Stir of Echoes (1999)
David Koepp
A Thriller That Stirs Some Unsettling Emotions
The lame preview does injustice to this truly entertaining thriller. Kevin Bacon delivers a stunning performance and although Kathryn's character was peripheral to the plot, she obviously can be relied on for competent acting. Among the cast, Illeana's stock character is disappointing, if not a bit annoying. Nevertheless, the movies works just like it is supposed to -- and it gave me a jolt once or twice, with the complementary bonus of bristling hairs on my back (not that I have any).
The plot (which is a so-so adaptation of what may be a more than very good novel) is not inspiring. Mixing bits and pieces of modern paranoia, Poe gimmicks, and good neighborly estrangement, it is familiar and superficial. Its real strength is not in the philosophical message (there is none) but in the total absence of moralizing (in other words, trivializing) that tends to be regrettably common in Hollywood these days. Tom, a simple but well-meaning (and afwully good-looking) husband is predictably incredulous of his sister-in-law's laughable attempts to ``open his mind'' to the putative other world beyond the physical senses. He submits himself to a test and, after being hypnotized, ends up experiencing bizarre visions that he (and the audience) does not understand. He begins a gradual descent into madness, at least that's what it looks like to the people around him. But there is method in his madness: the ghastly apparition that mutely asked for help in his living room is edging him on, on a quest to find the riddle whose solution the ghost wants. His wife Maggie is sort of afraid but is truly horrified by the realization that Tom is not really going mad but that she is getting left out of the supernatural world where he and his son share a language. As usual, the discovery of the riddle is immediately followed by the solution, which presents itself in the form of one penitent perpetrator and two murderous ones. And that's it... life is back to normal.
The express aim of this thriller is to thrill, and thrill it does. Although there is little it can claim in terms of originality, the film is well done, with excellent cinematography, sparse, but highly effective, special effects, and good pacing. The makers know how to startle an audience: everything is here, from the loud sudden noise, to unexpected shots; from unsettling parallels which hint at something horribly wrong, to straightforward disgust at some unpalatable scenes. There is almost no gore in the movie, except Kevin pulling out a tooth, a rape victim literally breaking off her nail, and an average mummy. The film packs a punch and has some really suspenseful moments, which bring up the score quite a bit. Although we can guess the ending about 20 mins. before the final curtain, it is not that irksome.
Overall, worth seeing on the big screen. 7 out of 10.
December 12, 1999. BLS