THE HAUNTING **1/2 (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor and Owen Wilson Director-Jan DeBont Rated 14A Released July 1999 Dreamworks
If you've seen the trailer for The Haunting, then you've basically seen the movie. This remake of the 1963 Robert Wise classic is simply a showcase for horrific special effects, ghostly apparitions and floating demons that look more expensive than scary. The gorgeous production designs and sets do a rather efficient job of covering up the countless illogical plot holes that are found in David Self's brainless script. Or at least, to a certain point.
It sounded just peachy keen. A haunted house movie with a talented director and top-notch cast, in a season devoid of anything resembling it. The audience is expecting a scary thrill ride, what they will get is a wonderfully produced movie with a terrible execution.
Liam Neeson (in his second big summer outing, along with The Phantom Menace) is a paranormal psychologist named Dr. Marrow, who has gathered three patients who suffer from insomnia and invited them for a week at Hill House - a freaky gothic mansion with a frightening decor. He informs them that the purpose of this trip is to help them overcome their sleep disorders. Really, he is conducting an experiment about the dimensions of fear, and how it will affect certain individuals over prolonged periods of time. The house itself has an erratic past (but I won't get into the details).
The invited trio of guests are Theodora (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Eleanor (Lili Taylor) and Luke (Owen Wilson). All three suffer from insomnia, but for different reasons; Theo and Luke find their lives stressful and can't settle down at night, and Eleanor has had a troubled past that's been plaguing her for years. With these patients, Dr. Marrow wants to ignite their imaginations and study all the effects the mansion has on them. What the good doctor doesn't realize is that all the stories and folklore he's heard about Hill House may just be true, and the place could very well be haunted.
The spooky sets of The Haunting steal the movie with ease. The shoddy set-up is aided immensely by the interior designs of the mansion, as the characters explore them in awe. Production designer Eugenio Zanetti has outdone himself, making the film atmospheric and creepy with an ingenious array of statues and interior decorations. If only the script were so effective. While the surroundings manage to cover up some of the plot holes inconspicuously, many are left exposed. Major complaints that I had: Dr. Marrow's two assistants, who are present for one night until an accident occurs and they drive off to the hospital (never to be seen again, I might add). But worse: the fact that when they are gone and things become intense, the remaining foursome must `wait until morning' to leave, as the caretaker and his wife have gone home.
The Haunting expects too much from the viewer. We're supposed to accept the story even as it gets exceedingly ludicrous, and tests our patience with plot turns that seem remarkably stupid. In the last half hour, the film turns into a typical 90's special effects extravaganza, combining elements from Poltergeist and The Shining to create a freak show of shifting walls and floating ghosts that look like the Ghost of Christmas Future. This could be fun for some people, but most will find it quite ridiculous. Screams could in fact be muted by tiny giggles, the result of a once-creepy mood crossing over into unintentional amusement. The finale, though spectacular, is the least frightening aspect of The Haunting.
Taylor is the only actor that has some sort of an emotional impact. She struggles valiantly trying to keep her character's actions plausible, but they derail with the rest of the movie eventually (she says `but the children need me!' so often I felt rather ill). Neeson has never been so dull, but he's not to blame. Zeta-Jones and Wilson don't serve much of a purpose, besides cracking jokes and looking confused and/or scared with the goings-on around them. Many things could have been smoother, for instance: the first appearance of this creepy mansion could have been memorable, but instead we get the scraggly old caretaker (played by Bruce Dern) answering the gate and bickering sarcastically.
The Haunting is disappointing, but it has it's rewards. The marvelous score by Jerry Goldsmith, the special effects and sets - they are all tidbits of enjoyment in a movie that gets lost too easily in a sea of murkiness.
(C)1999, Jamey Hughton
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