18 June,2011 07:23 AM IST | | Johnson Thomas
The Resident
A, Drama
Dir: Anti Jokinen
Cast:u00a0 Hillary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lee Pace, Christopher Lee, Aunjanue Ellis
'1/2
This Anti Jokkinen attempted thriller suffers from a distinct lack of chemistry.
The narrative formulated with a talented cast including Academy Award winning actress Hillary Swank, latest hunk-on-the-horizon Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor synonymous with evil - Christopher Lee, and the perky Aunjanue Ellis complemented by reputed cinematographer Guillermo Navarro's haunting cinematography and a jitter-enhancing score by John Ottman, simply fails to light-up.
ER doctor/surgeon Juliet Devereau (Swank) bruised by a broken relationship with Jack (Lee Pace) decides to move home-away from the memories of a fragile past.
But she did not bargain on falling into a deeper hell when she chose a spacious apartment owned by Max (Morgan). Juliet is on the rebound and seeks comfort from the handsome Max but he appears to be unwilling at first. Then Max is shown as spying on her and it becomes just a little bit far-fetched.
Thereafter, his obsession with seeing her in a bathtub and getting her to assuage his perverted needs really takes the cake.
Lee's presence bins the narrative, as Max's grandfather appears to be a red-herring designed to create some sense of mystery. But it's really not enough. And that is simply because of the underwritten script by Robert Orr.
u00a0
It appears to be too flimsy an excuse for a full-length feature. The plot is so uneventful that even the suggestive atmosphere generated by Navarro's engaging camerawork fails to prop it up.
Orr's musical enhancements also appear quite pointless in a narrative that is so devoid of mystery, chills, thrills and spills that it almost appears boring and listless. Strictly avoidable!
