Dark Water

The ever reliable Jennifer Connelly gives another very convincing performance in this atmospheric film. The supporting cast is perfect and believable. The direction is clever and well-paced, but not heavy-handed for this genre. The scriptwriters created terrific characters and believable plot twists in this very suspenseful and eerie film.

This is another well-adapted and even improved version of the original Japanese horror flick, but it isn't in the same vein as The Grudge although it is influenced by it. It is much more subdued and darker than that film and is more character driven. Some may not like this slower, more deliberately paced chiller, but that is what gives it momentum and suspense. I think it's very well-paced for the genre it falls into which is the traditional haunted house kind of film.

This film is worth owning, but not having seen the film in the theaters, I have no clue what was added to this "unrated" edition of the original PG-13 theatrical release. I can say that I found nothing objectionable in it as sometimes happens with these "unrated" releases. Less shocking and intense than other Asian horror imports or influenced films, but that made this a fun popcorn film for me and my family as there is no bloodshed, violence, sex, or nudity in this film.

-A very pretty woman splits from her husband and gets joint custody of her daughter. she moves into a dilapidated apartment that she plans on living in temporarily and for a while things seem to be going well but a leak that causes black water to seep into her bedroom causes problems for her. not to mention her daughter develops a friendship with an imaginary friend and after some haunting dreams and strange happenings around the apartment she finds out what's behind the black water realizes that she has to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to make everything right.

-The trailer and ads on TV made the movie out to seem like another idiotic PG-13 Japan horror remake and I can see why they did that because after all "The Grudge" blew up big time at the box office but the problem with that movie was that it sucked beyond belief which may have affected this movie too. this is more than just some silly idiotic wannabe scary movie, it's thoughtful, clever, well shot and acted and a great story on top of all that. If the studios had actually marketed the movie that way who knows then more people may have gone to see it but you can't really blame them for trying.

-I think people maybe initially disappointed with the movie because I know they'll probably expect a movie that has creepy long haired little girls that come out of TV's or whatever but that's not really what this movie is about. It does have moments of intense suspense but it never really gets scary or make you pee yourself a little. the movie never feels forced on contrive but just takes it's time and lets things unfold as it happens and really doesn't get creepy and disturbing till we've figured out all the pieces to the puzzle which is what Takashi Miike did with "Audition" and Roth did with "Hostel". This is one of the few movies in which I've actually seen the original as well as the remake and I like this one a bit more since the story is told a lot better here and isn't slightly confusing like it's Japanese counterpart. The one thing the Japanese version does do a lot better is with the music which was really unnerving in that one where as it's really quite in the remake

-I absolutely adore the little girl that plays Connolly's daughter in the movie, she so cute that you just feel like pinching her when you see her on the screen. her acting skills may not be the best in the world because I believe that the little girl that played Alessa's dark side in "Silent Hill" is the best child actor of all time but she is still adorable and I hope that someday when I have a kid they turn out that sweet. Much like Sarah Polley, Radha Mitchell, Miranda Otto and Eva Green, Jennifer Connolly is one of those women that I'll forever be biased towards when it comes to their movies. I don't care how crappy the movie that they're in is I'll still manage to find something about it that I like. I know I'm not the only person on the planet that has that biased since a lot of people love to throw perfect 10's at movies featuring their favorite actors or favorite directors. She is all right in the movie but the story really doesn't call on her to do much than be a mother and she does that pretty well. She doesn't have a single moment in the movie in which she'll make anyone realize why so many of us think she's such a great actress but she is pretty good in it.

-John C. Reilly has a small role in the movie as the man that owns the apartment and his character is a regular person. he's pretty much what you see is what you get because there is no deep nuisance or twist involving his character what so ever. he's just a man trying to make it in the world. the only character that has any amount of great mystery to him is the man that's suppose to be the janitor or something. I can't remember the name of the actor but there is a pretty nice twist involving his character and why he always seems so aloof.

-It may be a Japanese remake but it's not as stupid or as annoying as "The Grudge" and I hope more people give it a chance because it's really something special.

DARK WATER concerns a young woman named Dahlia Williams (Jennifer Connelly) who is going through a messy custody battle with her husband over their daughter, Cecelia. With little money on hand, they move into the creepiest apartment building they can afford on Roosevelt Island in New York. It is a dank, depressing place, but they don't have much choice. At least the school nearby is highly regarded.

Before long, they begin to experience plumbing problems, presumably from the apartment above them. Evil-looking stains appear on the ceiling and grow. Dahlia can't make any headway with the evasive landlord or maintenance man. Then there's the mysterious whispering, and her daughter has seemingly made an imaginary friend - who tells her things about her mother that she couldn't possibly know.

DARK WATER, like THE RING, is a remake of a Japanese film by Hideo Nakata and based on a story by Koji Suzuki. Unlike THE RING or THE GRUDGE, the other big horror import of the last few years, this version fails to improve on or even equal the quality or effectiveness of the original film. The story hasn't changed, but all the frightening or even creepy moments I remember from Nakata's film are absent. There is no build-up or tension. This film is - sorry - severely watered down.

Moreover, audiences unaware that this is a remake of a film from 2002 are likely to find it too similar to THE RING TWO (which was also directed by Nakata, but which was not a remake of the Japanese RING 2) and think it derivative, when in fact it's the other way around.

If I hadn't seen the Japanese original, I'd probably have a much higher opinion of this one. The performances are great. It's an okay movie, as it stands, but much was lost in the translation.

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