It seems recently, films dealing with the occult and the supernatural have exploded. The director of Bless the Child even makes reference to that exact point on the DVD. Of course, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen are the old-time classics of the genre, but more recently, we've been treated to Stigmata, End of Days and Lost Souls. Now, we have Bless the Child to add to this group.
I have seen all the films I listed above with the exception of End of Days, which I am planning on seeing soon. I have to confess that I didn't care for Rosemary's Baby (!!), and really liked Lost Souls (!!). I have always enjoyed this type of movie, and was looking forward to seeing Bless the Child, and finally picked it up recently.
For the most part, I was really impressed with the film. I think the box office was hurt by the unfair trashing the movie received from the critics. No, it's not on the same level as The Exorcist, but few films are.
The major players are good in their roles, and I was especially impressed with Rufus Sewell in his role of Eric, the leader of New Dawn, a Satanic cult masquerading as a self help clinic. I came to really hate his character and enjoyed watching him get eviler as the movie went on. My only complaint with the performances would be at the beginning. The early scenes with Kim Basinger and Angela Bettis in the apartment seem a little to scripted and don't flow very well. Small thing, but it may put off some people for the rest of the movie. Lastly on the negative, some of the sets and backdrops look too "staged". The rooftop scene of Eric's apartment comes to mind.
I was relieved to see the director using restraint with the special effects. Too often these days do movies get overloaded with F/X that look silly and distracts from the story. In Bless the Child, there are only a handful of scenes that have computer generated demons, and each time the effects are top notch and welcome. It made me wanting to see even more, and that usually doesn't happen with today's movies. Good job!
To wrap this review up, I thought Bless the Child is a welcome addition to a genre that I have always enjoyed. It's not a perfect movie, but with today's studio system, not many are. If your a fan of the genre, I wholeheartedly recommend Bless the Child.
My grade: B
I have seen all the films I listed above with the exception of End of Days, which I am planning on seeing soon. I have to confess that I didn't care for Rosemary's Baby (!!), and really liked Lost Souls (!!). I have always enjoyed this type of movie, and was looking forward to seeing Bless the Child, and finally picked it up recently.
For the most part, I was really impressed with the film. I think the box office was hurt by the unfair trashing the movie received from the critics. No, it's not on the same level as The Exorcist, but few films are.
The major players are good in their roles, and I was especially impressed with Rufus Sewell in his role of Eric, the leader of New Dawn, a Satanic cult masquerading as a self help clinic. I came to really hate his character and enjoyed watching him get eviler as the movie went on. My only complaint with the performances would be at the beginning. The early scenes with Kim Basinger and Angela Bettis in the apartment seem a little to scripted and don't flow very well. Small thing, but it may put off some people for the rest of the movie. Lastly on the negative, some of the sets and backdrops look too "staged". The rooftop scene of Eric's apartment comes to mind.
I was relieved to see the director using restraint with the special effects. Too often these days do movies get overloaded with F/X that look silly and distracts from the story. In Bless the Child, there are only a handful of scenes that have computer generated demons, and each time the effects are top notch and welcome. It made me wanting to see even more, and that usually doesn't happen with today's movies. Good job!
To wrap this review up, I thought Bless the Child is a welcome addition to a genre that I have always enjoyed. It's not a perfect movie, but with today's studio system, not many are. If your a fan of the genre, I wholeheartedly recommend Bless the Child.
My grade: B