lingering for more from "Sleepy Hollow"

Rating: 8/10 (1 August 2007)

I think this is a strong dramatic movie that is worthy of much thought, that the collective efforts of actors & contributors behind the scene, have combined to produce into a quality movie.
It is suspenseful, & in that regard, it reminded me of a masterpiece over a decade before, that I chanced upon & that seemed to be unheralded by movie critics. "Jamaica Inn" was a quality production of British suspense & drama & with substance & thoughtful plot, resulted in a complete product that lingered! Till this one several years later! This too, is much admired. I thought enough of it to want it in my collection! The same eerie lingering possibilities. Much more popularist in style but very similar if not original, in substance.
The cast of the likes of Johnny Depp & Michael Gambon, are impressive in their roles, & appropriate to the evolving drama. But there are unanswered questions ... like why does the 'headless horseman' fail to claim the hero when he might have claimed him without mercy, while similarly claiming another victim? If not earlier, when hooves thunder in from a distance! This is still early on! But maybe it is the intention of the production team here, to present that good & evil are so delicately poised, in ongoing battle. Only the scales are shifted in favour of the good & the fair & the just, layered by circumstance & individual contribution.
But despite such flaws or perceived deficiencies, real or imagined, it is presented to the viewer as a quality piece that I felt intrigued enough to watch a second time, & enjoyed this experience much more so than the first.
So give way to your intrigue & let its suspense overtake you with each approaching hoof beat & shadow that may be threatening in the darkness from a distance. But maybe it a positive. Let its simplicity & investigation engulf you with drama & curiosity, that reveals much, with its child-like trance of delight, slowly unraveling.
It may not leave you fully satisfied, but you will be left lingering for more from "Sleepy Hollow".