logrados y sin exagerar con ellos. En contra se puede decir que el final es predecible. Normalmente a una peli como esta no le perdonaría eso, pero esta me gustó, y es que el hecho de tener la posibilidad de ver a Jack Bauer asustado le suma muchos puntos extra.

Hace tiempo que no veía a Kiefer Sutherland protagonizando una película, me imagino que "24" le andaba quitando mucho tiempo. Ahora regresa en "Espejos Siniestros" (Mirrors), un filme de terror que promete desarrollar el viejo mito de los espejos como portales a dimensiones desconocidas, mundos extraños y realidades alternas a la nuestra.

Sutherland es Ben Carson, un policía que está temporalmente retirado luego de haber cometido un asesinato imprudencial. Intenta huir del dolor de la experiencia por medio del alcohol, pero el precio a pagar es la separación de su esposa y sus hijos. Sin trabajo y bajo los efectos de un poderoso medicamento que lo ayuda a dejar el vicio, vive en el departamento de su hermana, durmiendo en un sillón mientras logra reconstruir su vida.

Finalmente consigue empleo como velador de lo que fue un elegante centro comercial, convertido ahora en  ruinas, resultado de un incendio que consumió todo, incluyendo a varios clientes que no lograron escapar a tiempo. Obviamente, la historia se desarrolla mayormente en pasillos y habitaciones oscuras y silenciosas. No pasa mucho tiempo antes de que Carson se dé cuenta de que hay algo raro en los espejos del centro comercial... reflejan lo que no está ahí, reflejan el mundo espiritual, el mundo del dolor. A través de los espejos, Carson puede observar las dolorosas muertes de clientes quemados que ya no están ahí, o sufrir quemaduras que, aunque torturan a través de su reflejo, no sucedieron en realidad.

Ojo: Si no has visto la cinta y, en verdad tienes intenciones de hacerlo, deten tu lectura aquí pues las siguientes líneas podrían echarte a perder algunas partes de la cinta.

Como siempre en el cine de terror sin un mejor argumento, los espejos quieren algo y asesinan a aquellos que no cumplen (o a sus seres queridos.) Lo vimos en "El Aro", con la chamaquita que quería que su video fuera copiado; lo vimos en "La Maldición", con el escuinclito que quería venganza; lo vimos en "El Ojo Siniestro", con una muerta que deseaba justicia. Todas esas (como ésta) malas adaptaciones de películas de terror japonesas. En este caso, los espejos escriben, por medio de cuarteaduras, el nombre "Esseker." Carson, por medio de sus contactos dentro del departamento de policía, comienza a hacer una búsqueda frenética del misterioso nombre. No sobra decir que el predecesor de Carson en el puesto de guardia y aquél que incendió el centro comercial fueron ambos víctimas de un espejo impaciente ante la poca respuesta a sus demandas.

Muy rápido empiezan los espejos a cobrar víctimas, una especie de "motivación" para Carson, que sigue medicándose y llorando desesperando ante su incapacidad para comprender a los espejos y la motivación de sus poderes maléficos. Como en toda película de terror, está completamente solo ya que su esposa no le cree y la policía lo tiene como principal sospechoso de una de las principales muertes de la historia (que no puedo echarles a perder por acá.)

Al menos en este momento yo di la película por muerta. O seguía por el convencionalista camino de los espíritus malignos, o avanzaba por el camino de la realidad subjetiva de un Carson medicado y psicótico ante cuyos ojos únicamente los espejos creaban realidades alternas. Ambos caminos eran poco gratificantes. El primero, por ser la norma del cine de terror poco creativo y el segundo porque no tenía absolutamente ningún valor si se veía venir de tan lejos.

Finalmente, sin ninguna razón aparente, el espejo decide rebelarse ante la esposa de Carson, que moqueando y llorando le pide a su esposo perdón por no creer en sus palabras desde un principio. Ahora juntos, esposa y esposo luchan para descubrir cómo está el asunto y dónde diantres pueden encontrar al famoso "Esseker" que tan importante es para que los espejos dejen de estar fastidiando.

