DH reviews (spoiler alert)

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:30 am

So - it gears up to the first real reviews soon (audience and members) - so let this be the thread, where it can be discussed at length. Those, who don't want to know before they can see it - stay away

I think, if nothing else, it will be a visual fest and we will see some great acting from Daniel and Rachel, which is more, then we get out of many other films...

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:09 pm

Hoiw does he know? He is from Helsinki?

osulop Olli Sulopuisto
DREAM HOUSE (USA 2011): Daniel Craig was the only worthwhile thing in this.

calypso · Post by **calypso** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:07 pm

I got review back from man i talk to on the twitter @ismalishak who saw DH in malaysia yesterday

this all he said, i begged him for more:

'Hey u.. I gv d movie 2 stars. I believe the movie confused itself as psychothriller or a ghost story. The plot is also weak. Acting is fine.
Well, it I tell u d twist, I'm gonna spoil u d whole story. Go n watch it. U'll understand what I mean. :p'

ghost story?

Post by **Dunda** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:38 pm

calypso wrote:I got review back from man i talk to on the twitter @ismalishak who saw DH in malaysia yesterday

this all he said, i begged him for more:

'Hey u.. I gv d movie 2 stars. I believe the movie confused itself as psychothriller or a ghost story. The plot is also weak. Acting is fine.
Well, it I tell u d twist, I'm gonna spoil u d whole story. Go n watch it. U'll understand what I mean. :p'

ghost story?

The Sixth Sense and The Other have been kind of "ghost stories", too. So I'm not surprised it's something like this

Sylvia's girl · Post by **Sylvia's girl** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:09 pm

There are some advanced screenings on the 29th....a whole 1 day earlier

Maybelline · Post by **Maybelline** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:47 pm

First positive review!

Movie overall - 3,5 stars = Great

Story - 3 Stars
Directing - 3,5 Stars
Visuals - 3 Stars
Acting - 3,5 Stars

A Suspense Thriller for the Thinking Viewer

Editor and author Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quits a high power job in Manhattan to relocate with his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. However, as they settle into their new life, they discover that their house was the murder scene of a mother and her two children. Will tries to befriend his neighbour Ann Patterson (Naomi Watts) and find out from her what happened but she is not too eager to talk.

Meanwhile, Will's younger daughter starts seeing someone lurking outside the window at night. As Will pieces together the haunting puzzle, he must find out who murdered the family in his dream house before the culprit returns to kill again.

"Dream House" is not a suspense thriller that will jolt you with sudden loud music and cheap scares. Instead, it plays games with your mind, keeping you guessing about what's happening and making you sort out the plot yourself. Now, if you like your thrillers done this way, then go for it. If not, this one is going to be a nightmare...

Director Jim Sheridan's plot build-up is almost by-the-book and he makes no apology for it. The opening scenes show Will as a devoted father and loving husband. At first, his daughter's visions of a shadowy figure are dismissed quietly, but when Will gets physical evidence of someone lurking around, our curiosity heightens. Sheridan, who gave us "My Left Foot" and "In The Name of The Father", is not delivering this thriller to his audience in a platter. He just dishes out the cards and lets his audience sort them out - at least until the closing sequences.

At first, it feels rather weird to see beefcake Craig as a domesticated guy. However, there is a good chemistry between he and Weisz who also lends a loving and tender touch to the proceedings. The kids, played by Claire and Taylor Geare, are also convincing and adorable. It would have been great to see more of Naomi Watts but her supporting role is rather limited - and she acquits herself professionally. Fans of Rachel G. Fox, the Scarvo girl in TV's "Desperate Housewives", will find her in a cameo as Ann's daughter Chloe. All in all, a thriller for the thinking viewer.

http://www.movieweb.com/movie/dream-hou ... RkZOvfHv78

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:13 pm

Lets hope, lots of people wanna use their brains..

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:56 am

Sylvia's girl wrote:Oh Dear....1/5

Dream HOUSE (2011)

RATING: 1/5

From the outlook of DREAM HOUSE, two-time Oscar nominated director Jim Sheridan's (MY LEFT FOOT, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER) first foray into psychological thriller sounds like a refreshing throwback to the "suburban house-in-peril" subgenre popularized in the 1990s with a supernatural twist. What's more, the movie is boosted with an irresistibly dream cast: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts. So what's not to like? Unfortunately the end product in DREAM HOUSE turns out to be an unexpected train-wreck of a movie. Yes, it's pretty unbelievable especially given the caliber of good talents involved here.

