Crush (2013): Painful recollection

Trailer:


The Plot:
A promising high school soccer player, Scott (Lucas Till), injures his knee in a silly race and doctors say it might take up to two years for his knee to heal. His father is against his playing soccer and wishes that he takes rest until he recovers completely.

However after 6 months, Scott insists on keeping fit in order to continue playing soccer much earlier. So much is his focus on soccer that when Jules (Sarah Bolger) makes a move on him, Scott declines and asks her to remain his best friend. Bess (Crystal Reed) a girl studying in Scott's high school, has a crush on Scott, and works in a store owned by David (Leigh Whannell) with her mature colleague Andie (Caitriona Balfe). Bess keep sending love letters to Scott but Scott doesn't realize who has sent them and ignores them. However, it does irk him when someone draws some warning on Jules' wall, saying "He's mine".

Later, Ms. Brown (Camille Guaty), Scott's teacher favors him by giving higher grades than he deserves and asks him to call her regarding a novel. Bess who hears the conversation, asks Scott whether he will call her and remarks that Scott is someone special, letting him to suspect that Bess is his secret admirer. Lucas can't help from making a scene as he is rather frustrated with all the attention, embarrassing Bess in front of David and Andie who happen to be there as well.

Ms. Brown is later attacked at a park while jogging, however, the attacker is not revealed. Things begin to get worse and worse as the stalker takes extreme measures including trying to kill Jules with a pillow during a party at a friend's place. Jules pretends to be unconscious and escapes from the incident. Scared, she informs Scott who also is present at the party. Scott assumes that Bess is responsible for the attack and he escorts Jules to her house.

While returning home, he encounters Andie who accidentally crashes her bicycle with Scott's car and is injured. Scott offers her to be taken to the hospital but she turns down and instead accepts when Scott offers to give her a ride home. While Scott is at Andie's house, he is attacked by her and is knocked unconscious revealing that it was Andie who was the stalker all along and not Bess. Andie holds Scott captive in her basement. David visits Andie's house and conveys his feelings about her on which she refuses and kills David. Scott attacks Andie at a suitable opportunity and tries to escape from the basement. Bess accidentally visits Andie's house and sees Scott and David's dead body. However, Andie attacks both of them and Jeffrey, a guy who has a crush on Bess and followed her there, comes to their rescue. Finally, the cops arrive and Andie is submitted to a mental asylum where she reveals that she had been stalking boys since her childhood and killed a lot of them. Finally Bess dates Jeffrey, and Scott reconciles with Jules. He reciprocates her feelings and they kiss.

The Riviu:
O-M-G.. the movie is so lackluster.. Bess couldn't be more boring a person.. I wonder how she got the job at the store being so dark and angsty and mumbling to herself as a manner of speaking to others.. really!

Lucas Till was ok as Scott though I spot many opportunities for him to escape Andie yet are never utilized.. the storyline is so weak! I mean, what made Andie snapped and decided to finally take Scott in and reveal herself in the process? adoi la..

I admit, the only thing that made me watch this is because the subject is having a crush on someone. it is not a very comfortable feeling, painful even.. as painful this movie is.


Full Movie:

Trance: Captivatingly Manipulative

Plot:
Simon (James McAvoy), an art auctioneer, becomes involved in the theft of a painting from his own auction house. Simon's colleague Franck (Vincent Cassel) confronts him at gunpoint and takes the painting from him. When Franck tries to take the painting, Simon attacks him and receives a blow to the head that leaves him with amnesia.

the painting: Francesco de Goya's Witches in the Air

When Franck gets home, he discovers that the package contains only an empty frame. Franck and his offsiders then kidnap and torture Simon, but he has no memory of where he has hidden the painting, so Franck decides to hire a hypnotherapist to try and help him remember.

Franck makes Simon choose a hypnotist from a directory, and he chooses a woman named Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson).

Elizabeth notices the wire tapped to Simon's chest

Elizabeth first helps Simon remembers where he put his car keys before later, after a research on Simon's involvement in an art robbery, she manipulates the situation such that Franck has to invite her into the gang in order to retrieve the painting.

Elizabeth reveals she knew about the stolen painting

As tension escalates, Elizabeth and Franck start a relationship and she suggests that she try to seduce Simon to find the painting.

She has sex with Simon and hypnotises him. Simon has a dream where Franck and his associates plan to kill him, but he kills them instead.

In the dream, he remembers where the painting is, calls Elizabeth and tells her. Simon awakens, only to find Elizabeth is gone. When he calls her, she is on her way to get the painting, which Simon begs her not to.

