The ending of this film left me with my mouth wide open. A nice ending, I've gotta say. But I'm getting way ahead of myself.First, the short synopsis.
Madeline (Jordan Ladd) is 8 months pregnant and (after having 2 miscarriages previously) is determined to give birth to her daughter. Tragedy strikes in the form of a car accident and Madeline is informed that her husband was killed and that her baby will be stillborn. She decides to carry the child to term anyway, and somehow Grace is born alive and seemingly healthy. Emotional, desperate and disturbing hi-jinks ensue.
I loved this film. It's a "get under your skin" number instead of a "shock you silly" one, and it definitely succeeds. There's a little factoid that springs to mind in trying to describe "Grace". You the one about how if you throw a frog in boiling water it will jump straight out but if you put it in cold water and heat it up it will boil to death? Yeah. That's what this film does. About 3/4 of the way through I realised I was incredibly tense and unsettled. Then, before you know it, it smacks you with the ending.
I loved the way the real horror is found in the most subtle moments, like the apparent ability of a 60 year old woman to breast feed. *shudder*. Creepy.
And I love the characters. Given the subject matter, it's good to see a female dominated cast. Furthermore, it's fantastic to see a riveting film where none of the female characters can be mistaken as weak, sex isn't used as a weapon, the guys aren't out to dominate the gals and neither is the opposite. If any film deserves the genre of "feminist horror" it's this one.
Watch it, yo'.
Just watched this film and five yawns later, must say the real star of this film is the blood.
ReplyDeleteAnd all of the female characters are so unlikeable, it's enough to turn both men and women into girl-haters.
And the 'cop out' ending didn't solve a thing. Nothing is explained.
Mediocre little film all around.