Les témoins

I wasn't expecting much at all, but it couldn't even live up to that. Essentially its' a by-the-numbers American thriller that just happens to take place in a small English town. Maybe I would've been more forgiving if it was Hollywood-glossy, extremely violent and had a sense of humor about it's own lack of originality (if it in other words had more of a postmodern vibe and was shamelessly attempting never to be boring)... but instead it's visually low-key in that European TV kinda way, I constantly expected Inspector Morse or Dalgliesh to come through the door, utterly sure of its own cleverness and complexity (which is a bit silly since there's no surprises worth talking about and it's about as deep as Models Inc.) and completely devoid of scares. Not even the cheap scares work (with one notable exception I won't get into here), nor does it deliver as a drama, since the plot demands that the central character stay pretty empty (the good ol' trick amnesia is dragged out) and none of the other characters does much of anything but spout heavy handed exposition. The film just doesn't deliver in any kinda way. Ricci is excellent, dressed in tight jeans and tight tops she's quite the visual spectacle as well, and the acting by the mainly British cast isn't bad either, but none of that can turn the script and the lackluster direction ("from the director of Not Without my Daughter comes a haunting horror movie") into a good film.

I bought this on DVD (the short version - grrr!) knowing that Christina Ricci was in it and nothing else. What I found was an adequate, 6/10 movie (Ricci makes it a 7, but that's just me) with little by way of originality or genuine horror, but that does not make it inferior to many blockbusters. The English setting gives it a quaint feel, as it looks genuinely normal, and not some movie version of a creepy town. The cast are better than you'd expect, and some of the direction manages to evoke sinister feelings without use of hokey effects. However, unless you are easy to please, an aficionado of low-budget horror flicks, or a fan of Christina Ricci or Ioan Gruffud (or Mackenzie Crook in a non-speaking role) then there is probably no real reason to watch this.

This film is about a young woman having horrible visions of the future, after being hit by a car.

I didn't know anything about the film before I saw it, and I bought it only for Christina Ricci. It was long ago that I have been so captivated by a film! The plot is new and interesting, and I don't recall seeing anything like it (that's because I don't watch that many horror films). Weird or scary things happen often enough throughout the film, and to my comfort there are no excessive violence or blood. The suspense is kept throughout the film. The idea of the "gathering" is really new to me and I am surprised that this has not come up anywhere before. I really liked the film!

Although The Gathering is not my favorite biblical horror film, this movie was really entertaining. Christina Ricci acted fabulously, of course, and all the lines and scenes were edgy and new. I really loved how when there would be something that is supposed to be creepy or scary, they would not play stupid irritating music. They would just let it happen without any rhythms or beats, and I found that interesting and respectable. The twist I would say is really awesome. I would have never suspected it, and it came without warning which really blew my mind. The lines are good, and I might say some material was sleezy, cheesy, and cheap, but for the most of this movie the dialogue was steady. I had never heard anything about this movie when I first watched it, and now I consider a very good movie. I own it and plan on watching it again real soon.

Despite promise throughout, THE GATHERING is a rather weak slice of horror that proves perfectly watchable but comes across as an extended episode of MIDSOMER MURDERS more than anything else. It has that cosy TV movie feel to it, despite the odd burst of violence, and the play-it-safe script from popular author Anthony Horowitz doesn't break new ground at any point.

The story begins with an American tourist involved in a car accident where she obtains a serious head injury. Suffering amnesia, she goes to live with a household in a village, and soon grows close to a young boy in the family. However, she's plagued with violent premonitions of his death. Meanwhile, the boy's father is uncovering the mystery of a mural depicting the last days of Christ.

THE GATHERING is a sometimes-atmospheric production that occasionally brings to mind the air of spooky mystery in something like THE WICKER MAN. Unfortunately, more often than not it falls flat, thanks to weak plotting and a generally unfocused storyline. Christina Ricci feels out of place and it doesn't help that her character is one of those protagonists who doesn't actually have anything to do with the main storyline. Ioan Gruffudd is there for his looks alone, although Stephen Dillane (GAME OF THRONES) is more interesting as the father figure. The likes of Kerry Fox, Robert Hardy, and Simon Russell Beale barely get a look in during this oddly muted and non-suspenseful tale.