AFTER "The Grudge", Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in another remake of an Asian horror flick, "Possession", which is based on a Korean thriller originally titled "Addicted". She plays Jessica or Jess, a busy young lawyer in Marin County happily married to an artist, Ryan (Michael Landes), who's so sweet and thoughtful he often surprises her by secretly putting roses or love letters in her briefcase.
The only hitch in their otherwise blissful marriage is Ryan's brother, Roman (Lee Pace of TV's "Pushing Daisies"), who was convicted of assault. He now just got out of prison on parole and is taken by Ryan to live with them. If Ryan is the good brother, then Roman is the exact opposite. He has big tattoos and has an unkempt appearance because of his outsized sideburns. He snoops in the things of Jess and Ryan and has violent tendencies even with his own girlfriend, Casey (Tuva Novotny), who he hits with the littlest provocation.
Things take a turn for the worse when the two brothers figure in a freak car collision at the Golden Gate Bridge and both become comatose. When Roman regains consciousness, he claims to be Ryan, who remains to be in coma. He assumes Ryan's gentle personality and has memories that only Ryan can have. Earlier, when Casey asked Roman what would he change if he'd be given a chance to do his life over, Roman answered: "Not be me." So it seems his wish is granted.
Jess is horrified and can't believe that her husband's spirit has transferred to Roman. But soon, Roman starts doing for her the things that only her loving husband Ryan used to do, like the sweet and thoughtful gestures of giving her surprise gifts. Her skepticism gets eroded and she is convinced, little by little, that he might just be telling the truth that Ryan is really trapped in his body, making her more vulnerable to Roman's advances.
The film is the American debut of directors Simon Sandquist and Joe Bergvall, Swedish filmmakers best known for the acclaimed 2002 Swedish film "The Invisible". They do know how to come up with good glossy visuals, what with misty Canadian locations and moody color cinematography that make the movie visually appealing. They use heightened soundtracks and sudden camera movements to create tension and shock the audience since the narrative itself is almost devoid of involving action.
The mystery revolving on Roman's true identity is the heart of the film. Can it be true that a supernatural cause made him switch bodies with Ryan during the accident? The script by Michael Petroni fails to provide any concrete answers and the film is generally static until the twist in the story where it takes a violent turn for a sudden burst of action. We've already seen a previous version of this kind of story in "The Secret", the remake of a Japanese film where David Duchovny's wife and daughter also figure in an accident and the wife's soul transferred to the body of their daughter who then starts seducing her dad.
"Possession" is not as icky as that mystery thriller with a hint of incest. It keeps you guessing until the thrilling climax. Sarah succeeds in looking properly creeped out through most of the proceedings. As the story picks up she becomes more anxious and later, frightened, because of the gravity of her situation. And you'd never suspect that Lee Pace who's wholesome and pleasant in "Pushing Daisies" can be credibly malevolent as her never do well brother in law. He has the best role here as the villainous brute Roman who later takes a 360 degree turn when he becomes the amiable personification of good guy Ryan. In both characters, he exhibits a wily but sleazy kind of charisma that makes his portrayal completely engaging.
The only hitch in their otherwise blissful marriage is Ryan's brother, Roman (Lee Pace of TV's "Pushing Daisies"), who was convicted of assault. He now just got out of prison on parole and is taken by Ryan to live with them. If Ryan is the good brother, then Roman is the exact opposite. He has big tattoos and has an unkempt appearance because of his outsized sideburns. He snoops in the things of Jess and Ryan and has violent tendencies even with his own girlfriend, Casey (Tuva Novotny), who he hits with the littlest provocation.
Things take a turn for the worse when the two brothers figure in a freak car collision at the Golden Gate Bridge and both become comatose. When Roman regains consciousness, he claims to be Ryan, who remains to be in coma. He assumes Ryan's gentle personality and has memories that only Ryan can have. Earlier, when Casey asked Roman what would he change if he'd be given a chance to do his life over, Roman answered: "Not be me." So it seems his wish is granted.
Jess is horrified and can't believe that her husband's spirit has transferred to Roman. But soon, Roman starts doing for her the things that only her loving husband Ryan used to do, like the sweet and thoughtful gestures of giving her surprise gifts. Her skepticism gets eroded and she is convinced, little by little, that he might just be telling the truth that Ryan is really trapped in his body, making her more vulnerable to Roman's advances.
The film is the American debut of directors Simon Sandquist and Joe Bergvall, Swedish filmmakers best known for the acclaimed 2002 Swedish film "The Invisible". They do know how to come up with good glossy visuals, what with misty Canadian locations and moody color cinematography that make the movie visually appealing. They use heightened soundtracks and sudden camera movements to create tension and shock the audience since the narrative itself is almost devoid of involving action.
The mystery revolving on Roman's true identity is the heart of the film. Can it be true that a supernatural cause made him switch bodies with Ryan during the accident? The script by Michael Petroni fails to provide any concrete answers and the film is generally static until the twist in the story where it takes a violent turn for a sudden burst of action. We've already seen a previous version of this kind of story in "The Secret", the remake of a Japanese film where David Duchovny's wife and daughter also figure in an accident and the wife's soul transferred to the body of their daughter who then starts seducing her dad.
"Possession" is not as icky as that mystery thriller with a hint of incest. It keeps you guessing until the thrilling climax. Sarah succeeds in looking properly creeped out through most of the proceedings. As the story picks up she becomes more anxious and later, frightened, because of the gravity of her situation. And you'd never suspect that Lee Pace who's wholesome and pleasant in "Pushing Daisies" can be credibly malevolent as her never do well brother in law. He has the best role here as the villainous brute Roman who later takes a 360 degree turn when he becomes the amiable personification of good guy Ryan. In both characters, he exhibits a wily but sleazy kind of charisma that makes his portrayal completely engaging.
