Great Plot, too Stylistic...

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2000)

I very much enjoyed the ending, and the plot as a whole. I had no problem whatsoever with the acting, I thought it was quite effective. My only problem was with the actual filmmaking. For Art Film lovers, or the more urbane yuppified folks out there, this movie's "atmosphere" is a dream come true. Low key earth tones throughout, yellow filters, use of shadows, (giving the movie a surreal sort of sepia look, along with slight blurring at the edges in daylight scenes), the red bits throughout, lots of use of camera angles and pretty Philadelphia scenery, in fact every element necessary to show a pretty picture with some strange undertones. Quite effective if you don't notice it. My problem is that I did. My husband and I had a discussion afterwards where he wondered why I couldn't just relax and enjoy the movie...my response was that I was shown that it was a movie far too often. In other words, I was constantly struck by the cinema photography and "clues" (red doorknob, etc.) too many times to completely lose myself in the plot. I'm sure that most people are far more relaxed about these things and that I am unnecessarily anal, but when I watch a movie I want to be lost completely in it, not looking at; "Gee, what a clever Director I am! Look at my subdued earth tones! Look at my yellow filters and shadows!". Hitchcock did it well, so you lost yourself in the plot, and in fact this Director gave a bow to Hitchcock in the spiral staircase scene. But Hitchcock was an old master, and this is a fresh young Director, so I would imagine that as he progresses, his movies will become masters as well. All in all I found it mildly enjoyable, with the plot being the best part. If it had been done with less pretentiousness, it would have been perfect.