Dark Water (2005)

Dahlia and Kyle are separating; and its an ugly one. Dahlia keeps accusing Kyle of an affair, though he pleas innocence. Dahlia has priority custody of their daughter Ceci. Dahlia and Ceci move to a new area of the city, into a an apartment block; but its very decrepit and it a cut and copy building, all the rooms look the same. Not helping with the new arising situation is the weather, its constantly raining and there are leaks sprouting everywhere in the building. A water mark has appeared in the ceiling of Dahlia's and Ceci's room, and it slowly becomes bigger. The room upstairs is currently vacant, but there is water running and someone is walking around the room. When starting at her new school, Ceci creates an imaginary friend, but is it a friend or something more.

Dark water is a remake of the Japanese version Honogurai mizu no soko kara, in the every growing remake of Japanese horror remakes. The mood is dark and foreboding, yet there is a major flaw; its not scary. Though the original version wasn't scary either. When you look at both, they are more an observational look at parenting and the bond between mothers and daughters. So its more of a drama; with a supernatural twist. This has a very old horror movie build to it, it starts slow and as it goes along it builds in tension to it big conclusion. So it great to see this style come out again.

What really hold this movie together is the cast. Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite and the ever great Tim Roth. They really hold the story, they make this story seem believable. Another great factor was the very ambient score, it really enhanced many of the scenes.

Though its not a good as the original version, its still strong enough to stand on its own merits as a good movie.

Fmovies: I'm at a loss to describe why so many people here have panned this movie. I can only suppose that those who didn't like it went to see this expecting a horror movie. And since no monsters jumped out and hacked people to death, I imagine teenagers (apparently the main demographic that posts here) were bored to death with it. They couldn't understand why there wasn't a mutilated corpse every half step. Their A.D.D.-addled brains couldn't sit still long enough to decipher the complex plot points or to appreciate good character-building (something sorely lacking from movies nowadays.) Comparing this movie to "The Ring" is like comparing "Godfather" to "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer." The movies are in two completely separate genres.

I blame the marketing department. The promos did make it look like a fright-fest. One might have expected ghosts to be flying around the room a la "Poltergeist." I suppose they must have assumed that those of us who like movies that actually engage us and make us think weren't a very big market. Instead, they chose to market it to the "slasher movie" ilk, and they, being simplistic, got headaches trying to sift through an actual PLOT. Then they went home to listen to their Korn CDs and smoke pot.

Anyway, that being said, I approached the movie with all the preconceptions I just mentioned. And if you do have those preconceptions and are unwilling to give them up, the movie will drag on mercilessly for you. However, I switched modes quite easily, and became intrigued with the plot. It led me one way and then another, every time giving me something new to think about.

Nobody can criticize the acting here, either. Jennifer Connelly is superb as always, but the young daughter is quite skilled as well, and I expect to see her more often in the future.

I won't get into specifics, but the ending is something I really wasn't looking for.

As I left the theater, all the adults (most of whom didn't know each other) were talking about what a great movie it was as we filed out the doors. The teenagers in the theater were too busy making out to notice the credits rolling.

View if you're mature. If you're not, save yourself the brain-strain and go rent "Seed of Chucky" and leave the grown folks alone.

Having seen both the Japanese original and Walter Salles' remake i find the remake was the best thing that could happen to this story. Salles picks up the original story without making just a copy. He fills the gaps (and there were plenty), corrects a lot of little flaws and adds the credibility that was lacking in the original. The original was in parts a horror movie, and a very poor one so. Predictable behavior, foreseen turnings, forced mysteriousness - the usual problems i have with so many horror movies. The other part is a family drama, with a weird happy end. The happiness of which intrudes into the horror story and further degrades it. Salles goes more than a step further here by not making a simple horror movie. Rather he's making a stressful movie. Stress? The stresses of everyday life in a difficult situation. A recent divorce, fighting for the custody of the child, low budget, cheap noisy apartment with wet ceiling, trouble at school, no contact with neighbors, careless caretakers and managers. It's a context fueled by very real issues people are struggling with every day. The mysterious components only add to this and drive it, until they finally take over. Very dense atmosphere and Jennifer Connelly's excellent acting make you feel this stress. What more can you ask for?