Franck and his associates intercept Elizabeth and force her to lead them to the painting. As she kisses Simon, Elizabeth passes three bullets to him. He attacks Franck with a fire extinguisher and takes the other bullets and his gun. Elizabeth goes back into the apartment, where one of Franck's associates tries to rape her. Simon kills all three of them and takes Elizabeth to get the painting. She tells him to let Franck come with them. He then leads them to a parking garage where the painting is.

when romance once blooms

During the trip, Elizabeth reveals that Simon once met a therapist to fix a gambling addiction. They started dating and he became obsessed with her and eventually abusive.

bipolarity is no joke

She then used hypnosis to make him forget her which led him back into his gambling addiction. This addiction would cause Simon to go in debt and lead him to try to pay off the debt by stealing a painting, with the help of Franck, leading to the current events of the movie.

On the day of the heist, Simon was attacked by Franck and awoke several hours later, finding the stolen painting hidden in his suit.

Leaving the art gallery, he gets a mysterious text message while crossing the road before he's hit by a car. The female driver planned to take him to hospital, but Simon, with his memory partially regained, thinks the woman is Elizabeth and strangles her for making him forget her. He hides her corpse and the painting in the trunk and puts the car in a garage.

After driving out of the garage and stopping at a warehouse, Elizabeth finds the painting and the body in the car's trunk. Simon, having finally remembered his past and wanting to forget, douses the car in fuel with Franck zip-tied to the steering wheel, sets it on fire and tells Elizabeth to run away with the painting, he doesn't want it.

She runs away but promptly returns driving a truck which she drives into Simon, pinning him against the other car, and ultimately sending Simon, and the car Franck is trapped in, into the river.

Franck manages to escape, while it is implied that Simon drowns. The scene cuts to Franck swimming in his apartment while thinking of the event. He gets out of the pool and receives a package. He opens the package and finds an iPad that plays a video of Elizabeth talking about the painting, which is now hanging in her apartment. She reveals that when she hypnotized Simon to make him forget her, she also hypnotized him to go back into his gambling addiction. When Simon would try to steal a painting to pay off his debt, he would instead give the painting over to Elizabeth. This explains why Simon took the painting away from Franck at the beginning and the text message he received before being hit by the car, which is revealed to be from Elizabeth telling Simon to deliver the painting to her. Elizabeth then gives Franck the option to forget the ordeal, and a button for an app called "Trance" appears as the video ends. Franck is shown debating whether to press the button, and the screen cuts to black.



Review:
I watched this movie with the theme already fixated in my mind. i constantly thought that the caption would be "Trance: the Manipulating B!tch" because i had known first hand that Elizabeth had made Simon steal that painting for her. little did i knew that i would understand, why.

Greed is not in the equation. it never was. but it's simply a retribution, a retaliation of a woman wronged. and Franck with his gang were involved, simply to justify that need of stealing her a painting. worthy of 27,500 pounds yet she simply in the end stuck it on the wall. the irony of it.

if only we have the power to use hypnosis to solve our problems, just by mere words, and poof it goes away.. come to think of it, i wonder why didn't Elizabeth in the first place hypnotise Simon to be non-abusive, non-possessive? i mean, you know he got some problem, why don't you help the man you feel strongly enough to be in a relationship with, to rid of that?

i mean it, they have in the beginning such a wonderful, healthy relationship: the romance, the intelligence, the passion, the connection.. yet when he starts to show that jealous, possesive, violent streak, you who could hypnotise him into stealing that painting couldn't think of doing some hypnotism to cure him of it? come on!

the story was made in layers, interchangeably, that we could get lost in the narration if we don't pay attention. but as i was paying attention, rather attentively i must say, i could understand the fiery chemistry between Elizabeth and Franck flaring up, why she invites him to find her in the end. because Franck, a crook though he was, is still somewhat a decent man. i mean, he could have Simon shot dead in the beginning but he lets him live.. torturing information by ripping nails off? that is not the act of a man who kills at will.. nope. i could think of more torturous info extraction methods, i could say.. though it boggles my mind thinking of how the car not exploding after mere seconds set on fire. simon did splashed the gas all over him, yet the fire only gets to the pedal? come on!!

some describes this movie as psychosexual.. yup with RD so freely doing a full frontal a few times, that it irked some of the reviewers, this movie is surely explicit. that point aside, i find the casting of RD to be right on the spot. she was vulnerable at times, sultry at others, annoyingly manipulative but underneath it all, rather captivating. the way she talks, mesmerisingly if not downright hypnotic. the tone of the voice is just right, reasonable, level even.

