Truly Dreadful Film

Such a frustrating disappointment

Lack of good storyline.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Rather than write a whole review, let's just say it's a remake of The Innocents. It's good enough for most people to watch, I watched plenty of 'B' movies way back when theaters had double features on Saturday afternoons. They threw in some enticing nudity of Miss Sobieski to bring in the men, who will bring their women with them. Like most remakes, it doesn't compare to the original. I don't understand why so many Hollywood people think they can improve on the classics, and then somehow convince others to give them millions of dollars to do it. And they wonder why we don't go to see their crap movies.

IN A DARK PLACE is a cheap modern-day retelling of the Henry James story THE TURN OF THE SCREW, shot in Luxembourg with an American lead. It's a cheapjack version of the tale that does away with much of the plot and atmosphere you can see in earlier versions of the story - THE INNOCENTS will always be the granddaddy of these - and instead replaces them with B-movie tedium.There's no denying that Leelee Sobieski is an attractive young actress, but her acting skills seem to be rather limited. It says something that she spends most of the running time showing off her figure as much as possible, so you get the idea that the director was more interested in her looks than her talents. To make up for this disappointment in the acting stakes there's a welcome supporting role for the reliably good Tara Fitzgerald, but she doesn't have a great deal to work with.IN A DARK PLACE is slow, slow, slow, with unappealing characters and a distinct lack of momentum that makes it difficult to sit through. There are hints at nastiness here and there but they're way too subtle, and the film just sort of crawls to a sleep-inducing conclusion without ever interesting the viewer en route. It's a bore, frankly.

After reading many of the comments and poor ratings of this flick, by some here, I conclude a mature motion picture as this wasted upon you. A pearl before swines.First the director himself states in the DVD release this is NOT a remake of the Turning of The Screw, and further he is not a fan of horror flicks, as he says, disturbing things happen everyday in real life.And so it is Anna Veigh, a sexually molested and tortured child attempts to help other children so molested by becoming an art therapist. However, she is pawed over and fired by an old school master who in attempt to keep her quiet, finds her a new position as a Nanny with a boy and girl who have been orphaned and now are the charges of their wealthy uncle. The uncle would rather be totally free of the responsibility.The drama unfolds quietly and with a smoldering subtlety that only true drama and mystery lover could appreciate. Sorry kids no bug eyed monsters, disappointed? And no this isn't a female sex flesh flick as some lechers had hoped.It concerns a metaphor and secrets. Each character has a secret and slowly the viewer pieces the parts together.It is assumed Miss Veigh is in fact, losing her mind and imagining dangers and ghosts.She in fact confronts her own molestation and rape as a child, time and again. She like the children is haunted. It appears the previous Nanny, a Miss Jessel and her lover Peter Quint (names borrowed from the James novel), were lovers. It also appears they included the children in their sexual games and haunted them as Miss Veigh is haunted by her childhood molestations.I very much enjoyed the frank and tasteful nudity, the lesbian scenes.The property manager Miss Gross, portrayed elegantly by Tara Fitzgerald, had been in love with Miss Jessel and also courts Miss Veigh.The words, " its not working out" precede each sexual exploitation of the Anna Veigh. Indeed, Miles and Floras seem possessed by the old perverted team, Miss Jessel and Peter Quint.Both Flora and Miles have symptoms very often associated with children who have been sexually abused.The end is very sad and unless your understand what is going on you'll miss it. Why is Miles running from Miss Veigh? Could it be when he blows the candle out he again is sexually exploited? Flora sleeps with her new Nanny and cryptically says, " Do anything YOU like."The last scenes are metaphors for sexually abused children who want to die and feel dirty, responsible for the abuse they received.This is a misunderstood masterpiece. I hope the child actors, didn't quite grasp what it was really all about.See it and try to understand what the director is attempting to put across. Most here are clueless about this flick.

The plot of this film is pretty simple. A woman works at a private school where she is doing poorly, so her boss is going to fire her, but tries to come on to her. He later calls her and says not to tell anybody and for not telling her gets her a new job working for a rich guy who hates his brothers family. Anyway she goes out to this kick-ass house and starts to take care of the kids. Weird stuff happens, and she thinks it is the ghost of the former nanny etc. However, it is implied that it is all in her head and she is going crazy. We find out that she was molested as a kid (while eating a candy apple and then after a guy rapes her he gives her a lolly pop). Anyway it is also implied that she is having sex with (or molesting) the little boy. Since she is always flashing her boobs everywhere and wearing inappropriate clothing that barely covers her boobs. Then she hold the boy in a scene and tells him that she would do ANYTHING to make him happy, and then he turns out the light. The best part of this movie was the boobs, I wish there was more and more sex scenes, but sorry there is not.