GOTHIKA (2003) by jeff

Cast: Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., Penelope Cruz, Charles S. Dutton, John Carroll Lynch, Dorian Harewood

Directed By: Mathieu Kassovitz
Written By: Sebastian Gutierrez
Director Of Photography: Matthew Libatique
Editor: Yannick Kergoat
Original music By: John Ottoman


Here is the case of a movie having all the right elements going in. You have an eclectic yet talented cast. A good foreign director with a keen eye for mood drama and visuals. yet still is abysmal. You also have a crappy script and story that wouldn’t entirely work as a horror short story. This all together makes everything this movie had going for it, Fall apart.

It never achieves being entertaining or even fun for the most part.

This story of Halle berry a psychiatrist who works at a mental institution with her husband who is in charge of the hospital. She gets into a car accident she then goes to see if the person she almost hit is alright. The person grabs her and screams forcing Halle to faint when she wakes up she is in the asylum as a patient. She is there because she is accused of murdering her husband more of a massacre killing him with an ax.

She like the audience needs to find out what happened. Since she can’t remember anything. This is a possession story That’s all i.m going to say this early in the review. It should be all I really need to say the film is just that ridiculous. I tried to hold out some hope for this movie but it’s not scary in fact it’s not even laughably bad. It’s just bad everything is taken too seriously for such stupid things going on. I don’t even really know why Penelope Cruz is in the movie other than to add another star to the cast.

First of all Halle berry being married to Charles S. Dutton 20 years, her senior is ridiculous enough it only goes downhill from there. I’m embarrassed for all those involved here The twist is just downright stupid.

I am still a fan of those involved but it is a permanent mark on their records. The scary part was Halle fit this in as a favor to producer Joel silver before she filmed “Catwoman” That obviously was a bad year for her. But to tell you the truth it hasn’t really been good for her since winning the oscar as far as roles go. She just needs a better quality of scripts or has someone help her pick her roles. Plus she broke her arm filming this movie another unfortunate thing that keeps happening to her is injuries on film sets.

SPOILER ALERT – Her husband is part of a tag team of serial killers who also happen to sexually abuse patients So Halle was possessed by one of the victims who acted out revenge on Halle’s husband. One of the serial killers then left her body. Halle then woke up when she was placed in the asylum. Now a patient. END SPOILER

I did that so none of you choose to sit through this. Wasting your time watching it.

I can see why Robert Downey Jr. did the film it was kind of a mini-comeback or at least steady work. So that he could prove that after his personal problems that landed him in jail. He could be dependable. Really he can write it off as a paycheck job as I’m sure most of the cast will.

The worst part is that they end the film as a set up for a sequel.

Grade: F