Gothika
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
By Erin Oke

I knew I was in trouble from the beginning of Gothika, when supposedly accomplished psychiatrists Miranda and Douglas Grey (Halle Berry and Charles S. Dutton) discuss patient Chloe (Penelope Cruz) in tremendously silly and earnest psycho-babble while caressing each other. And it was all downhill from there.

The movie's story centres on Miranda, who wakes up after a strange encounter on a rainy night in the very same psychiatric correctional facility where she works, only this time she's a patient. Apparently, she's killed her husband, though she has no recollection of the event and no possible motive for the act. Suddenly, she finds herself on the wrong side of mental health care, with everyone over-medicating her and no one to believe that she's not really crazy, but rather possessed by the raging spirit of some freaky-looking dead blonde chick.

All alone, Miranda has to figure out a way to distinguish between reality and fantasy, crazy and sane, and get to the bottom of her own behaviour, as well as the strange events that keep occurring around the institution. Rest assured, she learns some very valuable lessons along the way.

Gothika is Halle's show, through and through. She dominates every scene, with her varying hairstyles revealing how "crazy" she is at any given moment. Robert Downey Junior phones in his performance as her doctor, hopefully while looking around for a better project to attach himself to. Director Kassovitz (best known for his acting work as the object of Amelie's desire) uses the same scare over and over again, although he is at least good at not showing us too much, but rather revealing his images in flashes and fragments.

The real culprit here is the script, with its inane dialogue, unsatisfying outcome, awful climax and implausible denouement. (Warner)
Wonderland - Dir. by James Cox
Prediction number one: if Wonderland fails with the critics, the very least it will be is a cult classic. Prediction two: this film is going to change a lot of things for a lot of people. Three days before Independence Day in 1981, four people were brutally murdered at 8764 Wonderland Avenue ...Read More
9/11/01
Brother Bear - Dir. by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker
Crime Spree - Dir. by Brad Mirman
Elf - Dir. by Jon Favreau
Falling Angels - Dir. by Scott Smith
Haunted Mansion - Dir. by Robert Minkoff
Love Actually - Dir. by Richard Curtis
Love That Boy - Dir. by Andrea Dorfman
Madame Satã - Dir. by Karim Ainouz
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - Dir. by Peter Weir
My Life Without Me - Dir. by Isabel Coixet
Pieces of April - Dir. by Peter Hedges
Shake It All About - Dir. by Hella Joof
Sylvia - Dir. by Christine Jeffs
The Cat in the Hat - Dir. by Bo Welch
The Matrix Revolutions - Dir. by Larry and Andy Wachowski
The Singing Detective - Dir. by Keith Gordon
The Weather Underground - Dir. by Sam Green and Bill Siegel
Timeline - Dir. by Richard Donner
Tupac: Resurrection - Dir. by Lauren Lazin
Dallas and Travis Good
The centre of Blue Rodeo's universe is a non-descript building on the Danforth in Toronto, housing their management company Starfish Entertainment and their renowned Woodshed Recording Studio. If the band have any roommates at the Woodshed, then it's the Sadies.... Read More
Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields - It's Only Time
Whimsical curmudgeon Stephin Merritt is undeniably one of the most significant artists of the past 20 years. A clever wordsmith equally devoted to Human League and Cole Porter, Merritt's nascent musical explorations produced the lo-fi, synthesized sound of the Magnetic Fields. Even then, with his intellectual interest in diverse pop and folk instrumentation and the timeless art of charming, sentimental songs, glimmers of a contemporary pop genius shone through.... Read More
Dangers - Messy, Isn’t It?
Dangers' 2006 release, Anger, was a forthright blast of acrimony encapsulated in traditionally abrasive hardcore. However, where that formula worked just fine, the Southern Californians ― Graf Orlock/Ghostlimb guitarist Justin Smith and long-time colleagues Al Brown (vocals), Tim Culver... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the November 2003 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Points  •  Blab  •  Comics  •  Point of View  •  Questionnaire  •  Research  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  Pop Rocks  •  Concert Reviews  •  Pop Montreal Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  TIFF • Music School --> N/A • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues