La novena casa

This film is embarrassingly bad. The acting is way over the top and the writing is very lazy. There are times when it is so unbelievably dumb. I hated all of the characters and didn't care at all if they died. I will try my best to forget that I ever saw this, which will not be hard.

Former cameraman Steven R. Monroe directed this little psychological movie that at times was slow as molasses, but, nevertheless, an interesting glimpse of the beast within all of us.

Now, I cannot compare it to Cube, Saw, or My Little Eye, as others have done as i have not seen those films. I only mention them to give you an indication of what is in store for those that have. What I can say, is that I find the premise totally believable. When the pressure is on, our hatreds and prejudices, and inner demons come out rather quickly, especially when fueled with alcohol and hunger. Only Father Duffy (Dennis Hopper) and Lea (Kelly Brook) seemed to keep their cool, but they broke down eventually, albeit for different reasons than the others.

This is not a bloody film, although there is a little, but a psychological one. I was bothered by one killing that occurred off-camera, as i kept thinking the rest of the film that it was fake. The ending was weird, foreshadowing a possible sequel, but, if they do, please get another writer. Philippe Vidal's screenplay just didn't cut it for the most part. I enjoyed the film, but it could have been way better. What a waste of a Maxim magazine "Hot 100 of 2005" list member. Another cast member was a FHM's 100 Sexiest Girls member, and another gave an outstanding display in Eyes Wide Shut. All were wasted here.

Whoever this Will Hoge guy is, he needs to go back to delivering pizzas. This is a mashup of STP, Creed and all those other horrible styles. I had to skip about 7 minutes in the middle of the movie because my ears started bleeding.

There is a certain concept that I love seeing within movies, when a group of people wake up in unfamiliar territory and have to participate in some dangerous activity such as a game.

Obviously the SAW franchise comes under this category, the Cube movies and the brilliant Circle (2015) and The Human Race (2013).

This is one of those and I was immediatly thrilled upon realising. I just love the idea I find it fascinating, how people react, the different personalities and the ruthlessness of people.

House of 9 see's a group of people locked inside a house together unable to escape. Upon awaking the instructions are announced, only one can leave and they'll win five million pounds.

Inevitably it doesn't take long before things to fall apart and the way it happens sadly could be better, but is still entertaining.

This British made thriller stars Kelly Brook, Dennis Hopper and the last Doctor Who Peter Capaldi.

Despite it's flaws I enjoyed this and was very impressed with the movies closing scene. Though it doesn't match the dizzying heights of the other examples of this concept it's still a passable movie.

The Good:

Great idea

Fantastic finale

The Bad:

Questionable execution

Hoppers accent is horrific

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Guns in movies are magic and have unlimited ammo

Kelly Brook can act without showing boobage

So, nine strangers get kidnapped, stuck in a house and told that the one who gets out alive will receive 5 million dollars. Yep, it isn't the most original or dazzling of concepts, but strangely enough it just about manages to pull off its modest ambitions. Despite the off pacing and some shocking dialogue, things keep moving and really catch fire for a satisfying final block. Style is what holds this one together, director Steven R. Munroe has a great feel for the cold, impersonal setting, the camera roams gleaming corridors and clinically gazes at its mysteries, a sterile and uncomfortable feel neatly offset by the bumptious characters. He is just alright at the dramatic side of things though, like the actors he does his best with the script but he fails in enticing the right vivid performances out of all. Dennis Hopper has a bizarrely pacifying role as an Irish priest, wielding grizzled authority and a gentle wisdom he puts in a good show. Peter Capaldi is occasionally amusing but his role is underwritten and others mostly show their non-acting talents. However a welcome current of off kilter craziness comes from French actor Hippolyte Girardot, really relishing his part he plays it broad and brings great fun, a big bonus to the film. The only part that really didn't work for me was Asher D in a hideously written cliché of a no talent rapper character, he appears not to have any talent to begin with but I'm still surprised that he didn't tear up the script, given some of the bilious nonsense he has to utter. Generally speaking everyone works OK together, some sparks are there and the right gradual escalation of tensions, it's a nicely multi-national cast and though often soapy their behaviour is shot to stylish effect. It just isn't that interesting or exciting and the plot doesn't have enough movement in it to sustain the run time. For the most part the film follows a holding pattern, there isn't all that much going on and some of the decisions made are pretty dumb, it would have been better I think if the film got to the crunch earlier and then either spun out its shenanigans for longer or finished earlier. At least when things finally do explode they do so in fine fashion, bloody, tense and mean, the final 20 minutes or so is rather a blast and does a pretty decent job in making the audience forget earlier longueurs. It doesn't make up for everything, but still left me liking the film well enough at the end. I can't exactly recommend this one highly, but it is alright in my book, worth a watch if the plot intrigues but don't expect anything too impressive. 6/10 from me then