At the beginning of the movie, it starts out with a steady but efficient pace where we first learn that successful editor Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) has finally quits his hectic job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz) and their two beautiful little daughters, Dee Dee and Trish (Claire Geare, Taylor Geare), to a quiet suburban home in New England town. At first, it's a perfect new chapter in their life living together in an equally perfect home. But it doesn't take long before they discover that their so-called "dream house" was once a heinous crime scene involving the murder of a mother and her children. The entire city knows about the incident, where the murder was orchestrated by the psychotic husband named Peter Ward. Apparently Peter Ward is still survived, and he is now lives at the halfway house somewhere nearby the city. Will proceeds on investigating the matter, but the local police refuse to help at all. Bit by bit, he finally discovers that the only lead comes from Ann Patterson (Naomi Watts), a neighbor who lives across their home, knows very well about the incident. Then there's the surprise twist midway throughout the movie that reveals the shocking truth involving Will Atenton. I have to say it's a good twist that really caught me in surprise, which makes the otherwise cliched-ridden movie a fascinating cinematic experience to watch for. Unfortunately, that is where Jim Sheridan and screenwriter David Loucka starts to lose control of their movie altogether. (No wonder it is reported that Sheridan was not pleased with the studio's decision for the final result. Both Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz expressed their dissatisfaction as well, which explained the numerous bad publicity surrounding the movie even before the theatrical release).

Whether this is a result of messy studio tinkering, it's no doubt that Jim Sheridan's usually reliable direction is terribly lackluster. He has little idea how to sustain the level of suspense for this kind of movie. Not only that, he appears to be clueless as well. How else can you explain the way he shoots his picture ruined mostly by unnecessary shaky-cam, irrelevant close ups and other surprisingly amateurish camerawork? Even the involvement of veteran cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (NATIONAL TREASURE, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST) is wasted here, with surprisingly drab cinematography which makes the movie duller than they already look. Only John Debney's score evokes the familiar nail-biting music we usually seen in this kind of movie.

The biggest fault of this movie is David Loucka's unnecessarily bloated screenplay. Right until the middle part of the movie, DREAM HOUSE is potential enough to interest the viewers with its fascinating twist. But Loucka doesn't develop the twist from there. Instead he botches everything up with more red herrings that subsequently makes the movie so confusing to understand. If that's not insulting enough, there's an unexpected twist in the final third-act that wraps up the actual going-on of the story. That particular third-act is a pure cop-out, which leaves you scratching your head in disbelief.

Cast-wise, both Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts are pale shadows of themselves with inconsistent acting all around.

DREAM HOUSE is a terrible mess, and a particularly embarrassing effort for all the talents involved

http://caseymoviemania.blogspot.com/201 ... -2011.html

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:11 am

I Thought as much, but this is the first report, that touches their acting. Guess, why they were at it, they had to critisize that, too.

Don't believe that for a minute.

Maybelline · Post by **Maybelline** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:42 pm

I understand what he wants to say BUT he admitted that he is biased in his opinion with the following sentence:

No wonder it is reported that Sheridan was not pleased with the studio's decision for the final result. Both Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz expressed their dissatisfaction as well, which explained the numerous bad publicity surrounding the movie even before the theatrical release

He had definitely not a open mind when he watched the movie and that allows him to bash it. I personally hate it when someone relies on a rumour (a source told cinema blend

) in a review. Rumours should be irrelevant for a judging of a movie.

I know we anticipated such bad reviews but the reviewer before from movieweb saw the same screening and he seems at least not to be prejudiced.

Post by **Dunda** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:49 pm

French review, translated with google

Review - Dream House, the thriller starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts
Dream House, distributed by Warner Bros. France, out October 5 at the cinema and we saw this thriller. Good or not? It lets you read more.

Atenton Will is a successful publisher who decides to leave his job in New York to live with his family in a small town.
But what Will does not yet know is that a terrible murder occurred in this house . A mother and her two daughters were murdered by their husbands.
And that's where everything takes a very different turn. The house is no longer the home of their dreams but transforms into the house of horrors. Will decides to investigate and try to sort out fact from fiction on what is said about the murders. And it is not the end of his surprises.

If you want to see the film, we strongly discourage you from watching the trailer. It will definitely mess up from 50 to 70% of the film because much of the plot is revealed. So it's no surprise we discovered the first bounce of the film, and one guesses easily end.

But if you do not know much about the film except perhaps the synopsis or the criticism, you'll really enjoy the film. For Dream House is a great thriller, one that takes you from beginning to end, one that offers many false leads, one that will surprise you, that you love in the end.

In addition, the film is not used a top cast that is frankly, a Daniel Craig is certainly better than Cowboys and Invaders, a Rachel Weisz always sublime, and Naomi Watts is certainly a little lacking, but still significant.

And when a good script found good actors, it's a good recipe to make a good film. The film managed to perfectly keep you going throughout its duration. And a few more bursts are certainly to be expected.

