The Skeleton Key DVD Review:

Caroline (Hudson) needed a change from her hospital job and thought private nursing would be more suited to her training. Applying for a job on the outskirts of New Orleans, Caroline is employed to take care of recent stroke victim Ben Devereaux (Hurt), at the bequest of his lawyer Luke (Sarsgaard) and much to the disappoint of his wife Violet (Rowlands). Moving into the old colonial house, Caroline is given a skeleton key that will open every room in the old building but she discovers her key won’t open a room in the attic. As she becomes more and more inquisitive about what lies behind that door she learns that the house has a dark and bloody past but the answer to her questions lie behind that door.

Hollywood’s take on the psychological horror genre has become very clichéd of late but can ‘Skeleton Key’ inject some new blood or will it all be a load of Hoodoo?

British director Iain Softley makes a welcome return to helm a new story by screenwriter who adapted the Hollywood versions of ‘The Ring’, Ehren Kruger. Instead of going down the Japanese road of ghosts and hauntings, this movie mixes in more traditional Southern folklore and the rituals of Hoodoo to produce a movie that relies more on confusion and misdirection than outright scares.

Watching the story unfold from the perspective of Caroline, you discover things at the same time as she does. The director and writer skilfully open up many paths for her to follow and as each one leads to a dead end both Caroline and the audience are taken down a path that neither the character or the audience want to believe in, as it is the that defies explanation and confirms the existence of Hoodoo. This method works really well, having both the character and the audience go through the same roller coaster ride and never revealing anything until you witness it for yourself.

Kate Hudson is a very talented actress who is not afraid to take on varied roles that will challenge her abilities. As Caroline, we have a confident, strong willed woman who is drawn into a world that she doesn’t understand or at first, believe in. This is far removed from the romantic comedy roles she has been associated with because of her last few movies but a return to the more dramatic roles that got her noticed in the first place, in ‘Almost Famous’ for example. This is a strong role for the actress and one that she brings great gusto and passion to.

Gena Rowlands almost steals the movie from right under Kate Hudson’s nose however. The veteran actress plays Violent Devereaux with great aplomb, bringing that sense of mistrust that old people seem to have of the young to the forefront of her performance. You always think that Violet has something to hide and her husband’s heart attack isn’t what she will have you believe. This is all due to the performance of Rowlands. Peter Sarsgaard is also very good as the disbelieving family lawyer Luke, who hired Caroline to help with Ben. John Hurt doesn’t really have a lot to do as Ben Devereaux however, having very few lines in the movie due to the character’s stroke but he can convey more in a look that most actors can with a full page of dialogue.

‘Skeleton Key’ is a slow paced psychological potboiler that draws you into the characters and then delivers during the twisting finale. While some maybe disappointed with the lack of pure horror elements and the amount of time it takes to really get going, the final revelations more than make up for this, making this entertaining and a decent Hollywood attempt at psychological horror.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is a decent transfer.

BONUS FEATURES

Audio Commentary with director Iain Softley
The man at the helm shares some of his thoughts about the film and the reason why he was attracted to the movie. Revealing that he really wanted to make a supernatural thriller, the British director talks about working in New Orleans and Louisiana location, the casting of the piece, the history and the music involved. This is a good single person commentary from a man who is very passionate about his film.

Deleted Scenes (21.40 mins)
These twenty-one deleted scene have optional commentary by director Iain Softley. The scenes reveal the original opening sequence and you see more development of Caroline’s character, which was cut back due to timing. There is also an extended and alternative closing finale.

Behind the locked door: The Making of Skeleton Key (5.29 mins)
Director Iain Softley, producer Daniel Bobker, screenwriter Ehren Kruger and stars Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt and Peter Sarsgaard take you onto the April 2004 shoot in Louisiana. Talking about the story and the Hoodoo influences the cast and crew discuss making the movie and what it means to them.

Exploring Voodoo/Hoodoo (4.15 mins)
Voodoo Priestess Mama Lola, voodoo practitioner Brandi Kelley, voodoo initiate Princess Wekenon and curator of the Voodoo museum Cathy Smith explain the difference between Voodoo and Hoodoo.

Recipe & Ritual: Making the perfect gumbo (3.21 mins)
Hard to follow instructions on how to make the Louisiana speciality

Blues in the Bayou (6.10 mins)
Music supervisor Sara Lord, director Iain Softley and actress Joy Bryant talk about the music of ‘The Skeleton Key’. With contributions from ‘3rd Infantry’, the ‘Ebenezer church choir’ and the ‘Rebirth Brass Band’, they reveal the different musical styles used in the film.

Plantation Life (3.35 mins)
Owners Norman Marmillion and Stan and Irma Waguespack talk about the plantations called Laura and Felicity, both of which were used in the movie. They reveal the history behind the plantations and the talk about the slaves who worked them.

Casting The Skeleton Key (9.14 mins)
Director Iain Softley, producer Daniel Bobker, screenwriter Ehren Kruger and stars Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard and Joy Bryant talk about the characters of the movie and how they became involved with the film.

John Hurt’s Story (3.30 mins)
The acclaimed actor reads a story written by a former slave who worked on the Louisiana plantations.

A House call Felicity (3.19 mins)
Director Iain Softley, production designer John Beard and stars Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands and John Hurt talk about the Louisiana location shoot.

Gena Love Spell (1.20 mins)
The veteran actress reads the ingredients of a Voodoo love spell that you could try.

Trailers
Previews of ‘King Kong’ and ‘Red Eye’

OVERALL

Universal have done a good job with the DVD transfer of ‘The Skeleton Key’. The featurette should have been made into one long documentary however instead of having to watch them all separately but this is not a major problem. The commentary track is good also, making this a good package for fans of the movie.



Jamie Kelwick