Paul Kydd
Available on Blu-ray Disc (Region B)USA 2009 English (Colour); Horror/Thriller/Drama (Anchor Bay/Lleju/Plum/Constellation); 103 minutes (15 certificate)Crew includes: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo (Director); Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, Paul Vosloo, Jakub Korolczuk (Screenwriters); Brad Michael Gilbert, William O. Perkins III, Celine Rattray (Producers); Cooper Richey, Pamela Hirsch, Galt Niederhoffer, Catherine Kellner, Edwin L. Marshall, James Swisher (Executive Producers); Anastas Michos (Cinematographer); Ford Wheeler (Production Designer); Niven Howie (Editor); Paul Haslinger (Composer)Cast includes: Christina Ricci (Anna Taylor), Liam Neeson (Eliot Deacon), Justin Long (Paul Coleman), Chandler Canterbury (Jack), Celia Weston (Beatrice Taylor), Josh Charles (Tom Peterson), Shuler Hensley (Vincent Miller)"How can you save yourself if you're already dead?"A discontented schoolteacher (Ricci) wakes up immobile following a serious car accident, to be told by the solemn undertaker who is preparing her body (Neeson) that she is dead and is being helped to cross over to the afterlife, but her grieving boyfriend (Long) will not accept her death and confronts the mortician.Beautifully shot supernatural horror, with a striking prominence of the colour red (Ricci spends much of the movie in just a red slip, or naked), with Neeson bringing an ethereal gravitas to his role of the respectable and (apparently) kindly funeral director - or is he a serial killer?Subtle clues and an ambiguous ending enhance the mystery.Blu-ray Extras: Commentary, Featurette, Trailer. *** (6/10)
lvette
I know that horror films are supposed to be realistic, but even this film takes WAY too many liberties that don't fit in. Somewhere along the line, the rules, once in place, no matter how insane, must be followed. Too many contradictions...1 star out of 10.OK, so now I have to write five more lines. Christina Ricci is hot and sexy as usual. Not shy in front of the camera! And those incredible eyes! Liam Neeson plays his role well. Came away feeling that this could have been excellent with a few minor changes. Rent this on DVD/Blu-Ray, grab a six pack and a pizza, see it for the campy, grade B movie that it is, and it's not too bad.
aceellaway2010
I watched this in a kind of morbid sense of dread way. I have always found the notion of how the professionals handle and deal with the dead very upsetting. The idea of someone stripping and handling and generally disposing of a body and all the associated indignities truly repulses me. I found the nudity of Christina Ricci a little exploitative it could have been more balanced with the character of Justin Long being similarly exposed. Also I found some of the lines that the young boy is involved with a little distasteful. I don't really think it will do a lot for that young child to have to deal with the grim and harsh realities of death so graphically. I was always a little concerned with the plots of "two and a half men" and the ugly sleazy aspects that the youngster had to deal with, and now as an adult he has discussed that it did have a detrimental affect on him. The film in it's way is fascinating, but not for the faint hearted or overly sensitive.