Con casi dos horas de duración, la película tiene un clímax que, según las afinidades del espectador, puede ir desde emocionante a ridículo, pasando por exagerado, vacío, e inconsistente. Aunque el cierre de la película es muy bueno (quizá la primera idea a la que no supieron ponerle una buena película), las dos horas previas a eso son una película de espantos baratos. Tonos de música que aumentan y sustos de un "bú" saliendo de cada esquina son la base de este filme. Una vez que encuentras la lógica en el constante armado de música-imagen-susto, puedes ver venir cada momento de suspenso y "horror" a kilómetros y kilómetros de distancia. Sin un argumento psicológico que dé miedo por sí mismo ni una historia previa de personajes que sea lo suficientemente interesante, conmovedora o inquietante para tenernos atados, "Espejos Siniestros" es una más en la larga lista de películas de terror que bajo el pretexto de "no queremos otra cosa que asustarte", creen que una mala historia, si te hace brincar al menos una vez, ya ha cumplido su cometido.

• Calificación: 6
• Recomendación: No la vayas a ver al menos que disfrutes el cine de terror por torpe que éste parezca. Si eres fan del cine de terror con sentido como "El Exorcismo de Emily Rose", o "1408" definitivamente aléjate de este bodrio de dos horas. Es mejor apoyar al cine mexicano invirtiendo tu tiempo en "Arráncame la Vida", con lo que verás una mejor película y no la misma historia repetida hasta el cansancio y, además de todo, mal hecha.

¡Un saludo

]]> http://franzpatrick.wordpress.com/?p=1096 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:02:32 +0000 franzpatrick http://franzpatrick.de.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/smart-people-defying-gravity-stand-by-me/
Smart People
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]

Even though I've seen this kind of movie before, I still really liked it because it had a good balance between comedy and drama. Not only is it about family dynamics, it's also about relationships outside the home (or lack thereof). In the middle of the film, I realized the greatness of its title. Yes, most of the characters are smart academic-wise but some of them lack emotional intelligence, which makes it harder for them to be liked by others. Dennis Quaid is great as a professor and a father who not only wants to get his book published but also become the head of the English department. Quaid is often very elegant and I think he truly shines. A lot of people claim that Ellen Page plays the same role as a blend between quirky and too smart for her own good. I disagree because her character here is not as likable as Juno; the nuances in Page's acting can be discovered if one decides to look deeper into the character she's playing. I also really liked Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, and especially Ashton Holmes. I first took notice of him in "Wind Chill" (but seen "A History of Violence" first) and I'm glad to have stumbled upon him again. His character brings heart and something different to the story. Overall, this movie may not be the most original but I thought it was smart, funny, and heartbreaking; for a movie that's only about an hour and thirty minutes long, in the last few scenes, I feel like the characters have grown a lot. This is worth a rental if one likes character studies.

Defying Gravity (1997)
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]

Overall, I'm glad to have stumbled over this small gay-themed movie even though it had its flaws. I enjoyed the characters, especially the romance between Daniel Chilson and Don Handfield. Even though I wish there were more scenes of them together because those were when the movie became alive (they have great chemistry!), in a way their limited time on screen together made their interactions that much more special. I also liked Chilson's relationship with his best friend, played by Niklaus Lange. I had major doubts about Lange's character because at first the filmmakers weren't using him the best possible way. I was suspicious (and slightly annoyed) because they didn't know what to do with him. Luckily enough, they found the right angle regarding Lange's character so I was very happy about that. One of the highlights of the film involves Chilson and Lange's conversation in the mountains. A character that I wanted to get to know more was the girl played by Linna Carter. Instead, she just appeared in and out of the story without really having much of a purpose. On the more negative side, I thought that the writing was borderline terrible. Yes, it was made in the 90's and it's a small film but those are not excuses. I've seen plenty of films that are older than twenty years and films that didn't have a big budget that have a really good script. I actually laughed out loud during some of the scenes because some characters would say things like "very... uncool!" when someone messes up. In a way, I felt like I was watching a TV-movie during some scenes. I give this film kudos for actually wanting to focus on the story, unlike most LGBT movies that focus too much on the sex scenes. This one barely had any but it was interesting to watch because we ultimately care for the characters.

