Pretty much that...
A shame too. I do think this director has a great feel for mood and atmosphere, and with the lighting, camerawork and such, I felt he has an excellent grasp on how to use those. Unfortunately, and with what is still a rather thin story, I feel that he really did not handle the writing/dialog very well at all. The few scenes where the actors interact with each other I honestly think are not done terribly well.
And, unfortunately with a story that is about 90% atmosphere and mood, the dialog and scenes between the people absolutely Have to be very strong. And, sadly that is where I feel the director and/or the writer, and even the acting really detracts from the story.
If the writing and the direction of those scenes had been a lot stronger, then I feel that really could have added to the tension and buildup of suspense to the story. But those scenes I feel were handled very poorly and instead kind of diminish any suspense or atmosphere that had been built up rather well up to that point.
Yes, I think the director has a lot of promise and has some genuine talent for visuals, lighting, and atmosphere, but he really needs to work on the dialog scenes so that they work in harmony with the powerful mood created and help strengthen the ongoing plot rather than weaken it.
So, a really solid if rather simple idea and some great atmosphere, but the threadbare story really runs out of steam towards the end and without being too specific, leaves the audience kind of going, 'What...?!'
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My Particular Way of Rating:
5 - Flawed, but perhaps with some entertainment value.
6. A decently passable story maybe worth a watch.
7. A solid film, well made, effective, and entertaining.
And, obviously, you can probably figure out what above and below these would mean... : )
