The Uninvited

The Uninvited (2009)

RATING 5/10

BOTTOM LINE: The film has some good atmospheric moments, but it relies on stereotypical conventions that do not gel well at all with the overall story, all despite an ending which almost makes up for that unevenness.

THE GOOD: The film starts with lead character Anna (Browning) telling her psychiatrist about a recurring dream she is having. Needless to say, it is spooky. On advice from her psychiatrist, she returns home for the first time in many months after a tragic explosion at her home killed her mother. She reunites with her sister Alex (Kebbel), and the pair are jointly upset with their father Steven (Strathairn) and his new relationship with Rachel (Elizabeth Banks), who was her mother’s live-in nurse when she was sick. Events start to spiral out of control after the sisters discover that Rachel is not who she says she is and starts becoming much more nasty and violent. The film offers some good atmospheric moments, particularly with Anna’s visions, and the cast are very good, particularly Elizabeth Banks who effectively portrays a menacing and manipulative character. The film moves through some interesting plot twists, but perhaps the film is mostly boosted by its ending, which you cannot really say is a twist, but it definitely casts a whole different light on what you are seeing and makes complete sense. “The Uninvited” is a different take on the usual horror film, and does a decent enough job of supplying the scares and offering an insight in to madness.

THE BAD: The filmmakers never get the tone right for this film. Relying on many clichés and stereotypes inherent to the genre, it seems to be leading you to a more supernatural conclusion, particularly in the opening scares, but then clumsily moves to something else entirely as the narrative progressives. As a result, the film never really satisfies, and it is only in watching the ending that everything starts to make sense; but even this feels more like its been tacked on as an afterthought. There is no build or suspension of disbelief in the story that will inevitably lead to this conclusion. The explanation is quickly brushed over, and the final shots, although creepy and different from a narrative perspective, seem altogether unbelievable and silly.

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

The Uninvited (B/W 1944) Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Cornelia Otis Skinner

A film classic. As ghost stories go, The Uninvited is by far one of the best.

A black and white classic, this mystery/paranormal movie has everything, mystery, a ghost, romance and beautiful music in the background. Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey star as brother and sister, Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald.

When siblings buy a beautiful old house on the English coast (Windward House) overlooking the ocean, they have no idea what awaits them in their new home. However, their dog knows and he immediately runs away. After moving in, the new owners soon sense that they are not the only residents of Windward House. They awaken to the sound of sobbing, they smell the strong scent of mimosa and one room is so cold, they cannot use it. Curious to know the history of the house, they set out to get some answers from the previous owner Commander Beech (Donald Chrisp). When Rod questions the Commander, he realizes that his questions are no surprise to the Commander who believes that the house is indeed haunted and that he fears for his young granddaughter's safety.

While the Fitzgerald’s are visiting the Commander, the granddaughter, Stella Meredith (lovely Gail Russell) comes home. Stella is also curious about Winward House but her grandfather has been evasive in answering her questions and has forbidden her to enter or go near the place. Now, he wants her to stay away from the meddling Fitzgerald's as well. However, Stella’s curiosity has gotten the best of her and she disobeys her grandfather’s orders.

Neighbor Dr. Scott (Alan Napier) who has found the Fitzgerald's pet, befriends and joins them in their quest to find out the truth about Winward House. The search for information leads Rod and Pamela to a grim-faced Miss Holloway, portrayed by Cornelia Otis Skinner who is superb in this role. Holloway knows all of the answers and has held them for years; but shares them with no one, not even the Commander. She inadvertently destroys herself, as she tries vainly to keep a promise made to her good friend who died many years ago. Victor Young's haunting 'Stella By Starlight' threads through the movie as tension rises.

This is such a good ghost movie, it is the kind that makes you turn on the lights to get rid of shadowy corners. The Uninvited was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Cinematography, Black-and-White category.

The Uninvited is available in VHS format from Amazon.com through various dealers.

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Vannie Ryanes, <br />
Classic Film Maven

Last updated: 2010-05-05 07:27:27 by user07

Watching on Wednesday: The Uninvited

Title: The Uninvited
Type: Movie
Age Group: Teens +
Release Year: 2009
My Rating: 3.5/5

Anna  (Emily Browning) is a teenage girl who just got released from a mental hospital. Not so long ago, she witnessed a tragedy. She could not remember the details but she saw the boathouse that her ill-mother was in blew up in front of her. From then on, she was never the same.  

Coming back home, she finds out that her father is dating her mother's former nurse, Rachel, (Elizabeth Banks) and is repulsed by it. During the nights, Anna starts seeing dead people who point out that Rachel is the murderer. Convinced that her father's girlfriend is the reason behind her mother's death, she tells her older sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) about her visions. Alex believes her and they start rummaging through Rachel's background to see if there is anything suspicious. They come up with some gruesome information that may help them convince their father about who he is really with. But who would believe Anna when they think she is simply insane?

This movie is a remake of a 2003 South Korean film called A Tale of Two Sisters. Which is surprising because I expected it to be a remake of a Japanese one instead, seeing how many have been released up to this point.

Last updated: 2010-04-09 09:23:32 by user01

The Uninvited (Lewis Allen, 1944)

 

***½
USA
Siblings Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey purchase a Cornish seaside mansion, despite its unusually low asking price, its attic that sends pets squealing to the neighbours, and its adjacency to a very steep cliff that formed the site of a suspicious death 17 years earlier. Sure enough, they find themselves caught up in a very polite but very watchable ghost story, with the exquisitely wooden Gail Russell as the maiden in peril and a lady called Cornelia Otis Skinner playing a graduate of the Gail Sondergaard School of Sapphism and Psychiatry. The spooky effects are that much more effective for bursting out amid all the light-hearted banter and irreproachable civility. 

