It
seems quite ironic to me that a studio would release a possession flick on the
same day as a re-release of The Exorcist. That's just motion picture suicide.
Well in there infinite wisdom, that's exactly what the makers of Lost Souls did.
After languishing around in a vault for nearly a year, this half-baked thriller
has finally seen the light of day.
In
Lost Souls, Winona Ryder plays a woman who, along with a team of exorcists, believe
that a psychoanalyst (Ben Chaplin) will be the host of Satan come his 33rd birthday.
Naturally, Chaplin doesn't believe in that sort of thing, but before too long,
a strange string of events change his beliefs.
Lost
Souls is the directorial debut of master cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. His
past skills are certainly apparent here, as the look of the picture is really
the only thing worth recommending. The plot seems disjointed and the screenplay
by Pierce Gardner and Betsy Stahl jumps from the unbelievable to the complete
absurd. The film even opens with an obvious verse from the bible. Gardner and
Stahl have taken a big cue from the terrifying Omen and The Exorcist. In fact,
in a strange way, this film could be a follow up to The Exorcist. It's almost
as if the Ryder character is Regan all grown up. Of course Lost Souls isn't nearly
as scary as The Exorcist because it is isn't grounded in reality nor does it deal
with themes of fate in a way that are as remotely interesting.
Ryder
doesn't seem comfortable here but she does manage to have some interesting chemistry
with Chaplin, who actually gives a decent performance in a truly plodding picture.
The film is also flooded with veteran talent like John Hurt, Philip Baker Hall,
and Alfre Woodard. None are given that much to do.
As
I stated before, I do love the look of this picture. It has a grainy texture reminiscent
of David Fincher's Seven. The cinematography is terrific as well. I also must
admit, I did jump out of my seat once or twice, but as a whole, this film doesn't
manage to scare. It's also quite calculated and becomes more predictable as it
moves along.
In
a year that has seen the awful Little Nicky and the insipid Bless the Child, Lost
Souls is just another thriller that can't add anything new to the genre, nor does
it really try to. Although better than last year's lame End of Days, Lost Souls
can't measure up to the likes of The Exorcist, The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, or even
The Devil's Advocate for that matter. Janusz Kaminski is a major talent, and next
time out, I hope he picks a better script
