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Hide And Seek
Seek And Ye Shall Find A Decent Flick

Starring: Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan Baker, Robert John Burke
Director: John Polson
Screenwriters: Ari Schlossberg , Barry Josephson

Reviewed by Larry Stanley

"Let's just hope you don't end up like her."

My problem is, I actually enjoyed this movie. I know it was derivative, somewhat silly, and it was pretty easy to figure out just what the ending was going to be, but still I rather enjoyed myself.

"Yes! Yes! I'm talking to you!"

Part of it might be Dakota Fanning and DeNiro; since she is certainly scary looking and DeNiro is a good enough actor he can overcome almost anything. Part of it might also be that I had just come out of Alone in the Dark and watching an infomercial dealing with callus on the toe might have been more interesting and entertaining at that point.

Still, I have to say the film was twisted and did a good job of keeping the viewer interested. At least, no one left the theater after the first 15 or 20 minutes. And it was quiet in there, except for the times when the audience gasped or jumped.

At the same time, it was infuriating that with this good a cast and story the film was not better.

Robert De Niro is a psychologist whose wife (Amy Irving) has committed suicide, and Dakota Fanning is his daughter Emily with a friend named Charlie. But, no one else sees this friend and everyone thinks Charlie is imaginary.

One thing I have learned in life from watching movies is that if a kid talks about an "imaginary friend" it is a good idea to start hiding the knives in the house.

The question throughout the film is, "Is Charlie an imaginary friend?" which is what Katherine (Famke Janssen) -- Emily's psychiatrist -- thinks, or is he one of the ever growing list of obvious suspects.

David Callaway (DeNiro) decides to move her to an old, rambling house in the woods in upstate New York to start a new life. And this is just another moment when clichés abound. The suspicious neighbors, who are fairly weird, the sheriff who seems somewhat odd, the hidden doors, a secret cellar, ripped up dolls, scribbled messages on walls, knives moved and a possible girlfriend for David (Elisabeth Shue) with great cleavage. I stopped counting, for the film is one extended cliché after another.

Yes, the film does a pretty good job of showing how tough it is for Emily to lead a normal childhood life after losing her mother. It also shows how rough it can be on a parent who is now trying to show compassion, comfort and love to his child, while also seeking to fill both roles of mother and father to a child who is afraid that the other parent might leave.

The film is a good thriller and well-acted. DeNiro does a great job. Watching him as he watches Emily bait a hook to go fishing is great. He is shocked with the cavalier attitude she displays, and the viewer while watching her is also impressed with Emily's apparent cold-blooded willingness to place a bug on a metal hook.

It does make one wonder about this sweet, innocent girl's mental state. I really enjoyed watching the way he tried to relate to Emily, who was perfect as his daughter.

The addition of Famke Jansen was also a good idea, with her obvious love of both Emily and David.

Hide and Seek is not a bad film but the script is horribly clichéd. Written by Ari Schlossberg who has only been involved in one other major film, Lucky 13 a romantic-comedy -- which is a far cry from being a writer of thrillers. John Polson as director also has some good ideas for this film, but the ending sort of fell through. That was the weakest part of the movie, and it's almost unforgivable.

Maybe the DVD will offer alternative endings. Someone must have had a better idea somewhere.

Rating:

(3 out of 4 stars)

Larry Stanley is the editor and publisher of Penguin Comics and Movies, located at http://www.penguincomics.net and has done over 500 movie reviews in his career. He is also a contributing reviewer to Cultcuts magazine (http://www.cultcuts.net) and Columbia360 (http://www.columbia360.com/) as well the magazine Devine Exploitation.

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