-
Recent releases:
- That They May Face the Rising Sun
- Jericho Ridge
- Civil War
- Mothers' Instinct
- Sweet East, The
- Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire
- Immaculate
- Roaring Twenties, The (reissue)
- Soul
- Dune: part two
- American Star
- Dune: Part 1 (reissue)
- Jerry & Marge Go Large
- Argylle
- Forever Young
- Jackdaw
- All of Us Strangers
- Holdovers, The
- Mean Girls
- Poor Things
Premonition
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon, Kate Nelligan, Nia Long, Peter Stormare, Amber Valetta, Marc Macaulay
Director: Mennan Yapo
Happily married mother Sandra Bullocks perfect life falls apart when her husband Julian McMahon dies in a car accident. But she wakes the next morning to find McMahon alive and well, and assumes she must have had a nightmare. Until, that is, her world collapses around her and she ends up in a terrifying time-shifting existence, where on some days McMahon is alive and on others he is dead, leaving her to race against time and destiny to save him
Thanks to Bill Kellys ingeniously twisted screenplay and Mennan Yapos atmospheric direction which leave you as unsettled as his protagonist and, like Bullock, struggling to find your bearings, this supernatural thriller works well as a dramatic riff on Groundhog Day and succeeds in its mission to intrigue and entertain. Bullock is ideally cast and carries the acting burden very commendably, while strong support comes from McMahon, Kate Nelligan as Bullocks mother and Peter Stormare as a doubting doctor.
Its not the kind of film thats likely to appeal to intellectual critics: there are no subtitles, it showcases a Hollywood star and is patently mainstream moviemaking. That said, its well-wrought mix of thrills, shocks and suspense blend into thoroughly enjoyable middle-of-the-road entertainment.
Alan Frank
USA 2007. UK Distributor: Entertainment. Colour.
96 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.
Review date: 19 Mar 2007