Gothika

I'm a big fan of horror movies, but deliberately tend to avoid the ones starring A-list actors and actresses. One of the most essential yet unwritten rules of the genre states: the bigger the names involved in the production, the weaker the shocks and the tamer the blood & gore effects. If this statement were an exact science then "Gothika" would be one movie to avoid at all costs, with its all-star ensemble cast including Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., Penelope Cruz, Charles S. Dutton, Bernard Hill and John Caroll Lynch. But this really isn't a bad movie at all, in fact, and the acclaimed names seemingly didn't form any restriction for director Mathieu Kassovitz (creator of "The Crimson Rivers" and the brilliant crime thriller "La Haine"). The good news is that "Gothika" is a surprisingly grim and darkly atmospheric ghost story, with a handful of genuinely eerie set pieces and uncomfortable moments. Perhaps it's the influence of the French director, but it honestly feels like the movie aimed for chills & shock rather than to come across as politically correct. The bad news, however, is that the script is weak and incredibly predictable. The first twenty minutes still manage to be somewhat mysterious, but as soon as the ghost-story aspects begin to unfold, the denouement already becomes obvious to slightly experienced horror fanatics. Miranda Grey is a professional psychiatrist working in the same all-girls asylum as her husband; Dr. Douglas Grey. She strongly believes there's a rational explanation for everyone and doesn't really listens to what her patients, Chloë in particular, have to say. Whilst driving home one rainy night, Miranda becomes involved in a nasty car accident because there's a girl in the middle of the road. Next thing she knows, Miranda wakes up as a patient in her own asylum and she's accused of murdering her husband. Shortly after, she has ghostly visions again of the girl she saw on the road, and it seems as if she's trying to tell Miranda something very important, so she better learns to really listen. Even in spite of the sadly transparent and derivative plot, "Gothika" manages to remain compelling and even somewhat engaging. Halle Berry is a marvelous actress (as well as one of the most ravishing women on the planet) and a joy to behold as the 'dame in distress'. She receives excellent support from the always-cool Robert Downey Jr. and I never saw Penelope Cruz deliver a better performance. If I were her, I would accept more crazy-lady roles. This certainly isn't the kind of stuff nightmares are made of, but it's a worthwhile little thriller nonetheless.

I love a good mystery. Gothika is both a psychological thriller and a supernatural horror. I loved playing detective and piecing together the clues to solve this mystery. It wasn't a very difficult mystery or plot to figure out, but it's still a suspenseful and entertaining movie. Making up for the story's predictability, is the casting of Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr. Both are fantastic and likable performers. The jump scares are not always effective but they keep you on your toes.

Halle Berry plays brilliant criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey; an expert in what is rational, logical and sane. After she encounters a mysterious young girl, she finds herself confined to the institute in which she once worked; along side the patients she once treated. She has to rationalise what is real in her own mind, before she loses it forever.

The setting and atmosphere that is created in Gothika is excellent, and the movie is definitely creepy enough to jangle your nerves. Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey Jnr all fit into their roles nicely; the problem is plain and simple. The storyline and script are too weak to achieve what this movie sets out to do, and because of some lame dialogue and a flawed plot the movie only manages to be decent; when it really should have been great.

6/10 It's still worth watching.

In Mathieu Kassovitz's Gothika, Penélope Cruz and Halle Berry share a shower, but DON'T soap up each other's jubblies; that glaring goof aside, the film is a worthwhile supernatural thriller—smartly written, with slick direction, solid acting, and some effective shocks—one that should pass the time fairly painlessly for fans of mainstream horror.

Halle Berry plays penitentiary psychiatrist Miranda Grey who winds up as an inmate herself after she inexplicably chops up her hubby with an axe. With no memory of the murder, Miranda begins to suspect that there is a supernatural reason for her brutal act.

Although the story evolves in a predictable Hollywood manner, the well developed atmosphere, stylish visuals, and some great supporting performances (the aforementioned Cruz, Robert Downey Jr. and Bernard Hill) all go to make this an enjoyable, if not exceptional, creepy murder mystery.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

'Gothika' may be looked at as an exercise in style. The plot is about a psychologist in a women's prison who wakes up one day to find herself on the other side of the bars, accused of having murdered her husband. She needs to prove her innocence, but the film is not what you expect. There will be not too much logic in what follows, and the borders between reality and halucination seem to be crossed by the director and script writer, not only by the characters.

What saves the film is the excellent acting of Halle Berry, Penelope, Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., and all the rest of the cast, the haunting setting, and the way the atmosphere is being build. The institution looks like some gothic building from outside, with blue lighted corridors inside creating an appropriate setting for the mood of the characters. Rain seems to poor almost permanently, kind of reflecting the fluid state of mind of the characters.

This film will not be easy to forget for me. Despite its ridiculous script and the conventional way the plot is being solved, the quality of the cinema is above average. Halle Berry is fantastic, and may have bought back her acting in a James Bond movie. Uneven but still memorable. 7/10 on my personal scale.