The Watcher

Nothing anywhere near perfect, or even super logical, but I still enjoyed watching 'Looking Glass'.

It builds up the tension and darkness well, with the ghost town feel to everything. The cinematography, particularly the lighting, is rather nice. The premise and its execution, while intriguing, does have problems, but the two leads are fun to watch.

Nicolas Cage (Ray) and Robin Tunney (Maggie) make for a good pairing, both give satisfactory performances. Marc Blucas is, I thought anyway, pretty decent in his role as Howard; though the writing does let his character down. Other negatives for the film include the average music and crappy opening credits.

Overall though, I felt suitably entertained by this.

There are few actors who alternate between commercial and personal projects- that "one for me, one for them" concept- more than Nicolas Cage. For every interesting, quality film he makes, like Michael Sarnoski's 'Pig,' there are ten others, lacking artistic merit or entertainment value. Forgettable actions films, like Dimitri Logothetis' 'Jiu Jitsu,' or mediocre melodramas like Maria Pulera's 'Between Worlds' litter Cage's filmography, outweighing the genuinely good films he stars in. However, even in the worst of his movies- those clearly made just for the paycheque- Cage is usually interesting to watch, and, more often than not, highly entertaining.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with Tim Hunter's overwhelmingly dull 'Looking Glass.' The film follows Ray and Maggie, a married couple suffering from the loss of their daughter. They purchase a motel in an isolated town in Arizona. One day, Ray discovers a secret underground hallway, leading to a two-way mirror, allowing him to see into one of the motel rooms and spy on the guests. As Ray becomes obsessed with voyeurism, sinister events unfold, as he becomes embroiled in a seedy plot that he and Maggie may not survive.

It is a cliched picture, a David Lynch rip-off that lacks the suspense and surrealness of his work. Written by Jerry Rapp and Matthew Wilder, the narrative is predictable and unengaging. The film moves at a pace that would irritate a snail, and the underwritten characters lack depth. Moreover, the dialogue is stilted, the characters acting like robots; disconnected from the reality of their situation.

Ray and Maggie are plunged into a dark underworld of sadomasochism and violence, and do not react to it like real people would, pottering around in the motel, disassociated and confused. The supporting characters are one-note cliches, and the identity of the villain of the piece is evident from the moment they appear on screen. It is a shame it is so mundane and quotidian, as the concept of a motel owner becoming a voyeur- mirroring the real-life case of Gerald Foos, who reconstructed his motel to allow him to spy on his guests- could make a great film.

However, director of photography Patrick Cady effectively generates a Lynchian atmosphere of murky danger. The low-lighting, combined with Cristopher R. DeMuri's ominous production design, creates tension and a headily menacing mood. Additionally, the score- from Mark Adler, Kristin Gundred and Andrew Benjamin Miller- signifies doom.

Unfortunately, the visuals and score don't elevate the picture out of mundanity. Despite scenes of S&M, brawling and murders, the film isn't in any way suspenseful or engaging, and the cast do unimpressive work. Cage underplays the role of Ray, trying to give a subtle performance, but overdoes it. He is criminally boring, moping about the motel, looking like a lethargic, bespectacled rabbit caught in the headlights. Robin Tunney is given nothing to do as Maggie; her talents are completely wasted, and she fades into the background. Marc Blucas, as the local Sherrif, does the strongest work, though his character is woefully one-dimensional.

While it's interesting how Nicolas Cage alternates between diverse projects- and while some miss the mark- his performances are generally intriguing. Unfortunately, this can't be said for his work in 'Looking Glass'. Although the visuals and score are atmospheric, the narrative is formulaic, the dialogue is mannered and the characters- as well as the situation they're in- are unbelievable. Sadly, 'Looking Glass' is not worth a glance.

I have to say that I don't think it was as bad as some of the other reviews say, I kept watching it till the end. However, it wasn't a movie I'd say "Hey, go out and see Looking Glass!" to someone. It is a slow movie that's definitely missing a lot of explanations, along with many plot themes that are plain unrealistic and things don't really add up at times. Many actions are unnecessary and make you wonder why they even threw them into the movie at all. Like I said, the movie wasn't great but it wasn't a complete waste of time, it was free and I was bored so it gave me something to do. If you just want something to occupy your time and it's free, check it out.

Don't believe the "worst movie ever" reviewers (hey.... there can't be many worst movies ever anyway right)

This is a pretty entertaining thriller like they made lots in the 90s.

Yes, a bit pulpy, but there's nothing wrong with that.

And indeed (as some worst movie ever reviewers note) it doesn't have a typical storyline or cliché finale and closure.

But why should every movie follow that boring pattern?

So if you're up for something a bit different yet still in a pulpy thriller entertainment mode you can't go wrong with Looking Glass.

Why did they release this film? Despite Nicholas Cage being in it,the movie is blatantly incomplete.Its a turd. I was disturbed by the creepiness of the film but there were no explanations,no closure,not even a climactic revealing scene. When I saw it say "the end" i was confused.Did someone pull a hoax and release this movie incomplete? NOTHING is explained...i get it-some things are mystery and should be but wtf...this movie is one giant plothole.Its not worth watching unless you don't mind plotholes and well.lack of a plot...the biggest mystery is why this film was released.I've NEVER seen a movie with so many plotholes,misleading scenes seemingly deliberate..only to end abruptly as if the makers ran out of time.