Prémonitions

Sandra Bullock has to try to figure out if her husband is a live or dead as she shifts through time and dream to sort out her life and his possible death.

New Age-y story is too confusing and less than engaging in a Lifetime style supernatural tale for the big screen. TV movie feel aside the film suffers from doubling and tripling back on itself about nine times too many so that when you get to the end, the "THIS IS REAL" moment you really won't care since you'll have ad the wool pulled over your eyes once too often. I saw this in the theater and began to play a video game on my cellphone to pass the time to the end because I didn't care what was happening I just wanted to know what the end really was(and lest you think I disturbed anyone by doing so, I was all alone). Whats worse my reaction at the end was a loud "Thats it?" said in disbelief.

Its movies like this that make you wonder why we go to the movies when they throw such crap at us.

I read some negative reviews of this movie before I went to see it. They were completely misguided! The movie is both intelligent and emotionally appealing. The actors are excellent. The literary symbols are consistent and right on the mark for the destination of this very well-made film. It is important to keep in mind that the movie is made on a time-line of contingencies, so that what would otherwise be inconsistent actually can make sense in light of changes introduced by the non-sequential experiences of Sandra Bullock's character. I suppose those looking for some kind of horror movie or brain-blank thriller (both of which can be enjoyable in their own light) might not have enjoyed it. But those looking for a narrative worth following, a message with some significance, and a generally well-made movie ought to see it.

Despite the rather thorough drubbing it suffered at the hands of some of the nation's most prestigious critics, "Premonition" is actually a pretty well-thought-out and tightly wound thriller, given emotion and heart by its star, Sandra Bullock. It's not a movie I would be wiling to go to the mat for, but as throwaway thrillers go, this one is really not half bad.

Bullock plays Linda Quinn Hanson, a suburban mother of two, who receives the shattering news that her husband has been killed in an auto accident. However, when she wakes up the next morning, she finds him, strangely, sitting in the kitchen, suddenly alive and well, benignly sipping coffee before heading off to work. The question quickly arises, did she dream the story of his death, is she dreaming now, or is she undergoing some sort of mental crisis precipitated by the shock of her loss? Or is she caught in some sort of bizarre time warp that allows her to jump back and forth between the periods before and after his "death," and, if so, might she be able to step in and alter the course of events to prevent the accident from happening in the first place?

In both concept and form, "Premonition" is pretty much an assembly-line thriller designed to tweak the audience's brain cells for a couple of hours before sending everyone home with not a whole heck of a lot left to think about once it's over. Still, it's intriguing enough while it lasts and only the true nitpickers among us will feel compelled to put its twists and turns in logic under the scrutiny of a critical microscope. Despite a few weak moments in her performance, Bullock actually makes us care about the character and the very strange thing that is happening to her.

"The Premonition" is by no means a classic - or even first rate - chiller, but those with a few spare hours on their hands and a penchant for brain-puzzlers could do worse than check it out.

"Premonition" had all the elements for being a great thriller, but it ended up as a somewhat mediocre mess. The jumping around days part was interesting, but it was ultimately the director who killed the potential of "Premonition".

Normally I do like the performances in movies by Sandra Bullock, but she was way off in "Premonition". I didn't buy into her performance as a woman who had just lost her husband and the father of their daughters. It was like she wasn't fully there mentally, and that absent performance weighed down on the movie in overall. Julian McMahon did a good enough job as the husband and father.

I was disappointed with the mediocrity of the movie, because I must admit that I had expected much more from a movie with Bullock and McMahon in the lead roles.

The movie was also a bit shallow. The part with the affair in the making was just brought up briefly and then brushed well clear off the table. The characters could have used a bit more depth and background.

All in all, not an overly impressive or memorable thriller. This is not a movie at the top of the recommendation list if you want to watch a good thriller.

I just saw this in the cinema last night with my girlfriend. First of all, this movie was not even close to as bad as pretty much every review has said. This was a very interesting movie and worked upon an original idea and executed it in an above average manner. The only gripes I had with it were that the priest in the end and Dr. Roth were casted very poorly and detracted from the punch in the end. Speaking of the ending, it wasn't nearly as a let down as people say on here either. Not quite a movie I'd see more than once, but it kept me interested and entertained until the end- what more could you ask for? The scenery and cinematography were excellent and the whole movie seemed like it took place either at sunrise or at sunset, which added a serene and quiet backdrop to it, which I noticed right away. The soundtrack was fantastic and right up there with the Sixth Sense in terms of effectiveness; none of it got in the way of the action.

I highly recommend this movie to families and couples- it's a great way to forget about the outside world for an hour or so! Grade: B-