![]() That scene might have been better if the direction just concentrated on the actors' faces as they reacted to events, instead of having them butt in all the time, which would have made the piano episode really hit home with just a few lines. The big drawback is the dialogue, with way too much piled on when we can figure things out for ourselves, and way too much sarcasm even after the opening scene has pitched its sceptical credentials. Sometimes the music is interesting, with a mix of piano, strings and synth, although it does get laid on heavy in some talking scenes. This is mostly a two-hander, with decent performances as the characters lay out their conflicting beliefs through flashbacks to their pasts. The camera work is good, always trying out the interesting angle, and the location is used to the full to shape the story. Some nice ideas in this movie, treating the seance scenario as more than a gimmick in an attempt to dig down into character. But be careful, Gravitas Ventures putting out a decent picture could be a sign that Armageddon is upon us.Ī sceptic attends a seance, and won't leave the house until she finds the truth. I'm viewing the whole experience as a Christmas miracle. THE SÉANCE did go on one scene too long and ended with a clunk, but still, I actually would call it worth watching. He might go on to perform in real movies someday. The male lead even managed to be a little charming. The two principles who were the only people on screen about 80% of the time, were actually, dare I say it, pretty good. And yet, though it astonishes me to admit it, the story was somewhat interesting and the acting didn't trigger retching. ![]() ![]() That is, bargain-basement production values, color balancing that makes you want to bathe, sound design where the soundtrack drowns out the dialogue, a single location set for the entire picture, and so on. Do remember that it was, after all, a Gravitas Ventures picture, and even though I actually enjoyed it, all of the boilerplate contract terms and conditions of a Gravitas Ventures abomination still apply. good? Which in this case means not terrible. It was, and I gag as I say this, actually. So imagine how shocked I was, shocked I say, when THE SÉANCE actually DIDN'T make me reflexively void my bowels. Firstly, as the Gravitas Ventures logo slithers off screen, I look for the ridges and troughs of the slug slime it leaves behind and secondly, I have to prepare myself to view a movie that is unconscionably execrable. THE SÉANCE is a Gravitas Ventures production. So I liked enough of it to mildly recommend it, but still. If they had kept a consistent tone throughout the movie, it would have been more successful. And what's even more confusing is that in the coda, it turns back to deadly serious at the end. And it was jarring - I'm thinking, "Hey, when did this become a comedy? Or was it always a comedy and nothing was funny until now?" Think The Three Stooges showing up all of a sudden during the climax of "Silence of the Lambs." So the suspense that was so carefully built was replaced with. The characters start making jokes and there is general goofiness. Where I think the movie makes a huge mistake is that when it gets to the most suspenseful part of the movie, what it's been building to, the tone of the movie all of a sudden shifts. I also like that we actually GET an answer to what's going on. At some point in the movie, what is going on appears to be clear but even so, there are little hints that maybe it's not what we think it is. For the most part, though, I found it interesting and engaging, and I like that it plays its hand pretty close to the vest. Word of warning, there is a lot of talking and dialog. Great lighting, clear sound, and solid acting all around. But does he have a connection to the spirit world? Or is he perpetrating an elaborate hoax on not just his attendees, but Andy herself? These are the questions that will be explored over the course of the evening. After all the other attendees leave, Andy sticks around and tries to figure out how Nate did everything, and get him to admit he's a fraud. However, it turns out that one of the attendees is Andy (Miranda Skerman), who hosts a You Tube series where she debunks mediums, psychics, and the like. It's a good one - lots of stuff happens, a family member of one the attendees appears to manifest himself. "The Seance" begins with Nate (Michael Minto" holding a séance. I liked a lot of "The Seance," but think it made a big miscalculation that hurt my connection to the film.
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