January
is known as the month that studios dump the pictures that they have little faith
in. This fact only adds to the pleasure that is The Mothman Prophecies. Given
that silly chap-stick scene that seems fluent throughout the marketing campaign,
and the fact that the movie opened January 25th, The Mothman Prophecies had bomb
written all over it. The only thing is, someone forgot to tell director Mark Pellington
to see things through and actually make a bad movie which is now a bad video.
Based
on true events (how many are true actually remains a mystery), this taut thriller
features Richard Gere as a reporter trying to put his life together following
a tragic event. While on a road trip, he finds himself in Point Pleasant, a little
town where many residents have been seeing strange visions. Behind the visions
is the Mothman, a mysterious, little seen being that seems to enjoy driving people
crazy. This includes resident Will Patton and a local police officer played by
Laura Linney. Throughout the film, Gere must wrestle with his recent tragedy while
trying to come to terms with the strange goings-on in Point Pleasant.
Pellington
(who also made the vastly underrated Arlington Road) is an absolute master at
grabbing the audience. Although there are obvious holes in this film's plot, the
one time music video director (Pearl Jam's Jeremy) doesn't seem to care. This
movie plays like a really good X-Files episode, and while the movie has a David
Lynch feel about it, it has more in common with the work of M. Night Shylamanan
(The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable). Mr. Pellington isn't interested in easy shots.
It's obvious that he's made his cinematographer work overtime, and it makes the
film all the more exciting. The Mothman Prophecies is consistently gloomy, and
features an ominous sense of dread that is both chilling and effective.
Richard
Gere's performance is quite sporadic. At moments he seems real but then at other
times, he seems almost as clueless as the Point Pleasant townsfolk. I would have
cast someone else in the role, but then I've never been a big fan. I thought Linney
was terrific and subtle as the police officer, while Patton is solid as a man
trying to cope with strange visions. I also really liked Debra Messing's all too
brief turn as the woman of Gere's affection.
It
could be argued that The Mothman Prophecies is too nonsensical for it's own good.
In the tradition of any great X-Files episode, this movie opts to answer a question
with another question. Those hoping to see a lot of the Mothman himself, are in
for a letdown. I found the movie more frightening as a result. Sometimes less
is more, and this is such a case. In addition to being a film about the unexplained,
The Mothman Prophecies is also a video about redemption, and the grieving process.
And most importantly, it proves that there may be hope for the January movie season.
