Donovan's Echo

I just ran across this movie last night and decided to give it a look mainly because Danny Glover is in it. Very interesting movie to say the least. Definitely worth the watch if you haven't seen it.

Although this movie is a little slow moving toward the beginning, the plot is pretty deep so moving too fast would mean you would miss more of the important bits like the other reviewer did, causing him to use the word "disjointed". This movie is not at all disjointed! It has so many well placed, easily missed "bits/clues" that if you blink you just may miss something...If you don't "get it", you were not paying attention! The pieces connect from the beginning right through to the end. There are some flashback scenes throughout the movie to fill in the blanks which, like I said, if you are not giving this movie your full attention you might lose your place! All in all a good watch...It is the type of movie that makes you think (in a good way)! NOT the dopey mush brain time waster that fills so much of the screens today!

Donovan (Danny Glover) returns to his home after 30-years of roaming (which was never really explained) due to the deaths of his wife and child in a vehicle accident. He was a nuclear physicist and blames himself for paying more attention to his work rather than his family. He was also a member of the Manhattan Project back in the day and later became obsessed with Cold Fusion. Now that he is back he has visions of the future that correspond to the date he lost his family.

Remember the saying or slogan "we are all connected" from other movies: CRASH and CLOUD ATLAS? Apparently the message didn't get through as we have this movie to drill it into us again.

Donovan sees visions of what will happen in the future and Finn (Bruce Greenwood) the local Canadian policeman and Donovan's best friend doesn't believe him; and Finn thinks Donovan is becoming dangerous. Donovan believes there is a reason he came back - at this time - and he sees things and attaches the visions to the date of the death of his wife and child. We decide Donovan is not mental (hey, that would be another story) but he cannot seem to get thru to Finn, Maggie (the 11-year old who has the same name of his daughter who died in that accident), or to Maggie's mother Sarah (Sonja Bennett). We have dialogues in our heads that would help but our dialogues are never used. Bummer.

We try to connect the dots with Donovan. However, the way these dots are presented make it difficult to follow any logic and it is here the script confuses us. Sad to say much of this story is disjointed and we are on the verge of looking for the remote to end this because we find ourselves no longer caring.

I don't believe the connection message got thru this time. In the other movies mentioned above the connections are universal; but here the connections seemed to be relegated to Donovan and the immediate cast only. The drilling was not successful in my opinion. (4/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.

This movie definitely has something for everyone; a brilliant story containing lots of very fascinating "what-if" scenarios, built around some unique and complex concepts. The main character's struggle with his personal demons keeps you sympathizing with his desire to right his perceived wrongs from his past.

While the character portrayals by the two veteran actors (Danny Glover and Bruce Greenwood) were as exceptional as you would expect, it is the sharp-witted character of Maggie (Natasha Calis) who instantly captured my heart.

Wonderfully written and beautifully shot, the twists and turns within the movie keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Those who have a keen interest in fate and karma will love the movie Donovan's Echo. Danny Glover stars as a man grieving for his wife and daughter's death. While he wallowed in alcohol for a time, he tries to get his act together with the support of his goof friend, policeman Bruce Greenwood (co-producer of the movie, too!). Then, he starts getting these psychic flashes about the future and the past. What do they mean? Is tragedy about to strike again, and can he stop it?

One tiny detail I found sad and realistic in this movie was the scene when Danny tries to get a job as a science professor. It doesn't matter how brilliant he is, or his lengthy employment history, his long gap of unemployment is all that stands out. The only job he's able to get is stocking shelves at a grocery store. He's repeatedly criticized and publicly humiliated by the store manager, which is so true to life. This brilliant man who cares for others is treated like garbage as he mops the floor of a grocery store; isn't that typical?

But back to the bulk of the movie. The story is strong, and the psychic flashes will keep you guessing all the way to the end. In another true to life element, when Danny shows interest in helping a little girl, her mother thinks he has nefarious intentions. Your heart really goes out to him in this movie. If you like these types of plots, add Premonition and Shuffle to your list.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The psychic flashes sometimes have a strobing effect, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"