Today I’m test driving a possible new feature here at The Pagan & the Pen. As some of you know I do a Sunday feature where I interview author’s on my own blog because my main passion is writing, but I have another passion–movies. In particular I adore horror, fantasy, suspense…oh, hell I just love movies. 😀 My collection of movies is huge some dating back to the early 1960’s. I came up with the idea to review movies from that collection and this is my first review.
So, here goes nothing folks! 😉
POSSESSION
TRAILER HERE
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lee Pace, Michael Landes
I admit going into this movie with a bit of hesitation. After all, Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t on my Top 10 List of best actresses. Yes, I openly admit to being a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and their creator Joss Whedon, but Ms. Gellar wasn’t the one I watched Buffy for, actually, her character, although the star, annoyed me to no end. That’s a discussion for another day though. Possession caught my eye because of Lee Pace and William B. Davis’ names attached to it and the subject matter. Sadly, Davis aka The Cigarette Smoking Man of X-Files fame is in the movie all of maybe three minutes.
Possession is an American adaption of the 2002 Korean film Addicted. I haven’t seen the original film so I have no source of comparison, but I was pleasantly surprised. For a remake of an Asian film it was better than most and actually had me second-guessing myself at times.
Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays Jessica, an attorney in San Francisco, who is happily married to Ryan, an artist, played by the adorable Michael Landes. As the movie opens, they are celebrating their first wedding anniversary, but their life isn’t as perfect as you might think. The biggest problem, although Ryan doesn’t see it, is his brother Roman, played by the exquisitely delicious Lee Pace.
Roman is the complete opposite of Ryan, on the wrong side of the law, and the bad boy. We’re impressed with the idea early on that he lusts for his brother’s wife and that there is a possible history between Jess and her now brother-in-law. Lee Pace does a superb job of making Roman the type of character that sends your skin crawling along your bones. Having only seen Pace in one other thing (ABC’s Pushing Daisies) I was surprised how wicked he was capable of being.
After a freak traffic accident on the Golden Gate Bridge, Jess’ discovers her world collapsing, her husband and his brother both ending up on life support. One year after the accident, Roman wakes from his coma a changed man in more ways than one. The memories he has are not his own, but rather his brother’s. It appears that the soul of her husband has taken over the body of Roman his brother, who she despises, while his body lingers on the verge of physical death in the hospital. This sets off a chain of events that has Jessica believing either she’s losing her mind or that something sinister is going on.
Now although this isn’t the traditional version of a walk-in it definitely fits the bill. For those who are unfamiliar with the term a walk-in occurs when one soul leaves the body and another takes over. Those who believe in walk-ins claim that a deal, made on the other side between two souls, agrees once the first soul has accomplished what it wants to it agrees to walk away from the physical body and the second soul walks in.
As the truth unfolds, the writers tease the audience with subtle hints. For some viewers, especially those of us who’ve seen one too many suspense or horror movies the ending might not be that big of a surprise. It’s not as scary as it could have been and there’s a distinct lack of blood and gore, which I applaud. I have to give the writers credit though for trying their damnedest to keep you in suspense.
In my opinion, the story is solid, but the pacing is a bit slow. My biggest complaint and perhaps this is just me; I have a hard time believing Sarah Michelle Gellar as an attorney. Lee Pace though steals the movie with his portrayal of Roman a man, who is at first slime on toast, and then does a complete 360, to tug on our heartstrings.
Possession is one of those movies that are perfect for a rainy afternoon when you just want to curl up on the couch with a drink, bowl of popcorn, and under a favorite blanket. Surprisingly there is even a message about love that might surprise you. It’s well worth the rental fee and a lazy afternoon viewing.
Final Rating: 3/5 Fox Pups
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Rating System:
5 Fox Pups – Must See/Can’t Miss
4 Fox Pups – Excellent
3 Fox Pups – Good
2 Fox Pups – Passable
1 Fox Pups – Skip It