Stand by Me
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]

This is without a doubt one of the best coming-of-age tales I've ever seen. I haven't read the novella by Stephen King which this film was based on so I don't know how close this movie followed the original material. However, I cannot praise this film any higher. The four main cast is top notch: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell. Each of them were put on the spotlight during their journey to see a dead body, so we really got to know them well, despite the film's running time of only about an hour and thirty-five minutes. Wheaton is the writer whose brother had died, played by John Cusack, and doesn't feel accepted by his father, Phoenix is the natural leader of the group who is both tough and sympathetic, Feldman is the sarcastic kid and is a bit emotionally disturbed, and O'Connell is the "fat kid" who desperately wants to belong with the group by trying to prove himself. I found this film to be really insightful about not only childhood friendships but all kinds of friendships in general. The scenes where Wheaton and Phoenix would bond by sharing their thoughts and emotions really put tears in my eyes because their acting was top-notch; I felt like I was watching regular people shedding their souls in order to achieve some sort of an understanding. For a pretty short picture, there were so many highlights which include the bridge, the leech, Wheaton's revenge story around the campire, and of course the scenes where Wheaton and Phoenix were one-on-one, just talking about their failures, successes, and goals. Another actor that is worth mentioning is Kiefer Sutherland as the bully. He's was intimidating... but in a good way. I was convinced that he could actually hurt the four kids. I have to say that he somewhat kind of reminded me of Emile Hirsch in "Alpha Dog" (the tough guy persona) and "The Air I Breathe" (looks-wise). This was really a joy to watch because each scene has something special and memorable in it. That certain glow that the picture had made it look timeless, and the script combined with Rob Reiner's excellent direction made this more than just a movie for me.

Recentemente assisti o filme Mirrors (Espelhos do Mal). Não esperava nada dele...na verdade minha escolha foi feita da seguinte forma:

Minha namorada – Vamos assistir um filme de terror?

Eu –Tá...vou escolher qualquer um aqui.

Daí procurei um na seção adequada e bum, dei de cara com um filme recente. Resolvi parar pra dar uma olhada e descobri que tinha Kiefer Sutherland no roteiro...foi aí que eu pensei:

- Porra, o cara fez Lost Boys...não dá pra ser ruim!

Foi um comentário sarcástico. Mas taí, eu até que gostei do começo. A ambientação era interessante. A primeira morte...meio tosca, meio forçada...mas sei lá...era o pontapé inicial...e eu já assisti pérolas como Jason X, então tava tranquilo.

Se vc está fazendo coisas e seu reflexo fica te olhando com essa cara de nojo...fudeu. Eu recomendo Diasepan.

E aí o filme começa mesmo, com Jack Bauer aterrorizando. Eu passei o tempo todo esperando que ele virasse vampiro e tal, mas felizmente não aconteceu. E como eu disse, tava tudo indo bem. Ponto positivo para o ritmo do filme, que não passa 40 min numa lenga lenga tronxa pra depois começar a ter ação. O ritmo é intenso, as cenas também, e isso se mantém durante todo o tempo. Legal.

Lógico que rola umas coisas que eu nunca vou entender...acho que porque eu sou medroso, talvez. Mas filme de terror é filme de terror, tem aquela hora que o herói tem que ir em frente porque se ele simplesmente sair correndo, ia acabar por aí. Como na cena abaixo:

Barulhos estranhos, portas se fechando sozinhas, lugar sinistro. Você abre a tal porta e dá de cara com uma escadaria dessas...eu corria, na boa

E daí em diante as coisas realmente esquentam. O filme é bem calibrado entre as cenas gore, os sustos, o clima, a tensão...a trilha sonora ajuda. Tem umas coisas de sempre, como as passagens tensas que não resultam em nada, mas mantém o espectador atento e ansioso.

Eu gostei das atuações. Os personagens também estavam legais. E foi nessa hora que eu pensei “porra, é um filme de terror e eu tô gostando. Aí tem”.

É o seguinte. Eu normalmente fico irado com cenas de ação toscas (o nerd que sobrevive a uma tacada de beisebol numa boa – ou pior, derrota o Megatron com uma porra dum cubo mágico...uma mulher que leva um chute nas costelas de um Predador, voa trocentos metros, bate numa coluna de pedras e passa o resto do filme tranquila...puta que pariu). O final forçado pra ficar tudo bem também é sempre uma bosta. Frases de efeito fodásticas são detestáveis (veja Blade Trinity: Fulana - Por que você não é legal? Snipes – Porque o mundo não é legal Eu – Tomar no cú...). E foi aí que eu me toquei...virei pra minha senhora e disse:

- O filme tá legal...mas o final tá chegando...

