The Resident

No matter how derivitive and unoriginal a film sometimes might be, you can still, against your better nature find yourself getting kinda swept up with it. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing in this film that is memorable or truly original, but for what the film does, it does it well. Following on from the likes of "Single White Female" and particularly "Pacific Heights", "The Resident" is a film about a dangerous obsession of another. Here it is Hilary Swanks Doctor who falls victim to her new landlord, the unnervingly sweet, but shy Max, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Simply put, the film prays on the trust we sometimes give to others without ever fully knowing who they are. Max seems nice, but anyone watching within the first ten minutes will tell you that all is not what it seems. There is a system of peep holes Max watches Juliet unbeknownst to her. Even when Juliet leaves her apartment, Max does some very wrong things in her bath tub. His dangerous obsession grows ever more violent and intrusive. Of course facades soon fall and we discover Max's true psychotic nature all too late. Generic, very much so, but the film features typically solid performances from its two leads. The handsome and naturally charasmatic Dean Morgan playing a loner psycho was initially something I thought was going to fail to convince, but he managed to convert me very early into the film. This the second film in Hammers newly renewed production company after "Let Me In". So far both films have delivered on what they set out to do and hopefully promises more interesting horror from them in the future. Nice also, to see the face of Hammer, Christopher Lee back again, here playing Max's grandfather. It is only Lee Pace who is unfairly wasted here. Playing Swanks ex-boyfriend he is given next to nothing to do and as anyone who has seen the visually stunning "The Fall" will know, he is far better than seen here. Other nice additions are that it's shot by Guillermo Del Toros regular cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro. The film looks gorgeous as is typical of his work. John Ottman also more than ably scores the film in keeping with the high standard of his previous soundtracks. In the end, these aren't huge things, but go some way in adding to my enjoyment of the film. Everything about this film is predictable, but it handles its cliche ridden conventions well, and is done with style. It could be seen as the equivalent of junk food; it's not good for you and you feel terrible when it's done, but was fun while it lasted.

Verdict: 5/10

Cliches and predictability stalk this film at every turn, but it handles its conventions well and does it to the best of its ability. Completely unmemorable, but slightly effective nontheless.

"The Resident" Trailer

Conviction

Real life stories by their very nature, face an uphill struggle with just how invested audiences are going to be with the tale. Most of the time, we all know how these types of films are going to end up. Recent examples like "127 Hours" offered us existential questions not only about our protagonist, but also our own lives to side step this problem. "The King's Speech" offered a delectably told story about the friendship between two very different men under the heavy shadow of World War II. They also had endings that anyone with access to a library or computer could discover very easily. It was about how they told their stories rather than the outcome. Simply put, with films such as these, it's the journey that counts, not the destination. Shame then that "Conviction" falls into the narrative trap. If we all know how the film is going to turn out, then why should we spend two hours getting there? To be fair the true life story "Conviction" is based on is extraordinary in itself. It was simply begging to be turned into film material. If this is going to be the case then, it must offer the audience more substantial meat to chew on. Unfortunately for"Conviction" it very easily finds itself falling into 'TV movie-of-the-week' territory.

In 1983, smalltown trouble maker Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) was wrongfully convicted of the murder of elderly woman Katharina Brow. Kenny had no where to turn for help. With a corrupt officer out to get him, no money to defend himself in court and a history of volatile behaviour, he was sent to prison for life. His loving sister Betty Anne (Hilary Swank), seemingly the only one left fighting for his innocence then took it upon herself to defend her brother. Over the course of twenty or so years, Betty put herself through school and college to earn her GED, her bachelors, her masters and eventually her degree from law school. Her support and duty to her brother was stunning, but even after straining every relationship in her life to achieve this, she still had to find the evidence in order to prove her brothers innocence. As the siblings our two leads are unfaltering. Swank shows unreserved courage and dignity in her determination at setting her brother right, when everyone else has turned against him. Her vulnerability is touching at times, especially in a later scene asking her two sons would they do the same for each other. The real Betty Anne of course did something many of us would have to think long and hard before ever undertaking. With so much going against her, her almost entirely unwavering obligation to her brother is very inspiring and Swank conveys this very well. As Kenny the never less than reliable Rockwell delivers another nuanced performance, as is typical of him. His range knows no bounds, and with any role he finds himself perfectly at home there. I am an unashamed fan of his and would gladly watch any film featuring just him and him alone, as the classic in the making "Moon" ably demonstrated a few short years ago. The supporting cast also add nice touches to the film. Driver who I have not seen in anything for quite some time brings an understated and much needed dose of humour and spark to proceedings. Melissa Leo, carving out a very respectable career for herself as a reliable character actor, again delivers as the officer with a grudge to Rockwells character. However out of them all, it is surprisingly Juliette Lewis who impresses most as the woman who may or may not hold the key to Kennys innocence. In just two short scenes she leaves a lasting impression on proceedings and easily walks away with them.

Yet again, the main problem however falls mainly down to the director and script writer. Director Tony Goldwyn, who some might recognise as a very decent character actor in his own right, unfortunately does not grasp the material as immediately as he should. Events carry a flatness and never really shoulder the dramatic weight that they should. Worse still, the script only accentuates these problems. The real life story, being as strong as it is thankfully keeps proceedings on the rails, but it never seems willing to delve further into the darker implications a life wasted and a life given can have. Worse still, a very tragic and shocking accident that happened six months after the film ends is completely excised and not once mentioned in order to achieve a happy ending. Surely with the films many shifts in chronology such an important fact could have been worked into proceedings. I won't spoil what it is here, but the fact that it might render a 'what was that all for?' reaction in the audience might count as a reason but surely a better handling of the material could have found a way to make it work.

Verdict: 58%

Two leads impress as always and the real life story the film is based on is far too incredible and dramatic in its own right to ever render the film fully 'boring'. But the lack of focus on characters as opposed to plot ends up conveying the same reaction you could get from reading an article about Betty Anne and Kenny, and in far less time. Nice but insubstantial TV movie fodder.

"Conviction" Trailer