as for JMA, i could understand why he couldn't pass the role after delving into the story. he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant in portraying a guy you could fall in love with, witty, companionable, cute.. and he transcends into the possessive jealous boyfriend effortlessly, it's so smoothly breathtaking.. though i could say his end was done rather lazily. i would vote for Elizabeth to hypnotise Simon into killing himself. save the trouble of leaving your DNA all over the place for the police to find out.. btw, WHERE IS THE POLICE? as if the painting is worth nothing? as if the missing woman with her Alfa Romeo parked somewhere were not missed by anyone at all?

i gave this movie initially 5 stars but had to whittle it down so that you'd understand, though this movie captivated me with its manipulative storytelling, it is not that solid. and i do admit of tasting monotony until the song picks up as Elizabeth walks out of the bathroom towards Simon. man, the song sorts of snaps me out of a trance, i tell you.



the soundtrack was really great btw. one of my favourites would be the song by Emeli Sande "Here it Comes". as the movie credits rolled in the end, it makes you feel refreshed, healed of the pain, cleansed..



geez, i wish i know the art of hypnotism, there are so many things that i could do and want to do, hahaha

the Resident: tenants, BEWARE!

the Poster:

the Trailer:



the Plot:
Juliet Devereau (Hilary Swank), an emergency room surgeon, is apartment hunting in New York City after she separated from her longtime boyfriend, Jack (Lee Pace) due to his infidelity. After home-hunting, someone calls her to inform that an apartment is available and invites her to have a look.

Juliet went to look for the apartment and considered herself lucky for being able to rent an apartment from the owner, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for just $3,800 as it was large and affordable, but with the nearby subway causing noise and vibrations, occasionally even causing objects to fall off from the table.

During her first night staying at the apartment, someone is stalking Juliet, watching her undressed, took a bath, and applied lotion. While Juliet is asleep, she hears footsteps, and she thinks someone is in her apartment. She gets up to investigate. She finds her door closed, but unlocked. She finds a bagful of basic tools at her door, and she thinks Max just came to drop her a present.

The next day, Juliet and her co-worker, Syndey (Aunjanue Ellis), talk about Juliet's previous relationship with Jack, whom she caught having an affair with another woman in their bed. She can't stop thinking about him and neither can he stop thinking of her. Sydney suggests that she should find another guy, and persuades her to come with her to a party.

Later, Juliet thanks Max, her landlord and owner of the building, for sending her the flowers, but he admits that the gift was not from him, instead it was from his grandfather.

Juliet then thanks August (Christopher Lee), Max's grandfather whom also lives at the building. August explains that he wanted to put himself in her shoes, living with complete strangers. He then states that he doesn't get much company. Juliet feels uncomfortable and leaves.

Later, at a party, Juliet bumps into Max and starts to flirt with him by asking him to walk her home.

Max and Juliet spend time talking together while Jack is stalking her from across the street.

Before saying goodbye, Juliet kisses Max. She quickly apologizes, seeming that she read the wrong signal. Max walks away, confused and unsure of himself.

Juliet and Max get along on a good start, and, after being encouraged by Sydney, she decides to ask Max out on a date, at her apartment. The date goes well. When the date ends, Max leaves but Juliet quickly tells Max to wait and she kisses him passionately, and they start making out.

The movie quickly rewinds, revealing that it was Max that was stalking Juliet at night. One day, Max brings August to the hospital, Max sees Juliet and sees her name on her nametag. Then he sees a paper, saying Juliet is looking for an apartment. So, Max makes an anonymous phone call, saying there's a apartment that is not rented yet. Max planned for Juliet to live in this particular room since Max was renovating it. He built a peep-hole and a one-way mirror to stalk Juliet. It also shows that Max has also been stalking her while she is jogging or going/leaving work. He followed her at the party and made it seem that he and Juliet bumped into each other.

Back to the present: Juliet does not go through with the sex because she still has feelings for Jack. Juliet apologizes to Max. Max, upset and agitated, brushes it off and leaves Juliet's room. The next day, Juliet and Max discuss about the previous night and Juliet decides they should just be friends, and their relationship is landlord/tenant. Max is not ok with that.

Max has constructed secret corridors, peepholes, and a one-way mirror, and uses these to observe her in secret. Also, in her absence he secretly enters her apartment to touch her clothes, use her toothbrush, and lie in her bath and masturbate. He also hides under her bed and licks her fingers while she sleeps.

Max is frustrated about the fact that Jack and Juliet reconcile and have sex in the apartment. He observes this from one of his peepholes, and since this makes Max jealous, he sedates her after Jack leaves, and touches and later rapes her while she is unconscious.

Because his grandfather August, who also lives in the house, criticizes and puts him down, Max kills him. Max follows Jack after he finishes his date with Juliet.

Near a subway, he throws Jack from a flight of stairs outside and thus injuring him.

