Mensagens do Além

There are not many thriller films that can actually make the hairs on my back rise, this one certainly did. Congratulations to David Fairman and all the cast they made a good film. My only minor criticism is that the majority of the time the film was made in low light conditions. From the start of the film you could sense that it was going to be exciting and gripping, the story line was original and well sequenced and I think the characters in the film were well cast in their roles. I found it a bit odd that the British police needed to enlist the assistance of an imported American cop but can only believe this was to maximise the viewing support of potential sales of the film to USA also using an American actor in the starring role. There certainly was a twist at the ending which was not expected. All in all a good film well worth watching.

Dr. Richard Murray (Jeff Fahey), the angsty, guilt-ridden protagonist, is getting messages but from where? That's the central question in this suspenseful mystery story about a serial killer on the loose. The messages on his computer beg for help. Are they from beyond the grave? From his own subconscious? From someone playing with his mind? This question is a large part of the suspense.

This is a mystery story with a twist. If you're expecting CSI: England, you won't find it in this film. It deliberately sets a dark and moody tone. In turn artsy, eerie and somber, the only "comic" relief is Detective Collins, the serial killer specialist (Martin Kove) brought in from Los Angeles. He isn't intended to be funny but he is because he is such a cliché of the English view of an American "cowboy" –brash and obnoxious. However irritating the character—which is very, his brashness makes a certain amount of sense if you view it as a defense mechanism. Dealing with serial killers every day is a bit straining on the psyche. Might make you a bit testy too.

My main problem with Collins is not his obnoxiousness but his relevance. England has lots of serial killer experts. Why bring in an outsider? Seems gratuitous to me. But at least the forensic psychiatrist is English.

Then there is Dr. Robert Golding (Bruce Payne), the medical examiner. Alas, not in the film long enough for Bruce Payne fans but his character, with that crisp and resonant English accent that he doesn't always use, will please Payne fans. Like the movie, Dr. Golding is moody and somber. But unlike Dr McCort, Payne's character from Asylum of the Damned, Dr, Golding doesn't do unauthorized experiments in the basement!

Now, the big question for me was –is the film psychologically sound from a forensic point of view? Leaving aside the supernatural possibilities, I was pleased to see that the answer is yes. I wasn't sure at first but ultimately the serial killer does fit the classic profile. Since this a suspense film,I can't tell you why. That would kill (pardon the expression) thesuspense.

Overall, I found the film suspenseful and worth watching. I did think the ending was a bit hokey but maybe you'll see it differently. A lot is left to the individual viewer to decide. Were the messages supernatural or something else? Decide for yourself.

In England, the American pathologist Dr. Richard Murray (Jeff Fahey) still grieves the death of his wife Carol (Geraldine Alexander) eight months ago in a car crash. He is drinking too much whiskey due to his guilty complex since he had a love affair with a woman when Carol left home, and he has frequent blackouts, forgetting what he has done in the previous drinking night. Meanwhile a serial-killer is attacking women in the location, and the experienced American cop DCI Collins (Martin Kove) and the psychologist Frances Beale (Kim Thomson) are invited to help the local police in the investigations. When Dr. Murray receives messages from beyond, he meets his friend Father Randall (Jon-Paul Gates) seeking spiritual support and explanation.

"Messages" is the type of promising B-movie that is wasted due to a flawed, inconsistent and incoherent story, badly developed screenplay and terrible direction. For example, the pretentious Collins is an awful character and why would the British police asks for help to such a jerk? If the spirits could help the living, why Carol has not stopped the serial-killer in the very beginning of his crimes? The identity of the serial-killer is a silly twist and the character in a terrible collection of clichés. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Mensagens do Além" (Messages From Beyond")

Through the entire film, except for maybe a few minutes here and there, all I could hear was the music. Not a soundtrack as such, but the same piano type tracks, that overlapped other scenes.

At some points, you could barely hear what the actors where saying, though in some cases, that may have been a blessing.

Basically, the pathologist's wife died in a crash a few months back, and there is a serial killer on the lose. There are quite a few well known faces in the film, but nothing to shake a stick at. The main cop played by Martin Kove was so annoying, I was praying he'd be the next victim. Then there are a few fight scenes, that the sound effects sound like they're punching a tin roof, or like those old-style martial art films, as in the sound.

Yes this film is one of the greatest pieces of suspenesfull movie-making being shown in cinemas for a long time now. I love the set up of a hospital pathologist getting messages form the dead that indicate to the police that he might well be the local serial killer.

And worse still, by the end of the film the pathologist ( Jeff Fahey) starts to believe these rumours and begins to believe that he could himself be the killer...Supporting actors of Marty Kove and Bruce bring strong supernatural element to the film, while Jon Morrey and Kim Thomson fight it out in some of the last scenes. Also some really Great strong Directing and suitably spooky and emotional score from Paul Turner,

A great psychological thriller with some really deep emotional drama

The denournment was most unpredictable....I enjoyed this one very and would strongly recommend it