Waste of time

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Dreadfully Boring

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

With action taking place during the latter half of 1920's in rural England, Professor David Ash, famous for discrediting supernatural phenomena, is invited to the Edbrook Mansion to try to calm down the governess who assures that the house is haunted. During his stay he observes the strange behavior of the three orphan brothers (a woman and two men in their twenties or close to thirty) as he himself begins to experience unexplained phenomena. The film starts well with some intrigue and good performances, but the plot unfolding is a disappointment with a silly ending. Several questions arise as to the credibility of the story when so many inconsistencies are hard to ignore and by the time the movie ends, there is only left a sense of disappointment.

Haunted is a film well worth watching, in spite of its flawed ending. Aidan Quinn -- never particularly impressive as an actor -- is convincing in his role as a skeptical doctor who investigates mediums and supposed hauntings. All the other actors do an outstanding job; they are really a joy to watch. And Beckinsale is at her alluring best.In its atmosphere (so important for a suspense movie) "Haunted" achieves a very good balance of whimsy and dread. The sets are excellent, the pacing good, the story very compelling. Where the movie fails is in its abrupt, unsatisfying conclusion. And it must also be said that, while the title "Haunted," does work on a couple of different levels, it is still a lame title for a ghost movie.

"Haunted" provides many of the same joys as reading a Miss Marple mystery--a Miss Marple mystery where most of the dramatis personae get naked, that is.Mostly set in the 1920s, it features an outsized English manor house, a professor from "Camberley" College, dressing for dinner, tea at 5pm, a possible ghost, bumps in the night, and lots of family secrets--some of them a little too shocking for Agatha Christie.The performances are top-notch. I've always loved Kate Beckinsale, and it's nice to think that people who only know her from those awful "Underworld" movies may see this and discover she's an actress. Aidan Quinn is also a favorite; even though he tends to be somewhat wooden, I forgive him because he's such an appealing presence. Anthony Andrews is amazing: one of those actors that inhabit a role, as they say. And can John Gielgud give a bad performance? I don't think so.The story is great, if a little thin here and here. I won't spoil the plot twists, but at the end you're likely to be left with nagging questions about why certain characters did certain things in light of certain facts that are now known.But don't let that stop you from watching it. In fact, it'll probably encourage you to watch it again. It does me: this is one of those movies I'll watch any time it's on cable.btw, of all the movies people have compared this to, nobody's mentioned the similarities to "Angels and Insects." A&I is not a ghost story, but it shares with this movie the setting, the atmosphere, and some of the more interesting plot elements.

As a long-time ghost story fanatic, this is the kind of story which gives the other gently terrifying stories of the same genre, such as The Others, a real run for their money. Thrill-seekers who want a good ghost story are after A-bump-a-minute scenarios which, thankfully, this film does not have, instead garnering a slow but natural and steady pace which involves wonderful hints and twists throughout and a wonderful, touching and ultimately, creepy conclusion.I have never been a great fan of Aidan Quinn or Kate Beckinsale, though their chemistry here makes the film very watchable, and Quinn is acceptable as a hapless if not quite lovable hero. Beckinsale is also on generally good, charming form and, to be fair to both actors, there are several points in the script where the dialogue is so shallow and blunt, that Laurence Olivier and Gielgud himself (who appears and is wonderful as the local doctor) would have struggled to bring any more life to them without making the words seem silly and unrealistic.The show-stealer, as per usual in almost everything he is in, is undoubtedly Anthony Andrews, as the understatedly creepy yet charmingly alluring elder brother. Andrews is a very-much underrated actor as it is, but his performance and changes in attitude towards Quinn as the guest in their sprawling home, very much makes the film and most of the tension therein.Anna Massey too is wonderful as the housekeeper/nanny and creates a very sorry character with whom one instantly feels sympathy, playing out her pivotal role right until the very end with her usual grace and unabashed talent.To one who knows the ins and outs of modern twists and turns in movies and stories such as these, the ending is not altogether unpredictable, but the well-disguised yet compelling hints throughout make it all much more exciting, and the scenes of ghostly appearance are, for a change, nicely inserted without too much musical decoration or unnecessary special effects, making the whole thing very watchable. The sets and locations are stunning and elegant at all times, bringing up both the believability and charm of the story. This film, overall, falls into the category of a sadly overlooked, but wonderful fireside story, which deserves more publicity than it gets.