I should start by saying that this isn't a bad film. It's worth watching simply to see this set of characters in action. But the list of problems starts early, and grows quickly.
David Lynch's influence is evident throughout the film. That works both for and against Jennifer, as she carries-on a few bad habits from her father. Surrealistic elements would have been appropriate in some places, but not where they're used here. Less telegraphing would have been a huge bonus. A little more time in the editing suite would have helped this film greatly. Acting-wise, if Pullman and Ormond had played their roles a little more "straight", that would have made the twist much more effective. Both the script and story fail the audience in the end. The audience is rooting for the "civilians" in this film, and to have them turn the tables somehow would have made this film much more satisfying, overall. The character of Stephanie was written very intelligently, and it would have been great to see her engineer the "unmasking" and possibly the villains' downfall.
There are things that work here, though. Pell James was actually wonderful in her role, and I hope to see more of her in the future. Ryan Simpkins may turn into the next Jodie Foster, and her abilities are on full display here.
The cinematography is solid, and the visual direction of the film is good. Where the direction fails is mostly in character-portrayal and in the handling of the story/script. If a little more effort had been put into these areas, this could have been a great film. As it is, it is an interesting piece of work, but there's not a lot to recommend about it.
David Lynch's influence is evident throughout the film. That works both for and against Jennifer, as she carries-on a few bad habits from her father. Surrealistic elements would have been appropriate in some places, but not where they're used here. Less telegraphing would have been a huge bonus. A little more time in the editing suite would have helped this film greatly. Acting-wise, if Pullman and Ormond had played their roles a little more "straight", that would have made the twist much more effective. Both the script and story fail the audience in the end. The audience is rooting for the "civilians" in this film, and to have them turn the tables somehow would have made this film much more satisfying, overall. The character of Stephanie was written very intelligently, and it would have been great to see her engineer the "unmasking" and possibly the villains' downfall.
There are things that work here, though. Pell James was actually wonderful in her role, and I hope to see more of her in the future. Ryan Simpkins may turn into the next Jodie Foster, and her abilities are on full display here.
The cinematography is solid, and the visual direction of the film is good. Where the direction fails is mostly in character-portrayal and in the handling of the story/script. If a little more effort had been put into these areas, this could have been a great film. As it is, it is an interesting piece of work, but there's not a lot to recommend about it.