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Dan Owen reviews
Columbia TriStar
- Cert: R
- Running time: 119 minutes
- Year: 2001
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 1, NTSC
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English, French
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
- Widescreen: 2.35:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 10
- Price: $21.95
- Extras: Music Video, Trailer
Director:
- Mark Pellington
Screenplay:
- Richard Hatem
Cast:
- John Klein: Richard Gere
Connie Mills: Laura Linney
Gordon Smallwood: Will Patton
Mary Klein: Debra Messing
Alexander Leek: Alan Bates
The Mothman Propheciesis a supernatural thriller based on true events, and is directed by relativenewcomer Mark Pellington – who previously helmed the undervaluedArlington Road.
Richard Gere finally gets to act in a more subversive genre than theromantic comedies we associate with him, to play John Klein – abusinessman whose wife (Debra Messing) tragically dies shortly aftersurviving a car accident. It’s after she passes away that John findsshe spent most of her final days drawing bizarre “moth-like” creaturesin a notebook.
Two years later, John is travelling across America on a business tripand finds himself strangely catapulted 400 miles across state in thespace of a few hours to the small town of Point Pleasant – where thelocals are increasingly suffering bizarre hallucinations of a’Mothman’…
Mark Pellington is definitely a talent to watch. He keeps the atmospheretense and suitably chilling throughout – offering peculiar camera-anglesand other directorial trickery to perfectly evoke the David Lynch styleThe Mothman Prophecies tries to emulate throughout.
The film’s premise is pure X-Files bunkum – which is a big problemwhen Pellington treats the subject as if it should create deepintellectual thought in the audience. The screenplay just doesn’t cutthe mustard beyond its basic conceit and a smattering of admittedlyspooky sequences.
The Mothman Prophecies is at its finest when the sinister Mothmanmythology is being explained – mixing the style of The X-Files, TwinPeaks and TV-show American Gothic very successfully. However, oncethe audience reach an understanding of the premise and begin to expectmore layers to emerge… The Mothman Prophecies fails to deliver.Quite simply, it becomes stale and predictable half-way through, andonly recaptures its flame with the stunt-filled climax.
Richard Gere courageously tries to push himself into the horror/suspencegenre, but falls flat on his face. He perfectly underplays the role, andbrings the necessary sense of puzzlement to the task, but he’s incapableof imbuing the character with anything other than one facial expression.
Laura Linney is better, although like Gere she’s desperately trying tocreate an interesting character where one doesn’t exist on the page.Linney and Gere work well together in this, but deserve a screenplaythat is more concerned with plot and creepy moments, than it is withcharacters and believable relationships.
Overall, this is an enjoyable, yet underwhelming, movie oddity. Thereare enough unnerving moments, and genuine chills to make it worthwhilefor horror/suspense fans, while thankfully the climax makes up for themid-movie drag “Mothman” sadly finds itself in. However, whilePellington directs proceedings as if this is an art-house David Lynchflick, the actors are playing things as a sombre version of a TwilightZone episode. There’s the rub. Fundamentally, this movie has a niceidea (though devoid of true originality) being beaten into the ground bya simplistic screenplay and consequently weak acting.
Still, Mark Pellington acquits himself very well indeed, and in years tocome this will hopefully be considered a minor blip on what could becomea very fruitful career. Meanwhile, Richard Gere should resumenegotiations for Pretty Woman 2…
The Mothman Prophecies flutters onto Region 1 DVD in an Amaray casewith one double-sided DVD. Yeah, I hate the double-sided disks as well!The menu screens are static, blurry images from the movie that are awasted opportunity given the visual possibilities based on Pellington’smovie.
The film is presented in both 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 4:3full-frame for non-widescreen TVs (hence the double-sided disk). Picturequality on both versions is very high, with only marginal grain visiblein a few scenes – and probably intended by the director. The darks arevery smooth, the bright colours vibrant and there are no distractingembellishments of any kind image-wise.
Sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and French) and is aquite pleasing audio mix. The film never really sets out to impress toomuch with sonic fury, but the understated score and occasionalsurround-sound highlights are neatly recreated for those with 5 speakersaround their room.
Sadly, the Extra Features here are few and tragically underwhelming.There is a music video directed by Mark Pellington entitled “HalfLight”, which is modestly engaging, and the intriguing theatricaltrailer. And that’s your lot. Rumours of a Special Edition are alreadysurfacing, but I can’t imagine they’d be anything worth hanging on for.
To conclude, The Mothman Prophecies delivers a great picture and goodsound, but falls drastically short in the Extra Features department.But, given the lukewarm movie, I doubt anyone will lose any sleep overit.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.