As I ponder this film for my review, I have involuntary visions of
Snoopy sitting on his doghouse, pounding away on the typewriter,
"It was a dark and stormy night..." Gothika is a fusion of
gothic horror, murder mystery, and ghost story. We've seen it all
before; the derivative plot isolates the heroine for physical and
psychological abuse, all for the sake of an underlying motive that
becomes clear as the film progresses to its climactic conclusion. And
yet, the skill of the filmmakers and the cast elevates the material
and draws the viewer into the improbabilities.
Psychiatrist Dr.
Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) treats mentally disturbed inmates at a
women's prison that resembles a gothic castle and is devoid of any
visible fences to discourage escape. In the opening scene, Miranda
sits across a table from prisoner Chloe Sava (Penelope Cruz); each is
side lit and in deep shadow. The two women are seen in extreme close-
up, alternating from one point of view to the other. Chloe is upset;
after lights out, she's being visited and abused by a demon in her
isolation cell and she's frustrated that no one will believe her.
Miranda coldly notes Chloe's fixations on a pad. The scene's lighting
and the emotional content immediately set the tone, leaving the viewer
with a sense of foreboding. Director Mathieu Kassovitz and
cinematographer Matthew Libatique maintain that tension for the next
hour and a half. It's established quickly that Miranda is
married to the head of psychiatric services, Dr. Douglas Grey (Charles
Dutton). The unlikely couple seems to be quite happy, but that is soon
to change. One rainy night they leave the institution in separate
cars, but Miranda does not make it home. Due to circumstances I'll not
describe, she has an accident that leads to a blackout. She awakens in
an isolation cell in her own institution. Miranda's told by colleague
Pete Graham (Robert Downey Jr. ) that she's been there for three days,
that Douglas is dead, and that she killed him. The news pushes Miranda
to a minimally controlled state of hysteria; this uncharacteristic
behavior supports the staff's belief that she's suffered some kind of
psychic break and slaughtered her husband with an axe.
Ah, but
we know better. The filmmakers give us three or four potential
suspects. And Miranda has visions; she hears things; she's visited by
strange apparitions; she receives a message, more painfully the second
time when she doesn't respond to the first, "Not
alone." She struggles to make sense of her situation. When
the distraught Sheriff Ryan John (Carroll Lynch), Douglas's best
friend, confronts her with irrefutable evidence, Miranda is crushed
and confused, but can't bring herself to accept her guilt.
Miranda and Chloe meet in the prison's common room. Chloe seems
amused that Miranda is now beginning to learn a lesson Chloe learned
long before; you cannot trust anyone who thinks you're crazy. And
indeed, no one will believe Miranda's odd stories about the sounds and
sights, the presence in her cell when she's alone. Even Pete has
serious doubts about her sanity. It falls to Miranda to seek the
solution to the mystery that threatens to keep her incarcerated for
the rest of her natural life. But how does one investigate a murder
from within a locked cell? With the help of the supernatural, of
course.
I'll be the first to admit that many of the plot
details simply don't stand up to analysis, but this film is made with
such skill, the players and Halle Berry in particular are so invested
in conveying a sense of realism and genuine emotional turmoil, that
the flaws only become apparent upon reflection, long after the closing
credits roll. Berry is perfectly cast, an actress who can provoke
great empathy from the audience. I found the Goosebumps factor to be
delightfully high; consider this a guilty pleasure.
Video:
How Does The Disc Look?
The film's theatrical aspect ratio
of 1.85:1 has been expanded slightly to fill DVD's 1.78:1 anamorphic
video frame. This is another fabulous transfer from Warner Home Video.
The opening scene I described in which the two actresses are shown in
extreme close-up reveals every pore. Each individual stray hair is
clearly delineated. Small object detail and fine textures are
outstanding throughout. Edge halos have essentially been banished on
this DVD; I can remember only one instance when I became aware of
them. As for color, the filmmakers have manipulated the palette,
casting the scenes in the institution in blue-gray to strike a bleak
visual note. Little of this film is warm. Regardless, color accuracy
in those scenes where skin tones are more naturally lit was spot-on.
Quick cut flashbacks, lurid and bloody, are vividly painted to the
screen. I did not notice any chroma noise or smearing. This is a very
dark film - shadows and nighttime scenes dominate - so it's fortunate
that shadow detail is excellent. Compression artifacts, if they exist
here, are not noticeable. 
Audio: How Does The Disc
Sound?
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is very effective in
supporting the visual tone of the film. The surround channels aren't
as active as they could have been. Many gratuitous surround effects
could have been used to create an enveloping sense of dread. Instead,
they are used create ambiance, from rain to the rolling of thunder
beyond the confines of the screen. And that thunder is quite
convincing, requiring a great subwoofer to do justice to the bass
extension. EX decoding will neither help nor hinder this mix. John
Ottman's orchestral score is intended to manipulate the emotions of
the audience, elevating the scares with dissonant musical sounds. It
does that very well - despite its not being very intriguing
thematically - and is presented with pleasing fidelity. The dialog is
crystal clear throughout.
The alternative language is in
French, dubbed in Quebec. The optional subtitles are Spanish, French,
and English, for which Closed Captions are also included.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
The primary
supplement on this DVD is a feature-length audio
commentary by director Mathieu Kassovitz and
cinematographer Matthew Libatique. Kassovitz discusses the process of
making the film and some of his experiences on the set. He was very
complimentary of Halle Berry, who invested herself emotionally and
physically in the role. The cinematographer is the more likely of the
two to move the discussion into the technical details of the shoot.
Artistic decisions are mentioned and justified. Set design and
location shooting are discussed. This is a moderately interesting
commentary that could have been a little more informative.
A non-
anamorphic Music Video (4:32) of Limp Bizkit singing
"Behind Blue Eyes" may be found here; the song is featured
during the closing credits. And the film's Theatrical
Trailer (2:11) is presented in very respectable anamorphic
video. I'm going to recommend skipping the trailer until you've seen
the film; you'll enjoy the surprises that much more. The 98-minute
feature is organized into twenty-six chapters.
DVD-ROM
Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
There are no ROM extras on the disc.
Parting
Thoughts
Gothika ends with an unexpected revelation, one
that involves an unbidden - more likely unwelcome - ability. We're
left to ponder whether it will be accepted as a blessing or a curse,
whether the revelation represents an open ended finale or a preview of
films to come. Gothika is not a film that stands up to careful plot
analysis; for example, I can think of a more helpful two-word message
than "Not alone." This is simply a scary ride at an
amusement park to be enjoyed without any intellectual pretenses. The
transfer is terrific, and even though the supplements are a bit thin,
I think the flick deserves a spin.
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