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Hide and Seek By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Hide and Seek" (20th Century Fox) is a stale psychological unthriller that should have stayed hidden. Directed by Aussie filmmaker John Polson, the schlocky frightfest bores more than it scores on the goose-bumps meter. Robert De Niro stars as David Callaway, a New York psychologist who relocates to the country with his young daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), after his wife (Amy Irving) kills herself, reasoning that a fresh start will be therapeutic for Emily, traumatized by her mother's suicide. Their new home is located in a secluded woodsy community conveniently emptied of much of its population by the off-season exodus. Once in the boondocks, Emily develops a "friendship" with an imaginary playmate named "Charlie." Initially, David thinks it is part of the normal psychological healing process, a harmless way of expressing unresolved emotions. But strange things start to happen. Jammed windows mysteriously open, Emily's drawings become increasingly macabre and the family cat winds up a drain-stopper. Before long, David begins to read the ominous writing on the wall -- literally -- and questions whether Charlie is make-believe or something more malevolent. He must also contend with the town's neighborly but slightly creepy locals including a shifty-eyed sheriff (Dylan Baker), rodentlike realtor (David Chandler) and a covetous next-door couple (Melissa Leo and Robert John Burke) mourning the recent loss of their own child. Rounding out the cast are Elisabeth Shue as a divorcee who befriends David, much to Emily's -- and the unseen Charlie's -- dismay, and Famke Janssen as a former student turned colleague of David. Pirating plot elements from movies like "The Shining," "Angel Heart" and most brazenly "Psycho" (a shower curtain and butcher's knife both come into play), the cliche-ridden script lacks any real suspense, let alone the faintest semblance of logic. What it does have is more red herrings than your local fish market and a ridiculous twist ending which elicits more snickers than surprise. What little does work is a credit to Fanning, who carries the movie on her tiny shoulders -- or, more accurately, in her hauntingly hypnotic eyes, which lend the plot more story credibility than it deserves. As for De Niro, while it is interesting to see the intimidation tables turned and watch him squirm for a change, one can only wonder if he actually read the script before signing on. Polson exhibits relative restraint in regard to the violence; most (though not all) is suggested rather than shown. However, the movie does contain disturbing images, among them, a distressingly explicit scene involving Emily watching from the doorway as her father discovers her mother, wrists slit, lying dead in a blood-soaked bathtub (which alone justifies the film's R rating). Late in the game, a terrified Emily cries, "I don't want to play with Charlie anymore," and by that point neither will viewers. The film contains recurring violence, including a graphic suicide and several murders, as well as intense scenes of menace involving a minor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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