É, não tem jeito. Eu comecei a ficar nervoso, porque o final tende a ser um murro nos kiba...comecei a pensar novamente que Sutherland ia virar um vampiro e sair voando e fodendo com tudo, especialmente com o roteiro. Minhas mãos suavam, eu apertava os olhos buscando alguma podrera – eu sabia que ia merdear. Dito e feito: as cenas finais vieram a tona como aquela caganeira que você tenta segurar...ninguém gosta de caganeira, e fora de casa é pior ainda. Mas quando ela resolve vir, é incontrolável...

É...taí, talvez Bauer vampiro me desse uma sensação menor de “agora fudeu mesmo...”

Na minha opinião, bateu aquela necessidade de rolar um confronto final, a cena de ação tosca onde o mocinho vence contra todas as probabilidades. É uma merda isso...quebrou o clima.

Bom, esse é meu primeiro review e eu não quis encher ele de spoilers, talvez meu patrão não gostasse. E o final não é TÃO ruim assim...tem coisa bem pior. É um filme legal, eu não senti ele cair na monotonia, as coisas se desenrolam na velocidade certa. Acho que vale a pena conferir...

} por Aldo Xavier {

]]> http://tweetybebelino.wordpress.com/?p=448 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:22:11 +0000 tweety bebelino http://tweetybebelino.de.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/mirrors-2008/

Ben, un politist obligat sa demisioneze dupa ce si-a ucis partenerul intr-un accident, este angajat paznic de noaptre intr-un imens magazin ars de un incendiu. Primul lucru pe care-l observa Ben in magazin sunt oglinzile stralucitoare, impecabil de curate.

Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) un ex policía que debido al haber matado por error a un agente encubierto, ha perdido casi todo, su esposa Amy (Paula Patton) no le habla, ve muy poco a sus hijos y vive en el sofá de su hermana menor Angela (Amy Smart). Cansado de tomar antidepresivos y de refugiarse en la bebida, Ben decide trabajar como guardia nocturno en un enorme edificio que antes perteneció a una gran tienda de ropa que fue consumido por un extraño incendio que cobró la vida de cientos clientes. Todo va bien hasta que comienza a darse cuenta que las imágenes que reflejan los pulidos espejos le muestran cosas que no están realmente y que recuerdan al siniestro. Ben no sabe qué pasa y le echa la culpa al estrés, pero estas alucinaciones comienzan a perseguirlo, a atacarlo susurrarle un apellido. No obstante, y ante la ingravidez de Ben, los reflejos lo siguen hasta donde sus seres queridos. Ha llegado el momento de actuar.

El cineasta francés Alexandre Aja, que en Hollywood saboreó el éxito gracias a The Hills Have Eyes, película que revisita el subgénero del gore de los ’70 que comenzó aquella insigne película titulada The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, y que en su Francia natal realizó Alto Voltaje, cinta de similar corte, se vuelve a unir al guionista Grégory Levasseur para darle un toque occidental al script de Sung-ho Kim y su versión original de Mirrors.

El espectáculo que nos brinda Aja está lejos de lo macabro de sus anteriores películas, y aquí nos adentramos al otro miedo, a ese de lo que no podemos ver ni explicar. Y qué mejor que utilizar los espejos para transformar nuestras pesadillas en realidad, como portales a lo oculto, a aquello que se oculta en el reflejo del yo. Esta imagen que nos ayuda para separar nuestra individualidad del todo, es en Espejos Siniestros el puente en el cual los espíritus en pena pueden utilizar para concretar su venganza, y la idea del que nuestro protagónico sufra las consecuencias físicas solo en su reflejo, pero las reminiscencias tañidas en su yo corpóreo hacen del más fuerte espectador grito ahogado en la platea.

Kiefer Sutherland viste nuevamente el papel que lo ha consagrado, ya que Ben Carson es otra adaptación de Jack Bauer, para bien o para mal, eso lo decide el espectador. Por lo menos le resulta la gracia al hijo de Donald, aunque en vez de policía, bien podría haber tenido otra profesión, periodista quizás; al parecer las cosas se le dan mejor a un uniformado, aunque eso revista en el exceso de las armas y los contactos policiales.

Si bien, Espejos Siniestros es una película que impacta por su veracidad efectista y nos lleva a un mundo siniestrado habitado por un sinnúmero de almas en pena, esta va un poco más allá hasta quemarse a sí misma en el desenlace, y es que hay veces en que el director se envicia y tira todo a la parrilla.

