A Diamond in the Rough

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2006)

I had been looking forward to seeing what they did with this movie since I first found it listed on IMDb about a year ago. I am a huge fan of the games, but otherwise not much of a gamer. My main love is movies. And by that I mean GOOD movies, not Saw or Devil's Rejects. When I watch a movie it better have an engaging story line (or at least have that magic touch of comedy, a la Evil Dead 2), and Silent Hill certainly delivers. While the plot line of the games is rather confusing, and often gives one the feeling that the game designers didn't even know what was going on (at least for the first two), the story for the movie is comparatively simple.
As far as that goes, it's difficult to say if that's good or bad. I enjoyed the mind-bending complexities of the game, though I understand the need to bring it down to a level where non-gamers can follow. I greatly appreciated the way in which the filmmakers detailed the parallel world nature of Silent Hill, even included the "real world" Silent Hill that was never shown in the games. This more than anything unlocks the potential of the storyline.
I must admit that I am not certain where they intend to go with the story, given the changes they made from the game (most notably the nature of the cult and of Dahlia). I am curious though.
Anyway, I have now seen the movie twice. The first time, I went looking for similarities to the games and answers to the questions the games brought up. The movie DOES NOT answer many of these questions, but brings to light it's own ideas of the mythology. The second time, I went to see it as a movie independent of the games, and actually enjoyed it better on its own merit.
So do not go expecting a video game movie, do not go expecting a horror movie, and do not go expecting a psychological thriller. Silent Hill has more in common with the more disturbing scenes of The Exorcist than with any of these. And as an added bonus, the town itself has a distinct personality, and is as possessed as Linda Blair's famous character.
The visuals are nothing less than amazing, with certain angles reminiscent of the foundry at Isengard from Fellowship of the RIng. The comparison doesn't stop there. The makeup effects for the creatures reaches the same level of imagination as those used in the Lord of the Rings, especially when comparing the "patient demons" to the snotty orc birthing grounds.
The sound effects are perhaps the most overlooked achievements of this film. The siren used to warn of danger fills the theater, even rattling the seats. The final seen is both a must see and must hear. The sound effects are as punishing and intense as the visuals that accompany them.
As for the acting, however, that leaves something to be desired. Don't get me wrong, it's a vast improvement over the acting in the games, and the performances by Alice Krige and Deborah Kara Unger are very convincing. The performance by Jodelle Ferland is astounding and very creepy, not to mention diverse (you'll understand when you see the movie).
My only real concerns are the weak performances (or just weakly developed characters) by Radha Mitchell, Laurie Holden, and Sean Bean (surprisingly). It is because these faults are so obvious that my rating is weighed as it is. However, those who go looking for subtle gems will find them in abundance. Silent Hill takes a hold and will not let go.