Not worth your time.
Added 11/1/2009
This movie was stupid from the beginning, until the end. The characters' motivation, as well as the plot, didn't make a whole lot of sense.
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Thank God for Elisha Cuthbert
Added 8/13/2009
I, like many other straight teenage males (I'm 15, for the inquiring reader who wants to know), was attracted to this movie because of the rather blindingly obvious reason that Elisha Cuthbert's hot. As another reviewer aptly put it "There's a certain point where you mistake hotness for acting," perhaps one of the reasons Cuthbert has such a huge following, despite having been involved in only a handful of decent projects outside of 24. And as of now, I'm sort of split on whether this is one of them.
The biggest problem with the Quiet is, let's face it, the script. Now please don't bash me and say that it's a brave script and all, tackling these taboo subjects with courage. My point is, it was maybe a little too much courage. I DO think the script was brave - the *SPOILER* incest being the foremost issue and handled intriguingly - but it tried to load too much in with not enough actual writing talent to back it up. As even Dot, who was supposed to be the foil to all the other variously afflicted characters, ended up being weirdly messed up in her own way, I began to lose interest in her. Funnily enough, the character I thought was performed best was actually Cuthbert, whose character seemed notoriously difficult to pull off. Occasionally, her acting is awkward, but again, this is mostly because of the script, which throws her all sorts of 180s on her relationship with her father. Her acting during the particularly cheesy climax ended up being that scene's only saving grace, actually surprisingly genuine next to the deadpan and feeble attempts at being angry by Martin Donovan, Camilla Belle's unnecessarily distorted cries backed by little emotion, and the annoyingly placed sonata.
Despite those comments about the other actors, they performed decently in the other parts of the movie. For the most part, Donovan does an okay job, but he lacks the power to be the commanding force he's made out to be. Belle is a little better, but her odd narrated monologues are a little cliched and her "secret" is WAY too easily spotted. Shawn Ashmore is actually relatively convincing, but it's his character that's the weak point, the jock who extraneously has his own problems that add nothing other than a messy sex scene with Belle. I think the character that fares second best to Cuthbert is probably Edie Falco as the pill-popping mother who avoids everyone else's problems by merely passing out at night. She is particularly chilling during the climax ("It's a miracle"), and with Cuthbert makes the scene bearable.
The direction also feels kind of lackluster, especially in scenes such as the climax that are supposed to be intense, and instead feel simply amateur. There are a few strokes of genius - the scene where Cuthbert is holding the iron actually did have me on the edge of my seat - and scattered well-constructed shots, but it seems like the director's heart wasn't into it. Gratuitous lines of dialogue ("I cut goldfish in half," "I came four times. FOUR TIMES.") are treated as deep and then seem empty and silly.
So why a full three stars when this review seems like one star? Well, let's pick over the good things. For one, Elisha Cuthbert makes the movie worthwhile. She's really freaking hot (which she probably hears way too much), she's as convincing as she can be with what she's given, providing maybe the only interesting character in the whole movie, and she produced the film, which kept it from DVD purgatory. I have gained much more respect for her as an actress (and I mean for actual acting ability, other straight men), but really, why'd she pick this film? Regardless, besides Cuthbert there are a few other saving graces. I really couldn't stop watching it; the issues are so bizarre and presented with such boldness that it's captivating and engrossing. The other characters are interesting enough to lend at least a little credibility to the dark atmosphere, and it was never boring, even if it was clumsy.
However, I think that, if looking for another psychological thriller, I might end up reaching for He Was A Quiet Man instead of When A Stranger Calls.
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excellent drama...
Added 4/13/2009
this is a first-rate drama about family dysfunction. It has suspense- the cast is terrific- Camilla Belle, Elisha Cuthbert, Martin Donovan, and Edie Falco are in perfect form.
I rented this movie out of mild curiosity, and was surprised at the quality of the acting and writing.
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This was an OK movie with a good story that will keep you watching. I am always looking for something with Elisha Cuthbert, ever since I saw her in "Girl Next Door". I think she would have been a good choice for the female lead in Black Snake Moan, had not Christina Ricci taken it ( she was excellent). This is definitely worth a look.
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Not what you think...
Added 12/30/2008
I have just seen this movie and I was totally surprised by it. I decided to watch this with an open mind. Elisha and Camilla are excellent in this movie. We get intrigued at the very beginning and it doesnt let go till the end. If you want a good movie who keeps you guessing... this is the one for you. The musical score in this movie is exquisite... like good wine. It transports you and it is soothing. So, rent or buy this movie and remember... be quiet and listen... silence is the key.
