Dorothy Mills
Directed by: Agnes Merlet Starring: Carice Van Houten, Jenn Murray, Gary Lewis Synopsis: Following the tragic drowning of her son and estrangement of her husband, psychiatrist Jane Van Dop (Houten) undertakes the case of Dorothy Mills, a disturbed teen living in an isolated island community, who had apparently attacked the baby girl she was babysitting. Viewed with great suspicion and resentment by the community, Jane comes to believe that Dorothy has a multiple personality disorder – until that is Dorothy speaks to her as her son... Review: The first thing you need to know about this movie is that it contains a stunning debut performance by Jenn Murray as the titular character. She is called upon to undertake a number of personalities and pulls it off incredibly well. The second thing you need to know is that this isn’t your usual horror movie. It has a much more deliberate pace than you’d expect. And although spiritual possession plays a key role, please ignore any attempts to compare this movie to The Exorcist. If any glib comparisons need to be made, look in the direction of the original Wicker Man. The Community in which Jane finds herself is very insular, lead by Pastor Ross (a great performance by Gary Lewis) who is attempting to build his own “God’s Acre” and for the most part forbids contact with the Mainland. The problem with it is that it is too insular and is doomed to wither and die once the current members die as there is no new generation to come after. The misogyny levelled towards Jane isn’t just because she’s a meddling outsider, but because her sophisticated sexuality is a commodity conspicuous by its absence on the island. Dorothy Mills doesn’t try to play the “is it supernatural, or psychological?” card, as in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Jane thinks she’s cracked the case early on when she “meets” one of Dorothy’s other personalities but it soon becomes clear that there has to be a more “other-worldly” explanation for what is happening. As Jane exclaims at one point, “there’s some evil shit happening here!” What is also interesting is that certain people already know, and accept Dorothy’s connection to the afterlife and even exploit it.The titular Dorothy Mills is played superbly by Jenn Murray, in her first screen role. What makes her performance remarkable is the fact that there is no CGI, makeup fx or sound effects to enhance her performance yet you always believe in the different personalities she plays. Carice Van Houten, who can be currently seen alongside Tom Cruise in Valkyrie , shoulders a lot of the weight of the movie as well, showing great poise in an increasingly weird situation. Director Agnes Merlet captures the bleak, desolate nature of the island, the sense of decay pervading the small community and making the sprawling fields seem forboding. The one place we see sunshine is in Dorothy’s favourite spot, by the sea cliffs. It is very rare to come across anything original these days. Although Dorothy Mills is derivative at times it does have some original ideas tucked away. I thought I had the ending pegged early-on, as will some of you, but it manages to avoid the clichés and deliver something quite fresh... Verdict: The setting, performances and atmosphere are all top-notch. Just don’t go into this movie expecting typical scares and jolts. Do expect to be wrong-footed by a well-crafted story. 8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)
|
