A Real Brain Bender
TITLE: In A Dark Place
GENRE: Psychological Thriller
CAST: Leelee Sobieski, Tara Fitzgerald, Christian Olson and Gabrielle Adam
PLOT: A nanny is hired by an extremely wealthy, never seen uncle of two orphaned children. She must interact with an estate manager as well as the children. She slowly discovers the situation of the family before she arrived (There had been a suicide-or murder?- by drowning of the previous nanny and a suicide-or murder?-by that woman's lover, the groundskeeper). The sexual aspects of the situation bubble to the surface and thoroughly confuse the story. Ghosts begin to appear and it is left to the viewer to decide the relevance, if any or reality if any of the story from then on.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT: 7,5 of 10; I am still putting together the little clues given by this presentation in an effort to understand how it ends. I want others to suffer the same abuse this movie visited upon me. As a thriller type film, the remote location and leafless trees of the estate really help set the mood. The physicality of the adult players is interesting. If the mysteries of mental disorders and how they manifest themselves in people's lives are the sort of topics that interest you, this is a must see. For those who want a tidy story as a defense against what we know reality to be: bizarre at times, avoid this film or at least watch knowing the end leaves questions.
DVD BONUS: A making of... featurette, trailers
ADDED NOTES: Maybe the intended effect of the movie was to create a type of cinematic(not video) game where the viewer is required to put the pieces together. If so, this deserves a second viewing (or would that be like cheating?)