This
psychological thriller from director Jon Turtletaub has some powerful moments
and beautiful imagery; but the film lacks focus and becomes much too manipulative
to work as a whole.
Anthony
Hopkins plays a doctor incarcerated for murder after disappearing in the jungle
for two years. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the energetic up-and-coming psychiatrist
trying to reach him. Instinct has moments that echo Gorillas In The Mist, One
Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and The Shawshank Redemption; however, it never manages
to reach the pure emotional power of those films because of the lack of focus.
Hopkins,
once again, is an acting force to be reckoned with--doing an excellent job being
scary, sympathetic, and hard headed all at once. Gooding Jr. does a decent job
here, even though there isn't much to his character and, at times, he can be a
little too energetic. Surprisingly, the film's best moments are the flashbacks
depicting Hopkins' bonding with a family of gorillas, forcing him to realize how
careless he's been in his civilized life. However, the film's best attributes
are Danny Elfman's spectacular score and Stan Winston's makeup effects.
Instinct
certainly isn't a bad film and with all its flaws, I still enjoyed it more than
the highly-touted Notting Hill. But, chances are, I probably won't remember it
by the end of the year.
