Doctor Sleep

Hypnotherapist Michael Strother experiences a psychic flash while trying to help policewoman Janet quit smoking. He mentions his vision of a young girl floating just beneath the surface of a stream to Janet, who tells him that the girl is Heather. Heather has recently escaped from the Tattoo Killer and has not spoken a word since. Michael very reluctantly agrees to help Janet in her search for the killer. Traumatized Heather reveals a few clues under hypnosis and geeky researcher Elliot provides still more with his research into the occult. Michael however has reason to worry. His insomnia is back, his guilty memories have been stirred up again, his heavily pregnant wife does not approve of what he's doing, and the killer pays a visit to his house in the dead of night, leaving behind an ominous warning. When Elliot turns up dead and Heather is kidnapped for a second time, Michael and Janet have little time left to discover the whereabouts of an ancient church...one of ten whose locations form a perfect pentagram on the map.

If you're looking for a fast paced splatter fest, filled with gore and excitement and gunfire, skip this film. If you can appreciate a slow, moody, thoughtful psycho- drama with a low budget and lots of good performances, this film is for you. There's plenty of violence, don't get me wrong. A hideous evisceration and a hungry rat make their appearance, but the camera mercifully looks away. For people with morbid imaginations, it is still a difficult scene to watch, as is the squirm-inducing lobotomy scene which fans of the film Session 9 will find familiar. The performances are great, particularly by Goran Visnij as the insomniac Michael who rarely smiles and always looks slightly haunted. He nevertheless seems to be a good husband to Miranda Otto (Eowyn from LOTR) as his heavily pregnant and hormonally irritable wife Clara. Miranda's American accent is flawless and she looks great. Her performance is totally believable. Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter films) as Janet and Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursley, also from HP) as the creepy Catherine Lebourg are both almost unrecognizable, turning in stoic, tight-lipped performances which are perfect.

Despite a somewhat predictable and downer ending, this film at least tries to be original and intelligent. The special effects used during the hypnosis scenes are clever and colorful and the mood throughout is heavy with dread. This is a good little film with strong performances, but it's not for everyone. Fans of mainstream horror may be bored silly, but fans of films such as the aforementioned Session 9 and the Chinese ghost story The Eye may enjoy this one as well.

"Close Your Eyes" is an unusual thriller. The story and characters are not present in your typical entries into this or any genre. And although on that level I recommend the film, it falls way short of greatness due to its pedestrian direction.

A serial killer has been kidnapping and killing young girls around London. One girl named Heather has survived, but she isn't talking. After hypnotherapist Michael Strother cures Detective Janet Losey (Shirley Henderson) of her smoking addiction, he reveals something that she saw under hypnosis: an image of Heather floating underwater. She thinks that Strother can help her with her case, but he refuses. Eventually he relents, and gets pulled into a disturbing mystery involving some creepy science and mysticism.

Thrillers, especially those of this ilk, demand a strong sense of atmosphere. A story can be chilling in its own right, but it's up to the director to put us at an sense of unease so we can get sucked into the story. But although director Nick Willing can boast a few inventive visuals, he can't establish a sense of atmosphere where this unease can build. Films like "The Descent" built up the tension long before the monsters ever showed up, which made the second half downright terrifying; Willing isn't able to accomplish this; in fact, he doesn't seem to be able to try. Worse, he cannot establish a narrative flow. The film is poorly paced, and as a result it seems to start and stop at random moments.

This is especially unfortunate because the film boasts some impressive performances. Goran Visnjic uses his soothing voice effectively (even I was almost hypnotized by his voice), and the celebrated Croatian actor makes for a sympathetic protagonist. Shirley Henderson is rather stiff as the policewoman who believes that he can help (actually, she's the only one who believes this). Miranda Otto is underused as Michael's long-suffering American wife. However, Fiona Shaw and John Rogan are creepy in small but important parts.

This is an okay choice for those who are tired of the usual schtick from "thrillers," but it could have been a lot better.

Gorin Visnic pulled this movie off well. I was unsure of his acting outside of ER. The movie has a cool plot, and there a few leaps we must make with character actions and general believability, but how many supernatural movies don't require such. I'm not saying call the Academy, but as mentioned this is a 'sleeper' movie that will entertain you if you enjoy the supernatural thriller genre. I was glad I rented it, and I'm a bit picky in general. It isn't the fastest paced film as it develops slowly, but you'll probably like it if you like Gorin. The female lead is credible as well, as is Gorin's wife in the film. The Supernatural element of the movie was a new one to me, which is further reason I'm taking the time to write this, as I thank those who have done such for me, as it drives a fair amount of my 'tweener' rentals. Ciao!

Close Your Eyes (aka Doctor Sleep) has all the makings of a horror sleeper. I hadn't heard anything about it, and thought the DVD box looked interesting, so I picked it up. I'm used to renting bad movies that have great packaging, so I didn't hold out any great hopes for this one.

Surprisingly, this movie has some taut moments and manages to sustain a fairly creepy vibe throughout. There are some logic gaps in the story, and most of them have to do with police procedure, but even with those problems the movie ends up being very watchable. I was left a little unfulfilled by the ending, but overall it's a better than average thriller. Should have been a sleeper hit.

Michael Strother (Goran Visnjic) is just trying to lay low and make a living in England. He relocated to London, due to a career-ending catastrophe in the US. Now, he uses his ability as a hypnotherapist to help people kick their addictions. One of his clients happens to be a cigarette-smoking cop named Janet Losey (Shirley Henderson), who hopes that he can help her on a case, after Strother proves to have some psychic insight into it.

Strother is introduced to a little girl who hasn't spoken a word since being abducted by a mysterious serial-killer. She is the only one of multiple victims to survive. While working with the girl, Strother is drawn into something far more bizarre than any normal crime. Both he and Losey, with help from an odd toy maker named Elliot Spruggs (Paddy Considine), find themselves investigating an ancient occult conspiracy that just might be real.

CLOSE YOUR EYES is several things at once: It's a cracking crime thriller, a dark mystery, and a tale of supernatural horror. A grim atmosphere permeates the proceedings, soaking everything in gloom. The story itself is intriguing as well as terrifying, with ever more danger lying just around the next corner. We are never sure if anyone will live to see the end! The occult angle is used in a fresh, novel way, especially the 16th century tie-in, the use of church buildings, and Fiona Shaw's ultra-creepy character (the whole "finger tapping" thing is unforgettable!). It's a shame that this movie has been so overlooked. It's time for its rediscovery...