|
The Awakening
| Released |
11 November 2011 |
| Director |
Nick Murphy |
Starring
|
Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton |
| Writer(s) |
Nick Murphy, Stephen Volk |
Producer(s)
|
Sarah Curtis, Julia Stannard, David M. Thompson |
| Origin |
United Kingdom |
| Running Time |
107 minutes |
| Genre |
Horror, thriller |
| Rating |
15A |
|
|
Schoolyard squirmishes.
When it comes to film genres, horror would be one of the more forgiving. Get it right and you’ve got a franchise on your hands, get it wrong and chances are you’ll still have a franchise. Most horror films sit happily within the walls of my narrow but accurate generalisation; The Awakening most definitely does not. It is a continued move away from the slasher and torture porn efforts we had grown accustomed to with the Saw and Hostel series, instead we’re treated to more physiological scares as opposed to the physical frights. The Hours or The Orphanage would be more akin to The Awakening's scare tactics, but in my opinion both are inferior efforts to Nick Murphy's first big screen feature. Murphy's film is beautifully shot, complimented with fine performances from its leads and with the exception of a slightly muddled ending, near flawless in its execution.
Set against the background of a dreary England still reeling from the effects of World War I, the film centres around our protagonist, Florence Cathart (Rebecca Hall), and her relentless quest to dispel 'hoaxers' claiming all things paranormal. To date she's had an unblemished record but as proceedings unfold we soon realise disproving may not be her primary motive. Nick Murphy's previous TV efforts have had an 'Edwardian' feel, an era he is extremely comfortable with and he plays to his strengths here, added with some BBC production. The Awakening could easily have been made in modern times but the 1920 setting not only enhances the films visual impact but also adds an eeriness that could never be conjured in present time.
Like his director, Dominic West established himself on television before making the move to feature length productions. West is a fine actor but to date hasn't done himself justice on the big screen with some poor role selections in some awful films (sadly a trait that still scuppers, case in point Johnny English Reborn). For me this is the first time he truly makes the transformation and hopefully is beginning to make the ascension to 'lead male' status. As West slowly tries to further establish himself, Rebecca Hall is an actress on the cusp of greatness. She's tremendous here and needed to be, as the story centres around her character and the films success really is at the mercy of her performance. Hall is a bona fide leading lady and I don't doubt that her performance here should garner her increased acclaim.
My only negative with The Awakening is in truth a positive. As with all good horror flicks we get the clichéd 'twist' at the end. The positive here is that it's not something easily predicted, the negative is that it does take excessive explaining. A minor gripe at best, in an effort to pick holds in Nick Murphy's solid debut. Ultimately at their simplest horror films are created to scare, with added dimensions being a bonus. The Awakening is a multilayered period piece that happens to be Hitchcockian in its execution.
- David Prendergast |
