Due to a poor script and confusing plot, "Dream House" becomes a nearly two-hour nightmare, headed by a couple that clearly should not be paired together.
Will Atenton, played by Daniel Craig, leaves his editing job in the city to move with his wife Libby, played by Rachel Weisz, and two younger daughters to a small town in New England. Strangely, the neighbors act distantly towards them, especially next-door neighbor Ann Patterson, played by Naomi Watts. After a couple of visits from some troublemaking gothic teenagers, the family learns that a mother and two children were murdered in their house years back by a man named Peter Ward. The rest of the movie deciphers whether or not Ward murdered the family.
While the plot has promise, proven by similar successful films such as "The Others" and "Shutter Island," the trailer gave too much of "Dream House" away before it started. What should be the biggest twist of the movie, the fact that Will Atenton is actually Peter Ward, is already known prior to watching the film. Instead, the "twist" at the end of the movie throws a curveball in the worst way possible, leaving the audience dumbfounded.
The only redeeming quality of the movie is the cast, who were not used to their full potential, squandered by poor writing and no chemistry. Individually, the actors are strong and have an impressive repertoire of films; however, the actors did not work well together. Weisz is forward and sensual, while Craig acts uncomfortably to her advances, even though they are a couple. Also, placing the James Bond figure into a fatherly role seems out of place and is hard to overlook. Admittedly, the actors did what they could with the script they were given. Unfortunately, the writing was the worst aspect of the entire film; overly dramatic and unnatural.
So, to answer Will Atenton's most awkward question of the movie, "Did you pee yourself? Did you pee yourself?" The answer is no, because the movie was neither scary nor exciting, suspenseful nor thrilling, mysterious nor psychological. It was just bad.
Melissa Murray can be reached at melissa. murray@student.shu.edu.
