The Mothman Prophecies
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
Starring:
Richard Gere (John), Laura Linney (Connie),
Debra Messing (Mary)
Directed by: Mark Pellington
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There are many things in this universe that science has a
hard time explaining. The mysteries of Atlantis, The Bermuda
Triangle, crop circles, Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, and
The Yeti, are just a few of the subjects that cant be resolved
nor fully explained by scientific theory.
Nature
is often full of mystery as life forms are still discovered
to this day. The Celocampth was thought to have been extinct
for thousands of years only to be discovered again in the
late 1980s off the coast of South America. Many people love
mysteries, and that is why films, books, and television shows
dealing with the unknown have proven so popular over the ages.
With the recent announcement by series creator Chris Carter
that "The X-Files" would be ending its nine-season run on
the small screen, a new movie is set to debut this weekend
on the big screen with a mystery as compelling as anything
that Mulder or Scully ever faced. What makes the premise of
the film even more interesting is that it is based on true
events that are supported by numerous eyewitness reports from
credible sources.
The movie
in question is "The Mothman Prophecies" and like the book
of the same name by John A Keel, it covers the mysterious
events that befell the town of Point Pleasant West Virginia
from 1966-67. Though set in modern times, the events have
been recreated with only slight dramatic enhancements by director
Mark Pellington, and Writer/Producer Richard Hatem, with chilling
results. Mothman stars Richard Gere as John Klein, a respected
and accomplished journalist for the Washington Post. Klein
has just purchased a dream home with his lovely wife Mary
(Debra Messing), when a car accident turns their world upside
down. While in the hospital, Mary asks her husband if he saw
it, confused by the question, John chalks the notion up to
accident trauma, and forgets about it, as the health of his
wife is his main concern. Sadly for John, his wife dies, and
while sorting her things discovers a series of bizarre and
horrific sketches his wife made while in the hospital.
The film
then jumps two years ahead and John is a shell of his former
self. He is still mourning his wife, and going through the
motions at work and in life. John is sent on assignment to
interview the Governor in Richmond, VA, when his life takes
a turn out of the Twilight Zone. A short 90-minute drive later,
John finds himself stranded in a small town with a local man
claiming he has woken him up the past two nights previous
and he has been waiting for him. The arrival of officer Connie
Parker (Laura Linney), only adds to the confusion as it is
determined that John traveled over 400 miles in just under
90 minutes and is now in a small west Virginia town named
Point Pleasant. During his time in the town, John learns of
mysterious sightings, strange phone calls, and odd goings
on from people who are pillars of the community. A series
of sketches by witnesses are exact ringers for the images
John's wife drew two years earlier, and before long, John
is receiving odd phone calls by something that does not sound
human, yet knows everything about him and what he is doing,
even in a closed room. Soon after, some people start claiming
a mysterious moth shaped figure is talking to them, and telling
them of disasters to come. John soon finds himself racing
for an answer before something bad happens to the area, as
he is convinced is about to happen, and the lines between
reality and madness start to blur in a frenzy of bizarre and
unexplained activities.
The film
is slowly paced and builds to an interesting if though predictable
climax. I saw what was to come before it happened, but it
did not spoil the moment for me. Gere and Linney give solid
performances, and the film does keep your attention. The true
nature of the mystery is left a mystery, as the audience is
left to ponder what they have seen and in some areas draw
their own conclusions. That is the joy of the film as to this
day, The Mothman continues to be reported in areas often before
a disaster strikes and then never to be seen in that area
again. There were sightings in Chernobyl before the nuclear
accident, and in Mexico City before the large earthquake.
While some may call this notion nonsense, there were 47 people
who lost their lives in Point Pleasant shortly after the Mothman
was reported there, only to vanish following a tragedy. Whether
it is fact or fantasy one thing is clear, "The Mothman Prophecies"
is an entertaining and chilling film that will make you question
what you believe about myths and the supernatural.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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