It’s been two years since a Guillermo del Toro film graced screens around the world, but the visionary director is back with a film called Crimson Peak that fits all of his strengths: spooky characters, a whimsical tale, and a giant set where he can play both a genre fanboy and an imaginative director.
Led by a cast comprised of Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, and Charlie Hunnam, Crimson Peak follows Edith Cushing, a young aspiring author whose family experiences a crushing tragedy resulting in her running away with a mysterious stranger named Thomas Sharpe, a man she has quickly fallen for. Though others are skeptical of her departure, Edith is excited to experience her new life across the Atlantic in a majestic but rundown manor and help support Thomas’ dream of making the Sharpe’s relevant again. The thing about the manor is that it breathes, it feels alive, and soon enough Edith begins seeing ghosts who help clue her in to what the manor really is and who the Sharpe’s really are.
I liked Crimson Peak (I think) for the most part, but whether or not you will is an entirely different story. Most people have probably been deceived by the marketing, expecting a horror or all out ghost story and, if you are, that’s not the case. You’ll be incredibly frustrated with the film if you go in with those expectations. In reality, Guillermo del Toro’s new film is a gothic romance with ghosts in it. It’s the kind of story you would have probably heard or read about in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s a classical tale with modern elements and twists and, to me, it comes off like a Broadway play, a film that’s beautiful, very set oriented and theatrical in its acting approach. It offers something very different than what we’ve come to expect from modern ghost films. If this sounds like something that you might appreciate then I’d definitely suggest checking it out as we inch closer to Halloween.
Like many of del Toro’s English language films, the script and dialogue isn’t that tight which results in unintentional, and probably some intentional, laughter during scenes that are supposed to be taken seriously. It’s not the first time he’s run into this issue but I’m hoping one day he’ll partner with a screen writer that’s got serious credentials because when that happens, we may get a cinematic masterpiece.
The highlights of Crimson Peak include beautiful visuals, both CG related with the ghosts as well as all the practical effects, the stunning set design and the acting, namely Jessica Chastain’s performance as the snide sister Lucille Sharpe. The man is a master when it comes to setting a mood and delivering a full blown cinematic experience and Crimson Peak continues that trend.
While not the best movie out there, Crimson Peak has its merits and if you decide to see it, all I ask is that you go in with the expectations I had set forth above. It’s a movie that you’ll potentially like but one that you’ll really crave more out of.
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