If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
... View MoreFun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
... View MoreI am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
... View MoreIt really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
... View MoreAwful doesn't even cut it. This comes under the heading of WORST MOVIES EVER MADE. Stupid story, incredibly poor acting (but then how could they act with such a stupid script{}. UGH, UGH, UGH all the way. If you read the synopsis or story line, or even the review of the 'short story' they try to convince you it's about women and mental illness. Poppycock and balderdash. It's just another run of the mill, idiotic vampire movie. The only mental illness here was that of the the author who wrote the short story. I just had to watch the whole movie just to see how incredulously stupid it would turn out to be. BINGO !! First prize for INCREDULOUSLY STUPID. What a waste of time!
... View MoreDon't expect this film to do any justice to the short story, hence the "adaptation." If you enjoy period pieces for the accurate sets, costumes etc. then The Yellow Wallpaper may be for you. If you want narration to do the digging for you, again this may be the film for you. On the surface it felt much like your typical horror/thriller with the appropriate high strung music to curdle your insides before the action has even begun. Many of the shots also felt excessive in building the tension. The subject matter seemed strong enough on its own without a series of 'creepy' face close ups. The characters were well cast for their appearance, though the acting felt very... dry? I suppose this was to match a 'gothic' aesthetic. For me, it was disappointing to see such a film baring the name of great Gothic lit, but I can see how some may still find it entertaining in its own right.
... View MoreFirst off I want to say (although one of the above reviewers mentioned it), it is blatantly obvious that this movie is inspired by the short story, not an adaptation of the short story. This has been done with countless films and pieces of literature. It is a very common thing to draw inspiration from either real life events and people or renowned fictional characters and retell their stories. The first clue is that the mother's name is Charlotte - coincidentally the same name of the famous author! And if you aren't certain at that point, later, in bed, Charlotte says she wrote a story called "The Yellow Wallpaper." One has to pick up on these little "hints" (aka blunt statements). Sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper, ya know?The film makes reference to the attitude that female education is of no use and this is a very important part of the film because the short story was a very important piece of feminist literature. When Gilman wrote the story there were many of her peers that questioned her sanity. Gilman herself suffered from severe postpartum psychosis. People questioned her sanity because her fictional character in The Yellow Wallpaper experienced psychosis and they wondered if Gilman was mentally sound. This film is supposed to be inspired by both the life of the author and the important piece of literature with its own twist. The death of Charlotte's child in the film, rather than the true to life psychosis experienced by both the author and her fictional woman while their babies survived, is merely a symbol for the separation of a mother from her child and the mental anguish she experiences. And that is only the beginning. Different taste is one thing but sometimes I wish some people would put more thought into the deeper meaning of things before they cast something aside.Although I would have liked a bit more clarity towards the end, the movie is so psychologically intriguing, the acting is excellent, the emotional display so genuine, and the use of color is exquisite. I love the way it was shot. There is something scary even in that aspect of the film! The sound effects and music are wonderful. I was terrified! I watched it alone in the middle of the night. I had to stop it twice and smoke a cigarette because I was so tense! It is so refreshingly different than the plethora of so-called horror films and psychological thrillers that rely upon gore or other elements that must top the previous films of its genre rather than setting it apart. This is truly a psychological thriller because the viewer is expected to - gasp - use their own mind to imagine, for example, what the hell is under that blanker towards the end ((shudder)) or what is in the dark (the scene where John went from room to room with that candelabra was too scary!), or what on earth is in that hole under the house! John simply reaching into that hole that I could barely make out was enough to make me scared! The director doesn't say, "I have no respect for my audience's ability to figure anything out or to use their own imagination since it has been all but destroyed by the over- stimulation of the senses of modern technology so I will show them everything and tell them everything and let them know when they should be scared or shocked." Bah. If you still have am mind that can stimulate ITSELF, see this film.
... View MoreOne is immediately struck by the sad, lush darkness of the film. The key to success is to also make it alluring, which is accomplished both instantly and artfully in The Yellow Wallpaper.The year is 1892. A young married couple, along with the wife's sister, flee the recent disaster of losing their daughter and home in fire. Left with only each other and bit of cash, they receive an invitation to live in another home in a new town. Upon arrival, there is a haze that you're not sure is attributable to summer heat or strangeness of the new situation. Quite quickly, you come to know it may be both. The cast is peppered with film and TV veterans that bring additional gravity to this already haunting material. The score is original and gorgeous.
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