Possession (2007)


2/4

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lee Pace, Michael Landes

Rated PG-13 for Violence, Disturbing Imgaes, Some Sexuality and Language

Not to be confused with the 2002 Neil LaBute dud

In many ways, “Possession” is especially disappointing because it had the potential to be so much more.  The premise is dynamite, and it could be used for just about any genre of movie.  Unfortunately, the script contains no character development and by trying to be both a romance and a horror movie, it fails at both.

Jess (Gellar) and Ryan (Landes) are a happily married couple celebrating their one year anniversary.  They love each other deeply, but unfortunately, they are forced to live with Ryan’s brother Roman (Pace), who’s an ex-con on probation.  Suddenly, Ryan and Roman are in a terrible car crash, and they both end up in comas.  Weeks pass, but then something strange happens: Roman wakes up believing he’s Ryan.

Like I said, the premise has potential.  For a while, it looks like it’s going to take the romantic mystery route, which is the right decision.  Unfortunately, once everything is revealed, it turns into a horror movie, which while moderately suspenseful, feels like a cheat.

I like Sarah Michelle Gellar.  I’ve never seen “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but she was terrific in “Cruel Intentions.”  She’s rather stiff in this role, but there’s not much that she can do with a paper thin role like this.  The same goes for Lee Pace.  Both are capable actors (but share no chemistry), but not even Meryl Streep could elevate this film with a paper thin script.  Only Michael Landes is noteworthy, but he’s only on screen for 20 minutes.

The problem with the film is that there’s no real character interaction.  The characters do occasionally talk to each other, but the conversations are superficial and last only a few moments.  It’s as if the script is afraid of any sort of character development at all.  Superficial characters may be okay for a horror movie, but in a movie like this, it’s crucial.  Part of the reason is that the film is directed like a music video: lots of cool images (including some very beautiful shots of the Golden Gate Bridge) and atmosphere (or attempt at atmosphere), but no real character interaction.

The movie is also has a few glaring plotholes.  Directors Joe Bergvall and Simon Sandquist try to establish some sort of mysterious connection between Ryan and Roman, but the ending of the film makes this irrelevant.  Additionally, it raises questions about the mysterious disappearance of Roman’s girlfriend, Casey (Tuva Novotny), but it’s undeveloped, and it’s tied up so quickly that if you blink, you’ll miss it (and it doesn’t even give a satisfactory answer).  There’s also the matter of names.  When Roman wakes up thinking he’s Ryan, he still calls himself Roman.  If he thought he was his brother, wouldn’t he call himself Ryan? Worse, the film ends on a bleak note that it doesn’t earn.

It’s a really sad thing, this film.  It could have been so much more.

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