Dark Water fmovies. Before I say anything more, I want to acknowledge that this is not a horror film. I'm not sure if it was even marketed that way, but it is not. It is more drama/psychological thriller. So, before commenting on how it is a bad horror film, please re-evaluate before slandering.

On the film: This is one of my favorite films of the year. The acting by all characters is superb. Connelly plays the character of Dahlia to the tooth. Ariel Gade creates a strikingly, somewhat scary picture of a young Jennifer Connelly. (For now, I will stick with the two main characters) On the story: It is a story about a family being torn apart and the emotional instability of such effects. The supernatural portion of the story adds a feature one can only understand by watching the film. Connelly remarkably recreates scenes of insecurity and the pain of memory and also the pain of sacrifice.

See this film, not only for the characterization created by all of the actors, but for excellent cinematography, emotional depth, and the score (created beautifully by one Angelo Badalamenti). Also, pick up Koji Suzuki and also see the original Japanese film.

This is not a "child talks to dead people" movie. You should rejoice. It's not a "woman fights supernatural forces" thriller. You should get down on your knees and thank the powers that be. This is not "just an unnecessary re-make of the Japanese original". It's better.

Nakata is famous for taking the long view of his characters. Keeping us safe emotionally from them in order to bring the horror to life. Salles trumps him by pulling us right into Dahlia's arms where her fear, paranoia, and despair are absolutely palpable.

This is the story of a single mother trying to survive after a nasty divorce. Trying to hold onto her daughter so she can overcome her own history of abandonment. The ghosts (whether real or imagined) are peripheral to her dilemma.

The American Dark Water, gives us the same foreboding leak, the same bleak horrific photography, the same basic plot line, and yet by taking the emphasis off the ghosts reaches a much stronger emotional resonance.

Highly recommended for those that submit themselves to movies, rather than submit movies to themselves. You know who you are.

Of all the recent remakes of Japanese horror films, I have to say that Dark Water is the only remake that actually surpasses the original. I think the reason that so many people are so hard on it is because they went in expecting to see THE RING or THE GRUDGE. They went in expecting to see a scary ghost movie. Dark Water is not really a horror movie, at least not in the traditional sense. It's actually more of a drama set in a haunted apartment complex. If you go in expecting to have stuff jump out at you, you will be disappointed.

It's sad that everyone expects horror films to have a bunch of jump scares in them these days. Whatever happened to the slow buildup of tension and paranoia of something like ROSEMARY'S BABY? If you go into Dark Water expecting something more akin to Rosemary's Baby or a Hitchcock thriller, you might just end up enjoying this film.

As far as comparing this remake to the original, I will say that I felt that Jennifer Connelly was a much more compelling character than the mother in the original movie. Overall, the characters were fleshed out better. I understood the conflict between the mother, the father and the little girl much more in the remake. The original just sort of glanced over many of these details. Some of the shots were actually more effective than the ones in the original, and the ending in the remake is more satisfying and better executed than in the original. Generally, I think that J-horror is better left in its original incarnation. As much as I liked the Western version of THE RING, I felt like the only reason they remade it was to cast Naomi Watts as the lead. THE GRUDGE, they should have left that one alone. Nothing was gained by Sarah Michelle Gellar. But this one, this one is actually better than the Japanese original in my opinion.

This movie is not for everyone. It is a slow, poignant drama set in a really creepy location. It would probably play well in a double feature with ROSEMARY'S BABY. If you want to have stuff jump out at you, watch THE GRUDGE. If you want to watch a movie that has a little more depth to it, watch DARK WATER.