The Awakening (2011)

To me, this movie is perfection.

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I have just watched this film and, after many trials, I feel I have found a decent ghost story with a satisfying denouement - in among all the pap out there at the moment. Bucking the trend (a la the dreadful re-working of Robert Wise's The Haunting) special effects are kept to a minimum, allowing the characters - especially the exquisite Rebecca Hall - to shine through. A hint of 'The Turn of the Screw' at times, but that is no bad thing.

I feel numb after watching this on netflix, and I'm just blown away by reading all the positive reviews afterwards. It seems it's no longer possible to make a good movie, and it's pretty clear the reason why is that the majority of us no longer remember what a good movie is! I'm 35 for Christ sake, not 80.This movie started out great; everything was going good. It had a certain direction, and I was eager to see where it would lead. Then about midway through everything is flushed down the crapper. This is well before the twist at the end too, which itself was utter crap. I'm incapable of going into anymore detail, because that would require more time than this movie deserves. What little mind I have left just won't allow it.

Just finished this movie as of Feb 28, 2017! What can I say about this movie, it has the right touch of creepiness but hidden revealed of beauty and yet troubling horror mixed with true friendship and love. What I love about this tale is how well it's set up, down to the costumes, the environment. You'll notice how the film looks like it's black and white in itself , as if its straight from history , from the 1921 which the film is set in. I love the music of the time, the history, the clothes, even the way of speaking.The ending was the best, but I was confused, I had many suspects in the film of the who the ghost was. I don't think it explained much about Walter or his back story enough. If you love surprises , especially at the end, you should see this! It has a few jumps and scares, but the true scary part of this film is the thought of death and were we all go. The beautiful score, the sets, all that will scare you more than anything else. I lost my mother , so this movie really touches my heart, especially since she died a year after this film came out. I give this film a 9 out of 10 only because it was a bit confusing, but maybe that's because I need to re watch it :) great master piece of a film. Truly haunting on every level, on every scale!

As I picked through the DVD's at my local library, I came across The Awakening as an after thought.Another ghost story, I thought to myself. Sure. Why not? I really didn't expect much beyond the above board cookie-cutter production out of Hollywood with some decent thrills and chills and a nice neat little ending.How delightfully wrong I was.Set in London in 1921, Rebecca Hall portrays the indelible Ms Catheart. Florence Catheart is a rarity in her time. She's unmarried, educated, an author, and has a successful career as a debunker of the supernatural. She delights in busting charlatans and frauds much the same as the Amazing James Randi does in our own time.Shortly after a successful raid on a séance hosted by prominent citizens in London, Florence is paid a visit by a Mr. Mallory (Dominic West) requesting her services at the Rockford School for Boys in the countryside. They evidently have a ghost. Florence reluctantly takes the job.The school itself is a large, multi-floored structure that years before was the private home of a very rich family. And a little boy is rumored to have been killed inside, but no official record exists as the wealthy can afford to bury their secrets. Florence's sometimes erratic behavior belies the fact she has her own secrets buried deep within her own heart. But neither will stay buried forever.Florence sets up camp inside with her assembly of turn-of-the-century scientific equipment and trap cameras, and the mysteries begin to unfold at a satisfying pace.All the sets, costumes and props are authentic (but I doubt the existence of mechanical talking dolls in the early 1900's). The film itself, although shot in color, has a slight hue of sepia to it that adds to it's illusion of looking back in time. Side plots and character development abound, and tie in quite nicely around the main story. Twists and turns throughout the story are well constructed and provide many a surprise. Strap yourself into your easy chair with your favorite hot beverage, turn the lights off and enjoy!The Awakening is guaranteed not to put you to sleep.