mancuniangr

The film is based on the book ''Derriere la haine'' by Barbara Abel(written in 2012) which basically means ''behind the hatred'' and is set in the early 60's in a beautiful suburb.

Two mothers who are best friends enjoy a happy life until something tragic happens. Then a chain of events unfolds which makes us guess who is good and who is bad till almost the very end of the film.

The scenery is excellent,you can smell the 60's if i'm permitted to say so(excellent costumes and designs) and Benoit Delhomme's direction seems very detailed. The two leadind ladies,Anne Hathaway(especially) and Jessica Chastain are electric in their performances,and the supporting cast(Josh Charles and Anders Danielsen Lie who play the husbands) is also very good.

The power of the film is that it has you guessing from nearly the start what will happen next and you maybe find yourself keep changing your mind about who's good and who's bad.

In another not so crazy era this film should have produced at least some nominations(for Hathway surely) and for adapted screenplay,but for reasons that i don't know,the film didn't have the support it merited from the studio.

As for the usual keyboard warriors who didn't like the end at all,i will just say that the book which the film is based on and it has the same ending, has 4 and 5 star reviews.

Watch it and enjoy it.

I have the habit of bying DVD'S or Blu-rays of films that i consider ''diamonds'' and leave them for a special screening,usually on weekends or when i have a day off. So that was the case with ''The day the Earth caught fire'',i expected a diamond like for instance the "Journey to the far side of the sun'' which i saw a few months ago and was excellent. But sadly that was not the case at all. First of all you supposedly have a sci fi film,so you expect that you will see some scenes with good(for then)visual effects. Basically what you get here is somekind of a theatrical film because the largest part of the movie has to do with what's going on in the newspaper Edward Judd works. They are all acting like they saw that coming(the destruction),try to use some irony but the final result is laughable in the dialogues. Edward Judd acts like he's p***** off with everything,from his personal life,professional,name it. Also i understand the erotism in a sci-fi film,but the scene where we watch for a second Janet Munroe's boobies while she is taking a bath,i don't understand it,it doesn't fit with the nature of the film. As i have said the effects are poor and in the end you get up from the sofa, thinking you watched somekind of a ''Lou Grant'' special episode if you remember the series. I don't want to put off anybody from watching it because sci fi fans who haven' t seen it will give it a go,but i believe when it finishes you will end up just like me,annoyed.

You always are hesitant when you come to watch thrillers,cause you don't know what to expect,especially about the scenario and how the movie will ''build'' and develop, and above all, if all this is enough to keep you interesting. Well the answer considering the Watcher is a big yes. The movie definitely keeps you interesting till the last second and they are basically two reasons for that ,firstly the very good direction by Chloe Okuno and secondly the excellent performance of Maika Monroe. Okuno directs taking elements in the first part of the movie from Rear Window(you can watch all your neighbours from your window) and then by making us guess if the supposed watcher is a psycopath or an innocent man. She later ''turns'' the hunted Julia(Monroe) into a hunter, by stalking her supposedly stalker. The scenes around Bucharest are also well taken and overall it's a very good effort from her. Also a pleasant surpise is the performance of Maika Monroe,not your classic blonde beautiful woman,but a very likeable and warm persona. She starts by not wanting to admit that she is targeted by a stranger,but minute by minute she gets convinced that actually this is what is happening. She doesn't exaggerate and she definitely gives an excellent performance. Overall Watcer is a solid,believable and enjoyable thriller that you won't pass as many other films of the same origin.