Entretenida película de interesante y expectante desarrollo, que cuenta con un excelente final, pero con un clímax demasiado efectista que bien pudo haber sido trabajado mejor para no agobiar al espectador.

Odio a la gente analfabeta que tiene la carrera de periodismo (o eso dicen).

No sé que haría sin D. e I. Viva los dos!!!! Os quiero mucho!

Lo bueno del día de hoy: las entradas que me han tocado para ir a ver "mirrors" en sitges y los tés genmaicha que me han preparado

Kiefer!

Vi o trailler do Espelhos do Medo no cinema e fiquei louco para ver esse filme! Espelhos do Medo conta com o ator de 24 horas, Kiefer Sutherland e ele é um remake de um filme coreano.

É sempre bom um remake, já que os filmes japoneses, coreanos, enfim, dos irmãos dos olhinhos puxados são sempre iguais. Sempre tem uma fotografia que os atores estão com o rosto deformado e por aí vai.

Foi que nem o The Ring. Bem melhor nos moldes hollywoodianos.

Vejam uma cena inicial e o trailler do filme. No cinema foi um grande impacto!

Sinopse meio bunda*: Espíritos de outra dimensão aterrorizam os clientes de um shopping center por meio de seus reflexos em espelhos. Um ex-policial (Kiefer Sutherland) que trabalha de segurança no shopping, tenta proteger sua família dos espíritos que também usam os espelhos para entrar em sua casa.

* toda sinopse é bunda. É só pegar o RioShow.

Links:
Official site, IMDB, Wikipedia, Trailer (HD)
Buy (DVD), Buy (Blueray), Download (Xvid)

Review: Ok horror remake. Solid performance by Sutherlan, but not a very believable character by Paula Patton. All in all, a pretty pointless movie.
2/5

Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) já viu melhores dias. Já faz quase um ano que este ex-polícia instável foi suspenso por ter disparado fatalmente sobre outro polícia. Um acidente que não só lhe custou o trabalho, como contribuiu para o alcoolismo, causando o afastamento da sua esposa e filhos e levando-o a mudar-se para casa da sua irmã. Desesperado por voltar a endireitar a sua vida e unir novamente a sua família, Carson aceita um trabalho como segurança nocturno nas ruínas de um armazém destruído por um incêndio gigantesco que ceifou inúmeras vidas inocentes. Enquanto Carson patrulha os escombros queimados e misteriosos do armazém, ele começa a aperceber-se de algo sinistro acerca dos espelhos que adornam as paredes do espaço. Reflectidas na superfície brilhante estão imagens horríveis que o paralisam. Para além de reflectirem imagens chocantes do passado, os espelhos parecem estar a manipular também a realidade. Quando Carson vê o seu próprio reflexo a ser torturado, ele sofre os efeitos psicológicos das suas visões fragmentadas. A sua irmã (Amy Smart), céptica mas sempre do seu lado, considera estes bizarros “pesadelos” uma consequência do seu stress e sentimento de culpa por causa da morte acidental do colega, mas a sua esposa (Paula Patton), médica da Polícia, não é tão compreensível. O comportamento errático do seu marido assusta-a, afastando ainda mais a sua família – e ela receia estar a pôr os seus filhos em perigo. Mas uma ameaça mais perigosa está eminente, presa nos espelhos e nas superfícies reflectoras do seu dia-a-dia. Enquanto Carson investiga o misterioso desaparecimento de um segurança do armazém e a possibilidade de ligação com as suas visões fantasmagóricas, ele percebe que uma força malévola e de outro mundo está a usar os reflexos como uma entrada para aterrorizá-lo e à sua família. Para ter alguma esperança de salvar a sua esposa e filhos de uma morte horrível, Carson terá que descobrir de alguma forma, a verdade por detrás dos espelhos e convencer a sua esposa a ajudá-lo a lutar contra o maior mal que ele alguma vez enfrentou. Site oficial: Mirrors

Na comédia «Filhos e Enteados», Will Ferrel interpreta Brennan Huff, um adulto de 39 anos que vive com a sua mãe, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) e que apenas trabalha quando lhe apetece. John C. Reilly é Dale Doback, um desempregado de 40 anos que vive com o seu pai, Robert (Richard Jenkins). Quando Robert e Nancy se casam e vão viver juntos, Brennan e Dale são forçados a conviverem como irmãos. Devido ao seu narcisismo e preguiça, a família separa-se, na exacta altura em que os dois já começavam a gostar da sua nova vida. Assim, Brennan e Dale elaboram um plano para voltar a juntar os seus pais. Para tal, eles criam um laço de amizade muito forte que talvez os leve finalmente a sair de casa...  Site oficial:Step Brothers

