CASE 39 (REVIEW)
The
engaging Renee Zellweger plays Emily, an overworked social worker who takes it
upon herself to save a distraught child in a situation that seems to be brushed
aside by her peers. Her apartment refuses to investigate any further but that
doesn't mean anything.
Taking it upon herself, with the aid
of a burnt out Detective, Emily saves young Lillith away from the worst parents
ever portrayed to film. At one point they hide lock their daughter inside an oven
no less. This is an outstandingly horrific moment that develops a sense of dread
to ear mark the film. Emily decides to take Lillith into custody herself in an
attempt to bring the child much more stability.
The unlikely
union begins normal enough, but weird things soon start happening around the odd
little girl. She possesses an ability to read minds and a power to project terrifying
thoughts into her victim's heads. It's a type of hallucination to bring out the
individuals inner most fears causing self harm. Against her better judgement,
Emily tries to prevent the orphan from afflicting more harm. This only sets off
a further chain of supernatural events.
One blood chilling
moment involves a man pulling hornets out of his ears after burrowing inside his
cavity. A further look into the infamous case 39 and an element of cover ups seems
to be apparent. Negotiating what is right and what is wrong brings further moral
dilemma to Emily - she has only ever been to help children, not stop one from
causing ghastly assertion. Forcing anguish upon her elders is all this devil doll
lives for, Damien from 'The Omen', would have a friend in Lillith.
A
few of the scenes are seriously intense, some laughable, but the script is serviced
by two extremely competent actors - the against type Zellweger, she is a world
away from the wine guzzling Bridget Jones. Rounding out the duo is droll Englishman,
Ian McShane as Detective Barron. Their believable exchanges are an asset to the
illogical elements happening around them. Rising star Bradley Cooper, one of the
sick lads from 'The Hangover', is effective in a more mature role here.
The
film's integrity is all but lost in the finale as the oldest trick in the thriller
handbook is wheeled out to explain the reasoning behind the mayhem. Young Canadian
actor Jodelle Ferland, who will appear in the third edition of the Twilight saga,
'Eclipse', next year, is confronting as Lillith. Creating violence, she ticks
all the boxes as the kid from hell.
This menacing thriller
contains many ambitious moments for the genre, but is far from a great film.
Shane
A. Bassett
