| 
Preview by: Jack Foley
THE recycling of Japanese horror films by Hollywood shows no
sign of abating at the moment, given the lucrative box office
returns such remakes attract.
With Ring 2 on its way (featuring
the original Japanese director), another interesting prospect
looks to be Dark Water, which has been adapted from another of
Hideo Nakata's dark masterpieces.
The film stars Jennifer Connelly as Dahlia Williams, a woman
looking for a new start in life, following a disastrous marriage.
Devoted to raising her daughter, Ceci, Dahlia moves into a new
apartment, which quickly seems to take on a life of its own.
Soon, the new inhabitants find themselves being haunted by mysterious
noises, persistent leaks of dark water and a series of strange
occurrences that prompt imaginations to run into overdrive.
|
 |
And as Dahlia's sanity starts to
unravel, she must act quickly to find out who, or what, is orchestrating
the games.
Dark Water is the type of deeply unsettling psychological thriller
that Japanese filmmakers, such as Nakata, seem to revel in.
Given that its directed by the Brazilian, Walter Salles, fans
should have every reason to feel excited.
Salles, of course, is riding high off the acclaim of The
Motorcycle Diaries and his Hollywood horror debut is keenly
anticipated to say the least.
The support cast is also strong, with Connelly lining up alongside
the always-reliable John C Reilly, as well as Tim Roth, Dougray
Scott and Pete Postlethwaite.
And the trailer suggests that the eerie look and feel of the
original has been maintained and heightened with the help of a
larger budget.
Salles recently commented that he views the story as being about
'urban solitude' than anything else.
"It's about the inner demons that we carry with us,"
he adds.
If, like me, you like the sound of that, then keep youe eyes
peeled in August and make sure you bring a pair of wellies to
the multiplex!
|
