runs just like a game

Rating: 6/10 (31 August 2006)

Rose has been having trouble with her daughter Sharon, who suffers from sleep walking. Each night this has been putting Sharon in more danger, with her constantly saying Silent Hill. In an attempt to help Sharon, Rose takes her daughter to this town Silent Hill. The town itself is a ghost town, laden with fog and never ending rain of ash. No one lives there, with good reasons, with a dark, benevolent force haunting the town.
Silent Hill walks a very fine line between film and its game roots. Screenwriter Roger Avary, has faithfully followed the source material, to bring a film squarely aimed at the fans. Just like the game there is an a constant accumulation of strange and awe gaspingly weird events and creatures, but there lacks an internal logic. Silent Hill runs just like a game, with a lot of things never making ultimate sense and lacking a central coherent plot. Conheriance may not ultimately be needed in a game, but it doesn't translate well. Avary seems to have aimed low for his skills, with great work for Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction and work on the stories for Pulp Fiction.
Even for its incoherence, there is this engaging element that just constantly keeps you fixated. Largely part of this is to the set design, art direction and special effects. The sets are so detailed; so much dirt, grit and grunge exceedingly evoke constant dread of forthcoming death. The hideous, deformed creatures are nicely freakish, ripped out of some demented nightmare. The rapid deterioration of buildings and rooms are mesmerising. The fantastic dark, ambient, electro soundtrack is perfectly used to the visuals.
The disappointing part of Silent Hill, it's not scary or very thrilling. Your pulse doesn't raise nor quicken, from so many missed opportunities to get the blood pumping. The mood might be eerie and creepy, but that's not enough for a film of this genre. The scares at least don't ride on a soundtrack turned onto eleven, yet it's ear piercing from every scream leaving Sharon's mouth. A heavy handedness also comes with revealing information. The time when all is revealed, it all goes clunk, from it's bluntness of giving all answers at once instead of bits to pick up along the way.
Paper thin accurately describes the acting. While the strongest link, Radha Mitchell is disappointing as Rose. Laurie Holden looks more like a dominatrix then a cop. Sean Bean is weak as chalk as Christopher. Deborah Kara Unger in unrecognizable as Dahlia, getting real dirty and one crazy hair style.
When you step back, not doesn't completely hold together, but it keeps your attention from wondering away.