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Godsend
Movie Review: Creepy child thrillers rarely work ... because they're just cheap scares! A little kid glowering malevolently can always send a chill up your spine, but the film is only any good if it actually means anything. This film has a terrific surface and some genuinely jumpy scenes, but it's so vacuous that it almost doesn't register at all. Paul and Jessica (Kinnear and Romijn-Stamos) are devastated when their 8-year-old son Adam (Bright) is killed in an accident. Amid their grief, they give in to the suggestion of a local scientist, Dr Richard Wells (De Niro), who claims that he can clone their son and give him back to them. Jump forward to another 8th birthday party and Adam Mach II (Bright with a different haircut) is a happy child with doting parents and nice Uncle Richard. Then at the point where the first Adam died, the new Adam starts having freaky visions, spitting on classmates and eying the axe with new interest. There's so little originality here that it's hard for the film to generate any real emotion or suspense, but that doesn't stop director Hamm from trying. It's a thriller only because he continually jolts us with loud chords of music, sudden red herrings or unexplained moments of grisliness. But none of this resonates since the script never even tries to make it hang together sensibly. Still, the film's worth seeing for the solid performances given by Kinnear and Romijn-Stamos--they so vividly get under the skin of this desperate, frightened couple that we willingly accept the silly tale they're in. De Niro is fine in what turns out to be a thankless role. Although nowhere near as thankless as poor Bailey's jittery ex-nanny, who has to explain the big surprise revelation in an oracle-like fashion. And Bright brings a nice Damian-like creepiness to the shifty young Adam. But even mentioning Damian reminds us how weak this is compared to The Omen's raw horror. And even worse, this has the nerve to make a half-hearted moral statement about cloning. Oh just stop already! Rich Cline Adam Duncan (Bright) had just turned eight when tragedy struck and took Paul (Kinnear) and Jessie’s (Romijn-Stamos) only child from them. Hearing of their loss Dr Richard Wells (De Niro) approached them and offered a way of bringing Adam back. By using some of Adam’s cells, Wells could clone an exact duplicate of the Duncan’s child so they could start again. Eight years later their new son has reached the age where he previously died and he is starting to remember things that he hasn’t even done. Does a clone inherit more than just the genetic material of the original? Can memories be passed on? That is the intriguing question that Godsend poses but the meandering script just doesn’t push the premise to any interesting conclusions. The idea of human cloning and what it could mean to medical advances and the human genome is one of the most controversial subjects that it gripping science today. The ethical implications of what some scientists are trying to achieve could have extremely positive and disastrously negative on the way we live today. This fascinating subject is dragged kicking and screaming into the doldrums of mediocrity, as the screenplay does nothing to surprise or hold your attention. In fact the film doesn’t really end it just stops leaving many unanswered questions. The cast do their best with the material. It is easy to forget that Greg Kinnear is a fine dramatic actor, as he becomes better known for his lighter, more comedic roles. He does what he can with the character of Paul but the role just isn’t challenging or fleshed out enough to really push his talents. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos fairs better with Jessie however. She plays the grieving mother, riddled by gilt and desperation extremely well and really tries hard with the lacklustre material. Cameron Bright is also good as Adam. There is something slightly unnerving about the character, as his stare seems to cut right through you with truly evil motivations. There is something about a child villain that makes you feel even more scared. The big question the film raises is “What is Robert De Niro doing in this movie?” He is one of the greatest actors of all time but he seems to be on autopilot for the entire movie. There is absolutely nothing here to challenge him but the crime is that it seems like he isn’t even trying, with only one scene that shows any amount of his talent (and you can see that in the trailer). Godsend takes a very interesting subject and makes it into a very average movie. Overly predictable and giving you no sense of completion, you would expect more from an accomplished cast and a respected director in Nick Hamm. It does make you ask the question “Are we watching the real Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Robert De Niro?” Star Rating = * * Damien lives! In the late 1970s, moviegoers were literally scared out of their wits when American Ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) learns his son is in fact “the antichrist” in 1976’s “The Omen”. Ever since that film and its misunderstood and under-appreciated sequel in 1978, Hollywood has become fascinated with “evil child” syndrome. Why is the human condition so fascinated with a blending of evil and pure innocence? Almost 30 years after the release of “The Omen”, a new film tries once more to pull back the covers and take another crack at the “evil child”. This time parents (Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) lose their only son, Adam (Cameron Bright) in a horrific accident and are approached by a brilliant doctor (Robert DeNiro) who offers them the chance of a lifetime. The couple must say good-bye to the world they know and move to a secluded hospital where the doctor promises that they can have their boy back. And that is where the film is supposed to get interesting, thought-provoking and thrilling, right? Instead the film decides to give us all the answers up front. So I guess I can get into the main plot point here as well. The doctor clones the couple’s boy and they raise him all over again. The film’s catch happens when the clone reaches the same point when the original boy died. The boy begins to shows signs of insanity, gruesome night terrors and eventually his parents begin to freak out. There is a twist I won’t give away but for the most part the film continues its predictable linear course. I have to admit I did really like Kinnear as the panicking father who loves his son deeply and seems to be the only character in the film who is looking beyond the miracles of just one secluded doctor. In some scenes Kinnear even reminded me some of Peck in “The Omen” and Willam Holden in the sequel. I didn’t feel anything for Stamos who is sobby, ruffled and never fully unveiled. Her character seems to be the least fleshed out character in the story which is strange since you think the mother would be going through hell to help her boy. Stamos plays the mother as this desperate, constantly crying, sheet-over-head woman who is always screaming she wants her child back. I wanted to see a bond between mother and son but one never materialized. Stamos is just way out of her league playing this kind of emotional part. You needed an actress who you can see vast sums of emotion with just one look. Maybe like a Julianne Moore for example. They also needed an actress who had chemistry with Kinnear and the boy. There isn’t a lot of DeNiro in this film which is the reason it reminded me so much of the Omen. The film’s primary focus is the parents. In some ways a lot of the way the film is presented is a film looking to debate “cloning” until the twist ending. It should have dropped the linear approach to filmmaking and opened with the audience knowing little. It should have used the “evil child” card to its best ability not as a gimic. The final thing that made me dislike the film is that after the twist ending the filmmakers played the “six months later” card. Films only play this card when they believe they don’t know how to end a film. It’s basically a slap in the face to every moviegoer. I have always felt ripped off with those endings. Godsend
could have been a new “Omen” if it would have
gone for the thrills and held its secrets closer to the
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