Premonition

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.

I really had no interest in seeing Premonition, the trailer in itself looked very confusing, but it was my friend's pick tonite, so her, me, and a few friends saw it and it pretty much lived up to our expectations. I mean, it was a little better, but the story just in some ways did not work and not to mention that the ending was a disappointment. Because I do not want to give any spoilers, I'm not going to give away anything, but there is a daughter who is injured in the movie and her injuries are a continuity problem throughout the film, like the first scene, but you'll see what I mean.

Linda is a mother and wife, pretty typical days that usually involve taking the kids to school, working out, and cleaning house. She is also involved in a marriage that has lost it's spark, but unfortunately one day she finds out that he was killed in a car accident. But the next day, she wakes up and he's alive! Day by day, it changes where he is dead, then alive, then dead, then alive; but slowly she puts the pieces together by writing herself a day by day diary and finds out truly what happened.

The acting was alright and the story just could have been better. The ending was a little off, you'll see what I mean. But the story just had some flaws that I couldn't get by, it was just an average thriller that you could figure out in the first hour if you are used to the "suspense thrillers". So, I would recommend you wait this one for a rental, it's nothing exciting, just an alright movie that you might enjoy at home.

5/10

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-

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.

Relative newcomers, writer Bill Kelly and director Mennan Yapo, have concocted a testy little conundrum of a movie titled PREMONITION: whether the audience decides to step into their little nightmare or reject the premise that powerful emotions can drive the brain to peculiar directions of functioning will be the divisive break in acceptance of the film's premise. It is a fairly well done, thought provoking experience and is carried by some better than average performances by a strong cast.

The Hanson family is introduced as the husband Jim (Julian McMahon) and wife Linda (Sandra Bullock) buy their new home. Jump forward after the credits to a family that now includes two young schoolgirls (Shyann McClure and Courtney Taylor Burness), a seemingly mildly depressed Linda and a workaholic Jim. Abruptly, Linda is informed by a police officer that Jim has died in an auto accident and her close friend (Nia Long) and mother (Irene Ziegler) help Linda through the early moments of the tragedy. Yet Linda continues to 'relive' moments: one day Jim is dead the next he is alive, and all of the pieces of the puzzle that erode Linda's mind become clues to investigate information she doesn't want to know. She encounters a warped psychiatrist (Peter Stormare) and a possible 'other woman' in Jim's life (Amber Valletta), and as she attempts to mold the puzzle pieces to make sense, she learns about the possible 'why' of the mental state in which she is trapped.

The film has problems holding credibility, but then the premise is a novel enough to allow such missteps. Sandra Bullock takes over this role completely, gains our empathy, and in the end the film works because of her. She is becoming an actress who is learning the value of understatement and that aspect of her craft serves her well. No, this is not a great movie, but it is a well-produced little mystery that asks the audience to engage both mind and imagination, and that is a good thing! Grady Harp