| CASE 39 |
| Written by Sian Rafferty |
| Sunday, 16 August 2009 11:17 |
 Renée Zellweger and Bradley Cooper. A match made in chick-flick heaven. Naturally I walked into the cinema to see 'CASE 39' ready for a couple of hours of light-hearted, Bridget Jones slash He's Just Not That Into You marshmallowy goodness. I expected to give my brain a rest and emerge from the theatre with a wide grin on my face and a good, healthy dose of ever-triumphant love. Ladies and gentlemen, I have learnt my lesson. Never judge a movie based on the tabloid liaisons of the leads. 'Case 39' is not a chick-flick. It is in fact a very non-romantic, non-heartwarming, psychological horror film. Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger), a social worker, becomes involved with the not-so-social Sullivan family, based on reports of child abuse. When she interrupts the family horrifically attempting to harm their daughter Lillith, Emily rescues the girl and decides to take her home. This is where the movie really gets going. What would drive a seemingly normal mother and father to bar their bedroom door at night with a heavy wardrobe? Why don't the other kids at school talk to Lillith? It seems Emily is about to find out.  Ok so the storyline isn't one of the most original in the world. The idea that children are the creepiest of all spine-tingling things, is one which has haunted movie plots since 'Rosemary's Child' and the 'Omen', and more recently and very effectively, 'The Orphanage'. Yet 'Case 39' never seeks to shake up the plot, and the whole story progresses pretty much as expected. Jodelle Ferland as Lillith, the character who pins the whole film together, has cold empty eyes and moves like a walking plank of wood. She has dead-white skin, pigtails, and stiff formal clothes which look like they would be well suited to an older and more chilling time. In short; Lillith is everything us movie-goers have come to expect in a demonic child... and nothing, more. We all know Zellweger is an accomplished actress, yet playing an overworked social worker doesn't seem like that much of a challenge. It's not hard to clutch at yourself and scream; "Why are you doing this to me?". Quite frankly, her portrayal of a ticking, British biological-clock in granny pants... required more finesse than this role. The other main draw card of the movie is Bradley Cooper as Emily's love interest. To be honest, if you blocked out the death and demons, Cooper could actually be in a romantic comedy. His character just doesn't seem to have any other real purpose other than flirting and batting his eyelashes.  Stylistically 'Case 39' has all the normal trappings of a horror movie. You have the grainy decaying houses, the blood and guts, the continual circle of building up suspense and suddenly releasing it, with a nervous laugh from the audience. Yet the thing I most liked about the design of the film is the subtle CGI used on Lillith. It's not obvious; blink and you will miss it. But watch carefully and you will see Lillith's lips elongate like a snake as she bends to whisper into another girl's ear. This almost makes up for the cliché demonic child look Lillith carries around for most of the film. 'Case 39' is no genius, but if you like a bit of horror and are not a big fan of distracting substantial story-lines and award winning acting, you will enjoy this movie. Yet in a world where we have seen it all before, even those with the very lowest expectations will find 'Case 39' a little underwhelming.  |