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The Uninvited

"The Uninvited" is an interesting thriller that had me going and involved and I thought I was going to see a bad movie but I was wrong. This movie is like a second cousin to another thriller this year called "Orphan" which I loved. They both have an outrageous twist at the end and some goofy scares but "Orphan" wasn't afraid to go over the top but I think this one is a little scared and didn't want to push that R rating. The acting is good especially the two sisters played well by Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel. I won't give away twists but the movie is basically two girls who lost their mother in a fire. They now live with their father and he is involved now with a younger woman who used to be the nurse for the mother. Well the girls think that the younger woman wants to kill them so she can have daddy to herself. Of course there is more to it than that as the movie ends on a "Sixth Sense" type note. Emily Banks is awesome here and she is going to become a major star soon. She has a great face for the screen and she can be funny, a bitch or terrifying and you sense she is having fun here. This is not a bad little thriller but I think it plays it too safe at times like it was geared towards 13 year old girls but I think adults and all audiences will appreciate it's craft. It was one of those movies where I dreaded to watch but found out it was actually surprisingly good.

Vincent Snavely

Lips Make "The Uninvited" Worthwhile

Starring: Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn, Scary Crap

Total Running Time: 87 minutes

After watching the latest “Real World” episode on DVR with my Real-World-junkie wife last night, we happened upon “The Uninvited” on one of the movie channels we shell good money for… yet hardly watch.  We were sans the first couple of minutes… but I’ve seen plenty of movies like this in my time. 

If you’ve seen “The Grudge” (FREAKIN’ SCARY), any M. Night Shamalomadingdong movie (Signs, Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), “Scream” (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) or “The Others” (also known as The Sixth Sense… only not) then you know there’s got to be a twist at the end!

I’m usually pretty good at figuring these movies out halfway through.  This leads Bunny to think I’m some sort of Zen Master or something.  Truth is… it’s hard to trick someone when they’ve seen all the tricks before.

This movie was no different.

The movie deals with two sisters trying to put the past behind them as their bedridden mom was accidentally killed when the house blew up.  Oops.  But accidents happen right?  Unfortunately for them, their dad quickly moves on with the nurse who took care of their mom RIGHT BEFORE SHE BLEW UP!!!
 
See the plot line thickening?

Come to find out… the nurse isn’t who she really says she is but…. HOLY SHIT!!! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!



Ha… got you.  You thought some zombie was about to stab you in the neck with a syringe full of air didn’t you.  You didn’t?  Okay then… moving on.

Elizabeth Banks is the nurse/future step mother who seems to be out to claim what’s hers… no matter what gets in her way!  I love Elizabeth Banks.  She’s an excellent actress… but I’m not sure horror movies are her game.  I didn’t think the match-up between her and Steven (actor David Strathairn, the cheating sonofabitch dad) was all the believable.  I mean… he’s old.  She’s young and cute.  How does that work out?  I envision her in movies like “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Role Models” when she was funny… I don’t like her serious and scary.



Better funny… not spooky

While Elizabeth Banks was the most recognizable actress in this movie, I found myself drawn to the lead, Emily Browning who plays Anna, the youngest daughter who’s dealt with her mothers death by means of a trip to the mental ward… and now she’s seeing ghosts and shit.  Aside from the common plotline… I found myself drawn to her in a way other than her acting ability but I couldn’t figure out why.

Eventually Bunny pinpointed it, “She’s got great lips doesn’t she?”

Suddenly I felt as though the scales fell from my eyes and I was staring at the most perfect pair of puckers I’d ever seen!

“Why, yes they are!” I said.  “They’re… beautiful… so… beautiful.”

 

I… am… hypnotized…

While the rest of her face was “eh… okay”, it was her lips that were incredible!  When she talked they were like two giant flesh-colored, jelly-filled croissants slapping together.  This made watching the movie all that more enjoyable. 
Every scene that took away from “lip time” had me craving more and more lips.



I could put my entire DVD collection in those…

The other sister, Alex (actress Arielle Kebbel), didn’t have near as nice of lips.  This made me question the casting director’s decisions on who to cast for this movie because I would think you’d obviously want to create some semblance of uniformity in the family with these “genetically superior lips”.  If the uniformity was to take place… the whole family would have to have lips as incredible as those the lead so proudly purses throughout the movie.



Far, far less superior lips

The movie ended with the typical twist I was expecting, i.e. “Oh… you’re a ghost.  I’m crazy.  She’s not a loon.  I am.  What the F did all those scary visions have to do with anything other than make the audience jump?  Wait, I still have unanswered questions.  And finally… my lips are awesome.”

The Uninvited, on a scale of other horror movies of its kind, gets a paltry 1 out of 5 pencil thin lips.



On the other hand… if I were to rate Emily Browning’s lips in the movie… I’d have to give them five out of five pencil thin lips.



That adds up to a total of 3 out of 5 full luscious lips over the course of the whole movie.



Those lips saved this movie.  Those lips should win an Oscar

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Read more about me and what's in my crazy mind at www.handstowar.wordpress.com

Last updated: 2010-02-27 08:49:24 by papak