My expectations must have been too high
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catbookss — 11 years ago(November 30, 2014 08:30 AM)
This was quite a let down for me as well. After seeing the high ratings and positive reviews, I decided to see it. It was decent at best, not good or great by any stretch of imagination. I like atmosphere and psychological thrillers over blood and gore, but this movie was quite dragging and slow. The woman in black wasn't scary at all.
This was my experience as well, although I'd read no reviews and knew nothing about The Scene. I saw it last night.
Warning, spoilers coming up next!
I loved the beginning, showing the main character at work and his employer telling him to go take care of the effects of their client. He did a good job of acting throughout, I thought. Loved the tender and lovely scenes between he and his wife and children, and later with the older couple and their dog.
The scene in the village with the little gypsy girl was excellent. Why was he the only one who came to help her? Why were the villagers so peculiar about it, particularly the man in the pub he spoke with later? They did a good job of making you think there had to be more to it than the villagers thinking of gypsies as some kind of human vermin. It was a good set-up.
I also liked that the children were able to see the woman in black, but no one else except the main character.
The Eel Marsh House setting was spectacular! I loved all the scenes that were shot there and to me it was the scariest parts of the movie. Having him momentarily lost in the mist, not knowing for certain which direction the house was in, an unseen carriage heading towards him, that was very effective. The interior set was also excellent. Loved the recording device scenes, the electricity generator running down, and he was very convincing in the child's room.
But, I didn't find the woman in black to be at all scary. Too much make-up, once we finally saw her face up close. I almost laughed when I saw and heard her appear over his bed, and all I could think when she appeared standing in the lake was I wouldn't have wanted to be that actor, standing on a tiny platform while they filmed it.
I also didn't find the premise convincing, that a woman who'd given up her child (and the child had died along with her) would have become so enraged that she'd want to kill other children after she'd died, so that was a disappointment.
But I did like the other aspects of it I mentioned, so I am glad I saw it. -
winterOfMyDiscontent — 14 years ago(March 11, 2012 09:06 PM)
A total waste of time for me. I found the movie essentially dull and forgettable. I wonder why it has caused such a positive effect on people, though. I don't know, I wasn't expecting incredible special effects, I was hoping to meet a suffocating atmosphere, a very dark story background instead, I found the script to be very shallow.
I'm sorry, I didn't even find it spooky. I found the scene in the bedroom before the fever quite unsuccessful causing me only to chuckle.
"My name is Alice, and I remember everything"