Fantasmi

Haunted is directed by Lewis Gilbert, who co-adapts the screenplay with Bob Kellett and Timothy Prager from the novel written by James Herbert. It stars Aidan Quinn, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Andrews, Alex Lowe, John Gielgud and Anna Massey. Music is by Debbie Wiseman and cinematography by Tony Pierce-Roberts.

Following the accidental death of his twin sister when they were just kids, David Ash (Quinn) has grown up to be a parapsychologist determined to debunk the existence of ghosts. Receiving an invitation from the Mariell family to investigate supernatural activity at their family home, Edbrook House, David accepts and quickly finds his life flipped upside down…

It's from the old fashioned school of horror, a period piece of some worth, but not one for anyone looking to be scared out of their wits. Actually the novel by the late great James Herbert was becalmed when judged by his superb standards, so it really will help any potential first time viewer to go into this expecting a more ethereal chiller than anything else.

There's an air of romanticism constantly hanging in the air, and with Gilbert nodding towards the likes of The Haunting for his scares and Don't Look Now for the meditation on grief angle, it's a film of mixed blessings. Also nice to see very good period design for the 1920s setting, while Roberts' photography skilfully brings beauty to the English countryside and murkier tones for the inner workings of Edbrook House.

Cast are fine, with Quinn and a perky Beckinsale creating good sensual chemistry, and Andrews and Lowe are suitably odd as the clearly off- kilter Mariell brothers. Massey, however, is not challenged by her role and Gilegud is only really filing in for an easy money cameo.

It gets away from itself a little in the final stretch, where it's not helped by some shoddy effects work, but there's good value to be had in the picture. With grief, guilt, redemption and incest bubbling away thematically, and the spectral visage of David's dead sister haunting the edges of the frame, film never lacks for literate effort or a sense of unease. The book is much better, mind. 7/10

***SPOILERS*** A bit confusing in the end "Haunted" still is as good a haunted movie that's to come out of Hollywood since the all-time haunted house horror classic film "The Haunting" back in 1963.

In "Haunted" we have Chicago Uiversity psychology professor, and famed debunker of the paranormal, Dr. David Ash,Aidan Quinn, travel England back in 1928 to investigate the Mariell Mansion that's reported to be haunted by an evil spirit by one of its occupants Nanny Webb, Anna Massey. David soon falls in love with the lady of the house Christian Mariell, Kate Beckinsale, who meets him at the train station and drives him to the mansion.

At the spacious mansion David is introduced to Christina's two brothers the overly serious Robert, Anthony Andrews, and joker and in house comedian Simon, Alex Lowe, who together with Christina spend almost all their time doing nothing but partying around and skinny-dipping in the in the outdoor lake. Even though the astute David sees nothing supernatural in Nanny Webb's observations he does see that the Mariell children are somehow totally indifferent to her as if she doesn't even exist at all. As for Nanny Webb she's terrified of them even more then the ghost of Mrs. Mariell that she claims to be haunting the Mansion!

***SPOILER ALERT*** David himself becomes convinced in Nanny Webb's statements of supernatural occurrences at the Mariell Mansion not by seeing the late Mrs. Mariell but in seeing his own long deceased twin sister Juliet, Victoria Shalet. Juliet is trying to get David to leave the premises before something very awful and terrible happens to him. Something that's been planned in advance to happen to David by the Mariell children who are not what they at first seem to be!

Nanny Webb has carried this terrible secret about what really happened to the late Mrs. Mariell since back on that cold February day in 1923. It was the circumstances of Mrs. Mariell's tragic death and what she did after that that has driven Nanny Webb to the brink of madness. A madness that was soon to engulf David Ash in a web of incest murder and arson that will change his opinions about haunted houses ghosts and the supernatural forever!

I first saw this a couple of years ago, when it was released on video, and since then i must have watched about two or three times more. Surprisingly for a mistery movie, this doesn´t loose it´s appeal even when we are watching it for the second time. Even when we already know how it´s going to end.

The first time we see it, it´s great and we spend the whole movie trying to guess what is going to happen next, even if the ending might be a bit easy to guess from a certain point in the movie, if we pay atention to some details.

Anyway, this is an excelent movie, the atmosphere is perfect. Very intriguing and misterious, but at the same time set in very normal locations. Normaly ghost movies are associated to lots of scenes in the dark, but this movie is a very bright movie with most of its story set in very iluminated places, contrary to the classic ghost storytelling. But at the same time even during normal scenes whe can feel that there is something wrong in the air, and this is what makes this movie so atmospheric. It realy feels like the whole movie is haunted. We can watch it again, and again and keep finding new small details, that we missed the first time.

But what ghost story would be without scares and chills. Well there are a couple of scary moments in here also and some very good chilling sequences. Most of them is actualy in our minds, because ther aren´t many special effects in, but that´s the way a good ghost story should be presented. The atmosphere in this is so good, that if the few flashy special effects that are present were removed, it wouldn´t make a diference. But fear not, this is not a Spielberg effects film, the atmosphere is what counts here. And it has loads of it.

Overall this is at least a very diferent ghost story, and originaly presented. Don´t skip this movie if you like ghost stories.

Excelent.

A modestly effective supernatural thriller based on the James Herbert novel, and directed by veteran Lewis Gilbert. Weakness is the over lighting of many scenes that would have been much better in low key, but there are moments of shock that work well, especially in the early sequences. Quinn is somewhat wooden, and its left to Kate Beckinsale to add zest and glamor, which she does effectively, with several nude scenes and some moments of steamy sex. Lewis Gilbert directs without enthusiasm, though at times can we see traces of his earlier and better screen work. Finally the plot which has a major twist at the ending, is full of red herrings and pot holes, which makes it less than believable. A precursor to "The Others" which handles a similar situation with more classic flair, better cast and direction.

I think the summary about says it all. It has twists and turns and has you guessing all the way through it. And in the end, you find out you were possibly fooled all the time. It was scary at times and I would rate it as an excellent film of this genre. I must admit, that I am a real fan of this type of film.