Wake me up when it’s over…
A woman returns to a cabin where she was abused as a child – now, spirits want her.
I’ve enjoyed the work of Mira Sorvino in many a bad movie, and even continued to enjoy her work after some in Hollywood declared her to be a diva bitch. THE PRESENCE, however, is not one of those movies.
Beautifully shot by Cinematographer Collin Brink, this cabin on a small island is the perfect setting for a ghost story. The Woman, played by Sorvino, enters the house and makes herself at home – but someone’s already there. It’s Shane West, who plays the Ghost, and he looks like a mopey emo guy squeezed into preppy clothes. Since I tried my very best not to laugh, I instantly knew this would be “one of those movies” – a low budget commercial horror that looks good, maybe too good, but won’t deliver in the end. For roughly the first fifteen minutes of the story, we follow Sorvino as she lights fires, read books and makes tea. The Ghost is also lurking about, but that’s about it. This continues until Mr. Browman (Muse Watson) swings by to deliver food. He thinks the place is creepy. I think the place would be creepy if the atmosphere had been a little darker, and if the mopey Ghost wasn’t in about every damn shot.
As luck would have it, The Woman’s boyfriend (Justin Kirk), shows up unexpectedly – and the conflict begins.
(Pauses to yawn.) Sorry, it happens. The crux of the matter is that Sorvino’s character has never moved beyond the abuse from her father and sees all men as her cruel, untrustworthy father. At one point, The Woman explodes all over The Man and berates him to no end. Unfortunately, Sorvino didn’t come close to nailing this scene. Her hostility is forced and disingenuous. It’s clear that Screenwriter and Director Thomas Provost should have called for another take. Regardless, Justin Kirk follows up this emotional beating by storming off – then crying out of frustration and despair. Thanks to Provost, he delivered a real man to the screen who is full of emotion.
The problem, however, is that the film backslides into a semi-convoluted plot where spirits fight for control and even whisper in the ears of humans, ala CONSTANTINE. Where the hell did these guys come from? Made little if no sense. Furthermore, the film becomes a bit too melodramatic as it tree sloths along.
The 1.5 stars goes to Justin Kirk and his wonderful portrayal, the cinematographer and actor Tony Curran as The Man in Black (minus shades and guitar, of course). Otherwise, there’s not much to see – or remember.
Recommendations: THE ORPHANAGE (Spain/Mexico, 2007), THE SIXTH SENSE (1999), THE CHANGELING (Canada, 1980), THE HAUNTING (1963), SHUTTER (Thailand, 2004) and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007).
1.5 out of 5 stars