Through The Shadow (2015)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This Brazilian version of Henry James's Turn of the Screw felt mismatched.Traditionally there has been two distinct interpretations of the novella. The first psychological - The teacher is naive, highly repressed and due to the isolation and sheer loneliness she suffers from, she becomes overwhelmed and begins to see and imagine impossible things. The other, and by far the more popular interpretation when it comes to cinematic versions - A genuine haunting by two menacing and malevolent spirits seeking to possess and corrupt the two innocent children.This movie seems to be mix of the two interpretations, creating an interesting but uneven result.The children were perfect for their roles. Their cherubic innocence made their teacher's passionate concern for their safety utterly believable.The weakness of the film lies with the casting of the teacher and the selfish uncle.It was difficult to buy into Virginia Cavendish as the repressed teacher - As she came across as far too worldly, possessing too strong a sense of independence and emotional maturity.Nor did it help that Domingos Montagner as the uncle lacked the finesse and charm the character required to be convincing.I also felt several of the supporting characters' backstories were left undeveloped and that was a lost opportunity: The director could've exploited these backstories for greater dramatic affect, giving the movie more nuance, and depth.Due to the time limit of the movie and the uneven pacing, much of the novella's menacing ambiguity was missing. The lack of conflict between the children and the teacher toward the end meant the shocking conclusion felt out of place - Tacked on even.There was a BBC television version done in 2009 that did a much better job of translating the story to the screen. Proving, in my opinion that the subtle elements of this story are better suited to a television miniseries.But all faults aside, this movie is definitely worth checking out. Especially on a late stormy night, with plenty of rain lashing against the windows to add an extra layer of heighten disquieted creepiness to your viewing experience.