Um filme dramático e inovador em estilo de documentário passado um ano após a morte do actual presidente norte-americano, George W. Bush. Estamos a 19 de Outubro de 2007. George W. Bush está no aeroporto de Chicago. O presidente veio à cidade para fazer um discurso perante uma plateia de empresários locais. Uma manifestação anti-guerra foi organizada em Chicago para marcar a sua visita e por isso o nível de segurança foi aumentado. A ideia é que o presidente discurse, volte para o aeroporto e siga para Washington ainda durante a tarde. Na cidade, o comandante Greg Turner, o Primeiro Deputado do Departamento da Polícia de Chicago está perturbado com a presença de vários grupos subversivos que se movimentam entre os manifestantes.  À medida que a comitiva do Presidente vai passando, os ânimos alteram-se e vão irrompendo manifestações de violência... Site oficial: Death of a President

]]> http://yaya75.wordpress.com/?p=26 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:14:31 +0000 yaya75 http://yaya75.de.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/riflessi-di-paura/

Nella speranza di confermare la rinnovata popolarità ottenuta con la serie Tv “24”, Kiefer Sutherland si ricicla al cinema interpretando praticamente se stesso in “Riflessi di paura”, remake americano dell’asiatico “Into the Mirrors”, un horror che vorrebbe essere esoterico ma che riesce solamente, purtroppo, a risultare una specie di “congestione cinematografica”, infarcita di banalità e citazioni da altri film di genere non troppo azzeccate. Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) è un ex poliziotto in congedo depresso e alcolizzato, che ha dovuto lasciare la polizia per aver ucciso, per sbaglio, un collega sotto copertura. Allontanato dalla moglie, per stare vicino ai figli durante il giorno, Ben trova lavoro come guardiano notturno nei magazzini Mayflower, andati distrutti in un incendio anni prima. Un’atmosfera sinistra permea nell’edificio, pieno di specchi, che stranamente risultato puliti e curati in contrapposizione con la decadenza che caratterizza il resto del palazzo. Inizialmente convinto di essere preda di allucinazioni, Ben presto scopre che in realtà l’edificio, costruito sulle rovine di un ex ospedale psichiatrico, è infestato da una presenza maligna che, servendosi degli specchi che si trovano sia nell’edificio che nella casa di Ben, mette in pericolo la sua vita e quella della sua famiglia. L’ambientazione scenografica, che rende al meglio l’idea della suspence e dell’inquietudine che pervadono l’animo del protagonista (grazie alla contrapposizione della luminosità della casa in cui abita la famiglia di Ben con la penombra in cui sono immersi i magazzini Mayflower), e l’esecuzione degli effetti sonori, che riesce a regalare qualche sacrosanto e dovuto salto sulla sedia, purtroppo si contrappongono a una scarsa originalità dei dialoghi, facilmente prevedibili, e a uno sviluppo del plot, infarcito di luoghi comuni e citazioni da altre pellicole che mal si inseriscono nella storia. Si comincia con una chiara allusione a “Haunting - Presenze”, una piccola perla del genere horror purtroppo poco pubblicizzata da cui “Riflessi di paura” attinge l’idea di base (una presenza intrappolata in uno specchio), passando per una lieve allusione a “Nightmare 4” (la chiave del mistero risiede in una monaca di clausura, involontaria causa del dramma che si sta consumando), fino alla smaccata citazione da “L’esorcista” che conclude la vicenda. Una congestione cinematografica dunque che si accompagna ad una esagerata infarcitura di elementi narrativi che rendono la storia difficile da seguire: la componente psicologica data dalla depressione del protagonista e dalla scoperta di un ospedale psichiatrico sepolto sotto le rovine del Mayflower, la parte esoterica e mistico/demoniaca e quella poliziesca. Tutti elementi che, se utilizzati singolarmente, avrebbero forse potuto dare vita ad una storia piuttosto buona ma che, mescolati insieme, regalano solamente un film di genere uguale a tanti altri.

Daria Ciotti

(http://www.ecodelcinema.com/riflessi-di-paura.htm)