Mirrors (20th Century Fox)
Murky, Messy Movie
Nothing that happens in the new Keifer Sutherland film Mirrors makes any sense whatsoever, but it is great fun to watch. Sutherland proves there is more to him as an actor than just his role as Jack Bauer on TVs 24 as he faithfully portrays a tormented night watchman in this chilling film.
Ben Carson (Sutherland) was a member of the police force until there was an unfortunate accident which left a man dead. Ben has been on leave since that time but he can eventually apply for reinstatement. In the meantime he gets a job as a night watchman at a burned out department store. The store has no electricity so Ben has to make his rounds using only a flashlight.
Eventually Ben determines there is something lurking behind the mirrors that cover the walls of the store. And there is. It is a terror that threatens not only Ben but also his estranged wife (Paula Patton), their two children, and his sister (Amy Smart).
As the mystery unfolds it gets murkier and messier. Nothing makes any sense and when Ben goes looking for a woman named Anna Esseker (Mary Beth Peil) the audience is clueless.
But even with the confusion the script breeds, the ending is a winner. I was completely unprepared for it yet it made sense. It was as much a gotcha as that hand coming up out of Carries grave in the Stephen King classic story/movie.
Sutherland handles his role with ease and believability. You can feel the tension Ben is under and you can understand the desperation in his actions. Although you know Jack Bauer can handle any situation, you arent so sure about this Ben guy. He is not a super-hero.
Paula Patton is fine as Bens wife Amy. She is at fist skeptical about Bens assertions of things that are trapped in the mirrors, but when she becomes a believer it is with a vengeance. Her fear is palpable.
It is good to see Mary Beth Peil back on the screen. I knew I had seen her somewhere before and then it dawned on me she played Michelle Williams grandmother on Dawsons Creek.
The film is rated R for profanity, nudity and violence.
Mirrors isnt the best horror film I have ever seen, nor is it the most logical or explainable. Still it has something that held my attention from beginning to end and when it was over I felt entertained. Plus Keifer Sutherland is worth watching in anything he undertakes. 24 has made him a star.
I scored Mirrors a reflective 5 out of 10.
