Now available on DVD
Cast:
Aiden Gillen as Patrick
Eva Birthistle as Louise
Timothy Spall as Arthur
Ella Connolly as Alice
Directed by David Keating
Review:
Wake Wood, directed by David Keating from a screenplay by Keating and Brendan McCarthy, has received a lot of buzz because it’s one of the first films produced by the newly revamped Hammer Films, an instant attention-getter in the world of horror cinema.
A young girl is savagely killed by a dog at the opening of the film. The grief and guilt-stricken parents relocate to a small town in Ireland called Wake Wood and attempt to build a new life. The father is a veterinarian specializing in bovine medicine who works for local farmers and the mother is a pharmacist who runs a small shop.
After witnessing some strange things and finding out some of the townspeople know their slain daughter’s name, the couple is approached by the town leader and offered a chance to have their daughter resurrected for three days.
The couple takes the offer but breaks the strict rules of the deal by lying and telling the leader their daughter is a candidate for being brought back because she’s been dead less than year. The couple’s daughter is resurrected but starts acting strangely, revealing homicidal tendencies.
The film is an Irish take on Stephen King’s 1983 novel “Pet Sematary” and Mary Lambert’s 1989 film adaptation of the same name. What hamstrings Wake Wood is the resulting overwhelming familiarity of the story. It’s a good-looking film courtesy of cinematographer Chris Maris but the film is incredibly predictable and offers no surprises of any kind.
In fact, because it contains so little in the way of freshness, you are left with the feeling that there’s nothing going on Wake Wood that couldn’t have been equally served in a short film.
The later portions of the film detailing the lethal urges of the newly reborn daughter are especially weak.
With the excellent acting performance of Isabelle Fuhrman in Jaume Collett-Serra’s Orphan and the unforgettable mayhem on display in Tom Shank landâs The Children (which also starred Wake Wood lead actress Eva Birthistle) and James Watkins’ Eden Lake, the bar for the on-screen portrayal of âkiller kidsâ is very high. Wake Wood‘s softer, much less effectively acted take on its murderous child doesn’t even begin to come close to this bar and, as a result, totally disappoints.
On the acting front, veteran actor Timothy Spall shines in a strong performance as the town leader. You’ll wish this character had been in a better film. Ah, and now the real hammer comes down.
SPOILER ALERT
The film ends on a note so amateur and embarrassing, I’m now questioning the 4 rating I’ve given the film based on its look and Timothy Spall’s performance.
In the last shot of the film, the father character looks AT THE CAMERA with a slight smile. Apparently, some filmmakers, like David Keating here and Russell Mulcahy in his 1998 Tale of the Mummy, actually think this is clever.
Not only is not clever, it’s an incredibly self-indulgent, annoying statement. What’s the statement? âAttention audience: As a filmmaker, I’m really above this kind of film and, as a matter of fact, so are you. Here’s a little âwink’ so we can share in how ridiculous this all isâ.
If this was a different article, this would be a perfect time to go after Michael Haneke but I’ll stay on topic.
As an ongoing comic convention in films like John Hughes’ Ferris Bullerâs Day Off or the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby Road films, addressing the audience can work. As the final note in a serious film? You’ve got to be kidding. How about some respect for the story and the audience?