Back at home, Juliet wakes up disoriented and feels horrified as she repeatedly overslept since living at the apartment. She tells Sydney that maybe it's her apartment that caused her being overslept. Sydney suggests that Juliet gets a new alarm clock instead. Feeling that something is not right at the apartment, Juliet gets someone to install CCTV that records her apartment.

Later at night, Max attempts to rape Juliet again, but she groggily wakes up. Max quickly sedates her before she can actually get a good look at him, and flees. The next morning, she oversleeps again but as she scans around the room, she finds a sedate cap under her bed.

Jack texts Juliet telling her they can have dinner at her place at 7. Jack goes to her place to place some champagne bottles. As he enters the apartment, Max is in Juliet's room masturbating over Juliet's gown. Taking Jack by surprise, Max comes up behind Jack and kills him.

Juliet has her blood and urine analyzed, which shows the sedation. She quickly runs back home, leaving Jack a message warning him not to go to her apartment. She gets home and finds her gown on her bed, which wasn't there before she left.

Moreover, when she checks the security video, Juliet witnesses the rape. She doesn't get a perfect view of the rapist, but it was Max alright. as she shakily absorbs the truth, Max knocks open her apartment door and casually greets Juliet with a drugged wine that Jack brought, but Juliet evades drinking it as she suspected Max to put some drug in it.

Undaunted and determined, Max then tries to sedate her, but when he stabs her with the needle, Juliet stabs Max with a small kitchen knife.

The chasing ensues around the apartment. After Max emerges from the one way mirror in the toilet, Juliet finally realises that there are peepholes and secret hallways that Max uses to spy on her. Max keeps chasing her around in the hidden corridors, but she defends herself with his nail gun and in passing discovers Jack's bloodied body. After failing to make Max cease harming her, Juliet finally kills him.


the Riviu:
it's hard watching a film that depicts someone that you really like as the beastly antagonist. Jeffrey Dean Morgan got me from the first grin as Denny Duquette in Grey's Anatomy. and though he was a flop in the Watchmen, I like him still. as for the Losers ?, hell yeah.

but unfortunately, this movie doesn't gel well with me. first of all, i these days choose my battles wisely. and watching a thriller, i somewhat reserve myself from being too connected emotionally with the protagonists/victims. in this movie, i don't have to. instead i felt inclined to be emotionally attuned to JDM's perverted character, Max. let me tell you, even that falls flat.

i disagreed with some of the scenes:

- a doctor won't be to0 easy to sacrifice the communication factor. i mean, as an ER surgeon, you probably need great phone reception in case you'll be called for emergency. Our Dr Juliet with no hesitation whatsoever sacrificed hers. mula la bila emergency takde line nak mintak tolong!

- at first Juliet used the fridge to block Max from entering thru the kitchen door. yet when she escaped thru the kitchen wall, she the puny miss can break the door, instead of Max the burly Alpha Male, pelik kan? power lebih plak minah ni, the perks of jogging regularly kah?

- Juliet manages to physically bring Max down by kicks, punches and whatnots. don't you realise that the puny Juliet can take Max down, twice her size? that is magic, really :sarcastic: quite effeminating Max as in person. plus, i don't understand why she had to run away everytime she knocks MAx down. hello, finish the job ok! or is it the way for the film producers to prolong the chasing scenes? dah la the nail gun isn't actually a practically death-causing tool. cuba la meat cleaver ke apa ke, no wonder Max keeps coming back like a never ending nightmare.

- how does Juliet know what antidote to take? dah kena sedation pun bleh ber-adrenaline lari ke sana ke mari.

- it is impossible to swallow the fact that not for once ever did that Juliet notices the visible movements of the bulky Max. i mean, he's behind every wall and practically under your bed, should have been easier to hear his breathing!

- when the toilet mirror breaks as Max attacks Juliet through it, not even one iota of the broken mirror hurt her. i mean, in real world, she must have at least be hurt by the glass shards and whatnots. but maybe that would be too horrendous, and thus nope, she's not hurt even in one bit.

- no plausible excuse is given to make us understand why Max is being the pervert he is. Except for the glimpse of the paper excerpt that his father killed his mother before committing a suicide, leaving him for years with his belittling, harsh, schizophrenic grandparent. adoi la. more reason please! that one only works for a teenager, not for grown Alpha Male who can just walk away and leave the house, hokay! this story is like a sinking Titanic times ten, too many waterholes.

last but not least, i feel the deal breaker was the fact that the movie doesn't pace itself well. i as one of the viewers felt that the plug was pulled so soon in revealing Max's true identity. perhaps the movie should linger on how good he is, his smiles oozing charms all the way back and more. but then the trailer had summed all the movie up. so... watch the trailer = watch the movie :)

yup, being generous: 2.5 star je. sori beb. not my kind of story.