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People can be forgiven for avoiding a film which stars that master of the dark arts Richard Gere. This is the guy who has blanded his way through some of the worst filth this side of Gary Glitters hard drive. Remember the time he made IRA terrorists loveable rogues in The Jackal or the time he ruined the last few weeks of Winona Ryder's life in Autumn in New York. Well here he redeems himself - but not for Pretty Woman unfortunately.
'The Mothman Prophecies' is based on true events that occurred around an American small-town in West Virginia as some sort of harbinger of doom - referred to as the mothman - scares the shit out of the local townsfolk.. Gere's character is a reporter who is somehow connected to what is going on after his wife died in strange circumstances two years previous - and he is desperately trying to uncover what is going on with the help of cynical policewoman Laura Linney. I can hear all you Xphiles out there scratching your heads and thinking that maybe Mulder and Scully have been reincarnated - well you would be right. But that is not necessarily a bad thing - a rip-off maybe - but it makes for a good film.
Pellington, who directed the brilliantly paranoid 'Arlington Road' has made what is a genuinely creepy movie. He lets the ambiguous (and at times baffling) story line gracefully wind its way towards its inevitable conclusion while spending the rest of time completely freaking out the audience. Filmed with a grey tint - the movie almost exists solely in black, white and red - and with a whole host of odd camera ticks and disorientating blurred imagery and fade-ins Pellington creates a very unsettling canvas on which the story is told - you can never tell where the camera is going next and are never quite sure you are looking at what you think you are. Combined with a brilliant and unnerving soundtrack of break beats and random sounds, this is a work of genius which makes for scary viewing.
The story itself is reasonably scary - it makes you jump a few times and once or twice it made me feel quite spooked - rather like a good episode of the 'X-files'. Gere is convincing in his role and is believably as confused as the audience - he also has that slightly bland David Duchovny dry wit about his character. However the film never really transcends its initial 'what-the fuck-is-going-on' premise. It just keeps throwing in new weird shit until the end but without a feeling of anything really being explained properly - which I guess is sort of the point when it is based on true events.
If you like the 'X-Files' you will enjoy this film - it is possibly one of the creepiest movies I have ever seen and is a great addition to the new-wave of supernatural thrillers from Hollywood. At least now Richard Gere has made a film you can tell people you have watched and that you enjoyed. If you want to be truly scared though watch First Knight.
RATING: (c)Matt C 2002
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The Mothman Prophecies (Cinema: March 2001)
