Gothika (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: What the heck was thatika? A run-of-the-mill thriller.
Review: A stale-if-atmospheric psychothriller that doesn't even have the ambition to provide a red herring, "Gothika" could well prove to be the nightmare movie of Halle Berry's career: The Academy Award winner broke her arm during production; divorced her husband; the movie isn't any good; and neither is she in it. The American debut for French director Mathieu Kassovitz - he played the shy love interest in "Amelie" - "Gothika" is visually up-to-snuff (an intended pun that you'll understand if you see the movie) but loaded with the kind of boo material - ominous tattoos, torture, the stigmata - that lost its freshness the minute "The Silence of the Lambs" hit theaters. You would have figured Ralph Fiennes punctuated the body art motif with his turn in "Red Dragon." You figured wrong.

Berry is Dr. Miranda Grey, a state hospital shrink attempting the break the wall of a patient - played by Penelope Cruz with something I'd like to call "endearing menace"- while Miranda's administrator husband (Charles S. Dutton) administrates and a colleague (Robert Downey, Jr.) fawns after her in that creepy, insinuating way only Downey can. The quick, dirty setup leads to a dark stormy night where the main road is flooded over and Miranda is forced to traverse a bridge in middle of a forest. She encounters a young girl and wakes up the next morning, a patient in her very own hospital, accused of murdering her husband.

Since "Gothika" never brings any other murder suspects into the picture, the movie explores not who killed the Dutton character, but why the girl "influenced" Miranda to do it. Let it be said that the filmmakers conjure up a thoroughly hateful, cruel explanation for the murder that argues not only that one bad deed deserves another, but that two bad deeds an entertaining movie makes. "Gothika" is no longer than 90 minutes, and yet it's too long by half; there is so little meat to Sebastian Guitierrez's screenplay that Downey's repeated interrogations, and Cruz's rueful whisperings, exist only to stretch the movie to official feature length.

Berry, who can be very good ("Monster's Ball," "Losing Isaiah") or virtually transparent (the "X-Men" movies) plays Miranda as one long, freaked out, screaming mess - Berry's heart is in it, but her talent isn't. Cruz partakes in another bewildering, at-times-incomprehensible supporting role. Downey plays a good guy and makes him borderline insufferable.

And then there's Kassovitz, for whom I see a future as a director, even if the material is thin. He has horror tendencies - the prison of "Gothika" is murky, and the movie's "encounter" scene is handled well - mixed some basic clue of pacing; the movie drags, but not for Kassovitz's lack of effort.

Rating:
Summary: Well I liked it...
Review: Gothika may not be for everyone, but it is a good movie, and it is clear that the writers and director put a lot of effort into it. Halle Berry plays one of her best roles yet as Dr. Miranda Grey, who assumes a career at a mental hospital. On the way home from work, Grey encounters a strange girl standing in the middle of the road - and eventually winds up in the cell of the hospital she works at! Things turn from bad to worse when she learns that she has murdered her husband - and she is led on a wild goose chase to discover what really happened the night before, and what is the purpose of the strange images she is encountering. I don't really classify this as a horror movie, because I wasn't really scared at all when watching it - it's more of a dark sci-fi film, much like The Ring or The Others. I can't give Gothika 5 stars however, because it has little replay value. It's a refreshing experience, but is not to be seen too often. But if you're looking for a good rental, Gothika is perfect for you.

Rating:
Summary: Unsatisfying
Review: Gothika starts off well and seems to be establishing a truly unique story, then quickly spirals downhill into a boring and cliched ghost story. I was unfortunately expecting something great, especially with the incredible Halle Barry in the lead, but was utterly disappointed in the outcome. It's worth a watch, but ultimtately ends up as unmemorable and unsatisfying. The ending is especially ridiculous.

Rating:
Summary: A HALLE HORROR STORY
Review: Halle Berry dominates the screen when she's on it. And not just with her obvious beauty. But her presence is so 'BIG', you can't help but keep your eyes glued to the screen. Halle elevates GOTHIKA with a performance that is both subtly performed and wildly erratic at times. I did wonder if perhaps her character had gone insane. GOTHIKA is a moody, creepy and engrossing ghost story that pulls some weird twists and some real shocks. Berry is given excellent support by Robert Downey as her psychiatrist friend; John Carroll Lynch as the sheriff who was also her husband's best friend; Penelope Cruz as the tormented patient Chloe; and Charles Dutton as her doomed hubby. By the time the movie reaches it's climax, you'll slap yourself on the head and say, of course! But, at the same time, how does Halle get off the hook---the movie never explains and it's "sixth sense" ending is also a little disturbing, hence only the four stars. GOTHIKA is no where as bad as most critics have said; it's a good ghost story and a wonderful performance from Ms. Berry.

Rating:
Summary: HALLE HAS DONE IT ONCE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Halle berry has proved once more that she is an AMAZING actress in her role as Dr.Grey.This is one of Halle greatest films YOU GO HALLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!this film is just another reason Halle is my favorite actress

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Mystery
Review: I did not rush to view this movie, but I wish that I had because it was a good thriller. It stars Halle Berry, Charles Dutton, Robert Downy Jr. and Penelope Cruz. It kept me glued to the screen, which was a good thing because a potty or snack break will cause you to have to rewind/replay some footage. Quick flashes of little things will prove crucial toward the end of the movie...so you don't want to miss a single thing.

Berry plays Dr. Grey, who is a shrink that tends to patients at a women's prison facility. Dutton plays her husband and boss (the pairing of them as a married couple was a stretch of my imagination), Downy is a co-worker (you will sense some romantic attraction between them which will prove to be key and may help to confuse you on your attempt to predict part of the outcome) and Cruz is a patient that doesn't seem as crazy as the good doctor thinks, but has a sixth sense.(...) The thrilling ghostly moments and special effects will hold your attention as you try to figure out why Dr. Grey ended up here. Other ingredients that help the story bake are a murder, a sex crime and voices from beyond the grave seeking revenge and trying to save the life of a potential victim.

Berry provides a very electrified performance. Downy holds his own and so does Cruz. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Could have been so much better
Review: Some movies are misses not because they're necessarily bad, but because they end up being mediocre even if the people involved are talented and the story has it's moments. Gothika is one such movie.

Oscar winner Halle Berry plays Miranda, a psychologist working in a mental institution. One night, after a rough session with Chloe (Cruz), a difficult patient, she goes home only to find the road blocked. After being forced to take a different route, she crashes into a ditch after swerving her car trying not to hit a girl standin in the road.

When she wakes up, she's trapped in her own clinic as one of the patients, and being charged for the murder of her husband (Dutton).

Is she going crazy? Has she already lost her mind? Did she or didn't she kill her husband and why can't she remember? What follows is a series of discoveries that lead Miranda in a direction she never expected and the answer to the mystery of her madness.

However, the film does a poor job in creating true suspense. The whole movie is dimly lit and most of the scenes in the sanitarium have a blue tone, as if to reflect the depression and the fear, but because it is constantly that way, it ends up losing its effect.

The acting is simply awful. Berry should return her Oscar after this, and Robert Downey jr., as the friendly (or is he?) doctor gives a stiff performance. The acting was so bad that Penélope Cruz ends up being the best actor in the film. Go figure.

All in all, it's not a bad film, but it could have been so much better.

Two last comments: the film is superbly produced, which makes sense when you learn that this is another Dark Castle production. Dark Castle, for those of you not in the know, is Robert Zemeckis's and Joel Silver's company for suspense/mystery films, such as Ghost ship and Thir13en ghosts. Also, this film is directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, best known as Amelie's boyfriend Nino.