Dream House

Luckily, I didn't read the reviews before watching this, or I may have THOUGHT I was watching a horror story, as one reviewer suggested. So, I went into this based on the talented people in the cast. I was not disappointed. I was very surprised by the twist at the end, though I did figure one part out, which I won't address here. For those who like thrillers, I think I can honestly say that you will enjoy this film. I know I did, and I'll watch it again!

I was certainly interested in seeing "Dream House," since I just got back from seeing this couple in "Betrayal." Let me tell you, from a strictly visual point of view, both of them are gorgeous, not to mention both wonderful actors on stage and on screen.

I gather from reading a few reviews that this film suffers from the director having the final cut taken from him, a bad trailer, and being incorrectly advertised.

I had never heard of it until I rented it. It's a thriller about a man named Will Attenton (Craig) who quits his job in order to spend time with his wife (Weisz) and two daughters. They have bought a place away from the city, but they didn't know that three of the previous four inhabitants of the house had been murdered by the husband and father.

After some strange happenings, Will tries to find out what happened, which includes going to the institution where the father, Peter Ward, was sent after the murders. He was incapable of standing trial. What Will finds out is a huge shock.

I actually liked this film, and I would have liked to have seen the director's cut, since apparently the actors were all up in arms about Jim Sheridan not being permitted to do what he wanted with the final product.

I think for that reason, it's a tad confusing, nothing that a second viewing wouldn't solve. It's not as bad as it's been reviewed to be, and I think one poster was right - people were expecting a horror film and were disappointed.

Well, I will never be disappointed about not seeing a horror film. And I'm a sucker for Daniel Craig.

In New York, the successful editor Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quits his job in the GPH Publishers to move to the suburb New Ashford and dedicate more time to his beloved wife Libby (Rachel Weisz) and his daughters Trish (Taylor Geare) and DeeDee (Claire Geare) and to start writing a novel.

The family is frightened by a stranger watching them through the window and Will decides to investigate and finds teenagers in a satanic cult in his basement. Sooner he discovers that the family man Peter Ward killed his wife and his two daughters in that house five years ago. Will goes to the police but the officers do not give attention to him. He also learns that Peter Ward spent five years in the Greenhaven Psychiatric Hospital but was recently discharged.

Will tries to get more information about the murder with his neighbor on the other side of the street, the divorced Ann Patterson (Naomi Watts), but she refuses to give any information to him. Will decides to go to Greenhaven to get information about Peter Ward and he discloses a dark secret about the former intern that will affect his life in his dream house.

"Dream House" is a good mystery that deserved a better screenplay. The story has a great potential and a surprising plot point but does not develop well important characters and situations after the revelation of the mystery. Usually this type of twist happens in the end, like in "The Others", or "Ghost", or "Identity", or "The Sixty Sense". In "Dream House', the mystery is disclosed too early and the last twist is very weak and predictable. But anyway I liked this film.

Daniel Craig is one of my favorite contemporary actors and Rachel Weisz is impressively gorgeous. Naomi Watts is effective, as usual, and the relationship of Ann with her husband deserved a better development. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Casa dos Sonhos" ("The Dream House")

Note: On 31 March 2012, I saw this film again on Blu-Ray.

For the longest time I sort of refused to watch this, because I had heard that the theatrical release was cut to receive a PG13 rating ... so I was waiting for an uncut release on disc or streaming platform now. But this isn't or wasn't succesful enough to make anyone think about an "uncut" release.

Also now that I have watched it ... I don't think a couple of extra seconds of "violence" (the reason this was initially getting an R rating) would not have swayed my opinion in any direction ... still it would have been nice. Having said all that, the quite buff Daniel Craig (you will see him shirtless - steady ladies and fellas who are into this) plays the main role. And while it may feel a bit like a mystery, anyone who has seen a few thrillers will not be too surprised where the movie will take us.

Having said all that, a lot of suspension of disbelief has to be done ... for you to enjoy the movie. Because even while a many years long gap is somewhat explained .. it is not really sufficient to make sense ... anyway, you'll know once you watch and actually think about it ... if you don't think about it, don't worry! Stellar cast and an intriguing story make this more than worthwhile ...

Editor and author Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quits a high power job in Manhattan to relocate with his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. However, as they settle into their new life, they discover that their house was the murder scene of a mother and her two children. Will tries to befriend his neighbour Ann Patterson (Naomi Watts) and find out from her what happened but she is not too eager to talk.

Meanwhile, Will's younger daughter starts seeing someone lurking outside the window at night. As Will pieces together the haunting puzzle, he must find out who murdered the family in his dream house before the culprit returns to kill again.

"Dream House" is not a suspense thriller that will jolt you with sudden loud music and cheap scares. Instead, it plays games with your mind, keeping you guessing about what's happening and making you sort out the plot yourself. Now, if you like your thrillers done this way, then go for it. If not, this one is going to be a nightmare...

Director Jim Sheridan's plot build-up is almost by-the-book and he makes no apology for it. The opening scenes show Will as a devoted father and loving husband. At first, his daughter's visions of a shadowy figure are dismissed quietly, but when Will gets physical evidence of someone lurking around, our curiosity heightens. Sheridan, who gave us "My Left Foot" and "In The Name of The Father", is not delivering this thriller to his audience in a platter. He just dishes out the cards and lets his audience sort them out - at least until the closing sequences.

At first, it feels rather weird to see beefcake Craig as a domesticated guy. However, there is a good chemistry between he and Weisz who also lends a loving and tender touch to the proceedings. The kids, played by Claire and Taylor Geare, are also convincing and adorable. It would have been great to see more of Naomi Watts but her role is rather limited - and she acquits herself professionally. Fans of Rachel G. Fox, the Scarvo girl in TV's Desperate Housewives, will find her in a cameo as Ann's daughter Chloe. All in all, a thriller for the thinking viewer.