But do not believe that the film is a true perfection. Certainly there is a very good thriller, but we may regret some decisions scriptwriting especially towards the end, where, without trying too hard to tell you, Dream House makes a small burr no top to the supernatural.

But it is certainly the only real failure of the film and really does not spoil the story.

However, if you've seen the trailer, you'll be disappointed by the film, it loses much of its interest because the main twists will be known. And frankly it's a shame because we start with a preconceived idea of the film that reveals many true and if we push the reasoning a little more, we can easily imagine the outlines of the end of the film.

It's a shame to waste such potential, especially since even the movie posters and hang you spoilent the film.

While we have a very good movie to see.

source: http://www.lyricis.fr/cinema-serie-tv/c ... omi-watts/

caramel · Post by **caramel** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:04 pm

^ That sounds promising.
With so many people pointing out to the trailer giving away too much there has to be some truth to this.
I wonder why the studio decided to shoot themselves in the foot like this?

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:16 pm

caramel wrote:^ That sounds promising.
With so many people pointing out to the trailer giving away too much there has to be some truth to this.
I wonder why the studio decided to shoot themselves in the foot like this?

We have seen some questionable decisions by all sorts of people throughout following Daniels career (monk hair anybody?

) and what I find so

is, that these people are supposed to know their trade and still make so little sense sometimes. Its so often stuff, you could have easily avoided on top...

Still - 2 good out of 3 so far...

khenton · Post by **khenton** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:34 pm

No surprise to me. The studio thinks they have a bomb on their hands and acted accordingly.

Gg you forget these people are only human and bad judgement does not discriminate And who thinks monk hair was a mistake. Not moi.

K

Post by **Dunda** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:39 pm

Major spoiler!

Movie Review: Dream House

Okay. I know it's weird that this is only the first day of Vampire Week and I'm already digressing to other topics. I assure you that this is the one and only time this will happen. Besides, don't you all want to know about the movie Dream House starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz? I'm sure you do.

So I just came back from the premiere screening of Dream House. But what was different from this screening was that I managed to secure 4 premiere passes from both Nuffnang and Churp Churp. So I brought along my entire family to watch the premiere with me. It's quite historic because my mom has always wanted to attend a premiere screening and I (playing the role of an ingrate son) never bring her.

Dream House. What can I say about the movie? Well, I'll give you some background first. Dream House has one of the most misleading trailers and movie posters. EVER. Seriously, go watch the trailer and then see this poster. Everything about this movie screams 'horror' flick. From the words 'I Kill Them ALL!' written in blood to the two little girls holding their hands and blending into the freaking wallpaper. This is Ju-On territory and when I first saw Nuffnang promoting this on their page, I wasn't sure I wanted to tread it.

It's a good thing I grew some balls because I would never have known what I would have missed. Like I said, the promotion of this movie is grossly misleading. This is anything but a horror film. Sure it starts out like that but soon it becomes a psychological thriller which really gives your mind no rest. I was watching the movie and as the plot continued, I had even more questions. Why is this happening? Why is that happening? So many questions.

I'm not going to spoil the movie for you. This movie hinges on the surprise factor and I'll be really cruel if I were to take that away from you. Instead, let's focus on the characters. There's Daniel Craig or better known as James Bond. There's Rachel Weisz, of The Mummy fame. There's Naomi Watts, also known as King Kong's crush. The presence of these A-list stars should have alerted me to the fact that this movie is not the campy horror film I envisioned it to be. Daniel Craig pulls this movie along, as he uncovers secrets about himself and his new house and he is assisted immensely by Rachel Weisz as his wife. Their kids are super cute, especially the younger girl, who never fails to draw 'Awwww's from all the ladies in the cinema.

But this movie's most important point is its plot. It has more twists and turns than a regular maze. The second you think you've got everything figured out, something new hits you hard and makes you think again. It's essentially a thinking man's movie. Your mind is constantly thinking about why and how and 'what the hell just happened?!' I know because it did that to me. I love a movie which gives you a lot of loose-ended clues in the beginning and ties it all up beautifully in the end. Dream House is one such movie.

MAJOR SPOILER HERE (highlight the blank space below to view):

If you watched Shutter Island, this movie is a must not miss. It has a lot of elements which remind me of Shutter Island and it might be the same for you. Psychological thrillers are the best.

*End of Spoiler*

This movie is one of the best movies I have watched so far, not just in a premiere screening but through the year. And I can tell you, I watched a LOT of movies this year. Dream House is one of the year's better movies.
I give this movie 4.5/5. I would have given it a full mark but I cannot let myself entertain the notion that Daniel Craig can be beaten up and chloroformed and still wake up.

It's too Hollywood and it spoils a wonderful movie. Also, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz are hawt.

Cheerios!

source: http://leonhart90.blogspot.com/