Case Studies - Half Light - Audiences

Audiences

Half light is a Drama, Mystery, Thriller, attracting thriller lovers in a beat. But its location and main character have added a new attraction to the film. Its location filmed in Cornwall, but known as Scotland in the film, has a particular spooky attraction to it, if well thought out. But the main character is what struck me the most. A strong and successful independent woman, and an assumed single woman. An interesting technique, a device you would expect to build you up for a highly dramatic event – most likely anyway. Watching the opening of this film, it is very easy to believe you have put the wrong disc in the DVD player, but the bright colours, happiness and atmosphere of the opening 5 minutes mixes nicely with the strength of the woman. This led me to be suspicious about what I had in store, but at the same time it pulled me in, leaving me wanting more! Overall the dramatic side of it has appealed to another audience all together.
User Reviews – IMDB
This movie is good, well acted, well scripted, well directed, and above all, it will keep you guessing to the end, I do not know enough about "The Technical Side" of movie making to comment, all i know is, if i see a film i like, or for that matter dislike, then i will make a comment on it, after all its only entertainment. Too many times you read about the, ins and outs of film making, and all the back stage stuff, when really all you want to know is, will i enjoy this film, and the answer to Half Light is yes, no swearing, very little sex content,just a nice put together thriller, enough twists and turns to keep the momentum going. i am trying to find something to moan about in this movie, and to be quite honest there is nothing, Demi Moore is very good in the lead role, and the mainly British cast is excellent Go see it, judge for yourself, i do not think you will be disappointed.
Beyond Hollywood -
Although billed as a thriller, “Half Light” is very much a supernatural ghost movie. It’s not “horror” in the genre sense, although there are ghosts and thrills aplenty. Written and directed by Aussie Craig Rosenberg (“After the Sunset”), there is a very noticeable European sensibility to the film’s pacing. Another oddity is that whenever ghosts aren’t involved, Rosenberg directs like he’s making a traveling brochure for Scotland’s Tourism Board. Which might not be such a bad idea if Scotland was ever in need of some good P.R., because the “Scotland” shown here (in actuality the LLandwyn Island of Isle of Anglesey in Wales), with its wide open beaches and tall grass bristling in the cool evening wind, is simply gorgeous to behold.
The beautiful scenery also makes for a stark contrast against the supernatural elements of the film. The cabin by the beach becomes the hub of ghost activity, as what seems like the spirit of Rachel’s dead son returns to haunt mom with a vengeance. And while Angus seems like a savior, he, too, turns out to be more than what he seems, making Rachel’s already fragile circumstance even less tenable. What’s a broken hearted novelist, already suffering from terrible guilt, to do when the one rock she thought she could lean on suddenly turns into mist?
“Half Light” doesn’t terrify as much as it creeps you out, especially the early scenes with Rachel’s dead son. Here, Rosenberg methodically introduces the film’s supernatural element a bit at a time, never offering up too much. It’s a tease, but an effective one. Rosenberg’s choice regarding the aesthetics of the Scottish locale makes the fear all the more intense when the scene shifts from the pleasant countryside to Rachel’s lonely and constricted cabin, or the towering, skeletal lighthouse nearby.
Of course the film is far from perfect. For one, an intelligent woman like Rachel seems a bit clueless as to the right course of action to take, even if she is currently locked in a haze of grief and mental confusion. Despite suffering from one ghostly encounter after another at the cabin, she continues to remain there, defying all logic and common sense. Later, when warned that if she should return to the cabin she will surely die, Rachel decides to return for her things anyway. The film also has a plot twist in its last act that threatens to torpedo most of what’s come before, not to mention lowering the scare factor tremendously. As well, the twist relies on a plot contrivance involving an elusive photo that is a little hard to swallow, especially in this day and age.
5 Star Reviews
Moviesyahoo – 3.5 Stars Time out (user reviews) – 5stars
Flixters – 3 Stars View London – 3 stars