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Expectedly terrible.
Added 6/30/2009
1.0 out of 5 stars Expectedly terrible., June 30, 2009
I expected this movie to be terrible, and it met my expectations. I imagine this is how the idea was pitched to the producer: "It's 'Saw' meets 'Hostel' with a little bit of 'Dexter' thrown in." The movie manages to borrow heavily--and poorly--from the 'Saw' and 'Hostel' franchises and blatantly steals--again poorly--from 'Dexter.'
This movie is so terrible that I honestly believe in the years/decades to come it will be seen as the film that killed the current horror trend. The horror genre is one that comes in and out of fashion with the general movie-going public and I believe this film might just be responsible for ending the most recent movement just as 'Saw' can be said to have sparked it. It's a true trend-killer; the film is so bad that it literally casts a bad light on the entire genre--that bad. It will be a few years before the next horror trend is kicked off and my guess is that the genre will go in a different direction from the extreme violence/gore/torture trajectory typified in films such as 'Saw,' 'Wolf Creek' and 'Hostel' which dominated the 2004-2007 horror landscape.
Don't get me wrong: I am not knocking the aforementioned trend. I am merely arguing that this film is so terrible that it destroyed the trend by showing everyone just how bad the trend could be if taken to its logical extreme. 'Touristas' and 'Hostel 2' also did their part in that respect, too; this dreck just happened to be the straw the broke the camel's back.
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Elisha Cuthbert - How bad could it be?
Added 3/9/2008
Three reviews prior to this one all mentioned the 'SAW' series. I haven't seen any of them and I'm not usually into torture movies. Yuck! However, Elisha Cuthbert was in this one so I thought I'd give it a try. Actually, this was not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. I had to turn my head away a couple times, but for the most part it was fun. The biggest flaw (and there were a few) was that I figured out the plot twist very early in the film. It was way too obvious. Then there was the abduction. Jennifer's face (Elisha was Jennifer) was plastered all over New York City. She was a top model and her picture was on billboards, taxis and buses. You couldn't turn around without seeing her picture. So how did no one in this nightclub not recognize her? How did no one in this busy place not see her go to the ladies lounge? How did no one notice the most attractive girl in New York almost passing out as she walked across the room? Daniel Gillies played Jerry, another prisoner held in the same building as Jennifer. When the climax comes Jerry's resourcefulness pales in comparison to Jennifer. If anybody should have been doing the rescuing... Enough with the flaws though. The cover said this was a movie from the studio behind 8 films to die for. That and Elisha Cuthbert was good enough for me. No nudity. Not even any real skimpy outfits for Elisha. Not a bad job of acting by the cast, so the last word here is give it a try. You could do worse.
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Saw + Elisha Cuthbert = Captivity
Added 1/30/2008
Captivity starts with a grisly murder, a scene reminiscent of each of the worst scenes in any of the Saw movies. A hooded, disguised killer has a victim strapped to a chair, with a tube in his mouth. The tube is connected to some sort of toxic chemical, and there is no way for the tube to be removed. It's clear that the victim is horrified, and completely aware of the impending doom. It's creepy, ominous, and sets a great tone for the remainder of the movie.
Elisha Cuthbert is stunning as she plays Jennifer Tree, a hyper-busy, some what conceited covergirl/model, constantly doing interviews, and appearing on TV. She lives life beyond the means of most, going so far as buying gourmet food for her dog! This attention, however, draws some unwanted attention that eventually causes problems.
Shortly into the film, it becomes clear that Jennifer is being stalked and filmed, establishing very clear foreshadowing, and causing the viewer to connect her potential attacker and the previous murder. Sure enough, she's drugged, abducted, and the stage is set for the rest of the movie.
It's really a cross between the riddles of Saw and Se7en, the imprisonment of Kiss the Girls, and the torture aspect of Hostel.
If viewers can get past the borderline plot plagiarism, the suspense is actually somewhat enticing, the acting fairly believable, and the scenarios quite ingenius and terrifying. Elisha Cuthbert is mesmerizing, absolutely stealing every scene; she's an absolute star whose beauty is truly worth the price of admission. Although, it's hard to watch a single scene without thinking of a myriad other horror movies from which "Captivity" borrowed various concepts.
It's mindless gore, suspense, and screams for the not-so-faint-hearted. It's exactly what one would expect, and an overall thrilling ride.
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