Solace

"Solace" is a weird but watchable supernatural thriller. The good director and cast and the original storyline are the best this film can offer. Unfortunately the gloomy screenplay is messy and destroys the expectations of this forgettable movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Presságios de um Crime" ("Omens of a Crime")

Loved the movie, don't go for the 1 star main review...

I found strange that a movie with this 2 actors would get a so low or medium even score, and decided to watch it (usualy I don't see anything below 6.5)

The movie is very good and has a strong message behind it, its not that well hidden, you can identify yourself or someone with the pain that goes through the movie. Who thinks this is a horror movie, or a cliché is going for the wrong film.

Its a story of the "devil's advocate", you will end up having conflicted feelings, hard ones, with some extremes.

Anyways, without spoiling it, unless your expecting a horror or action blockbuster you should watch this movie.

Hopkins delivers and Farrel as well, now the woman main actress doesn't reach this 2 great actors, its the only flaw (Sometimes big one) I find in this film.

Great movie

Firstly, I liked this movie very much. What I didn't like were 2 things: the story was a bit lame (the directing makes it unpredictable) but otherwise the story was flatly OK. The second thing: the tempo and the editing were fast as if it were a TV series. Other than that, it was excellent. The mood of the movie with its colors and lenses and frames was different than anything I've seen, as if the director intentionally wanted to give this genre a different approach. Thus the contre point description: it's too fast and too lucid to belong to this genre. That being said, I can reiterate now and say I liked this movie. It worked for me. It's surprisingly haunting, fresh, it doesn't bore you for a second and it keeps building up. Other than the lame story and the fast editing tempo it's a great effort by an amateur genius (the director). It lingers in your mind, the contre point aspect, the score, the script, the performance by the actors. It's really worth a watch.

Honestly, give it a shot. It's a lot better than you are expecting after reading all the bad reviews and the rating it has here on IMDb. The only problem I have with this movie is with the casting.. while Hopkins and Farrell do well, the other two(Abbie Cornish and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are just rubbish, Abbie in particular was really embarrassing to watch, even though she is good looking, her acting is just excruciatingly bad! Both of them are as convincing as FBI agents as a squirrel. There are a few bad dialogue lines and some clichés but the story is compelling and Hopkins still delivers.

Other than that, it is an enjoyable and engaging movie.

The premise where Psychics are helping the police to find killers are a very common thing in movies and TV series and maybe in real life. They won't tell you who the killer is. Just bits and pieces of information, sometimes misleading or misinterpreting.

The same goes for "Solace" a rather naive supernatural thriller which gains substance and becomes interesting because of the presence of veteran multi-awarded actor Anthony Hopkins. Colin Farrell is also in this but maybe he is miscast.

The direction and editing might bother some people but I personally found it OK. Lots of digital Effects, slow motions, quick distorted editing, are always a way to present visions or memories, and this movie has plenty.

One of the problems of "Solace" is that it has a strong statement about a rather delicate matter which I won't reveal because ultimately is the motive of the villain. It's like a moral that forces you to accept it, without expressing the opposite side which is equally strong.

Overall: You won't waste your time with this one. Is a decent Supernatural Thriller and Anthony Hopkins is effortlessly great. In my opinion though skip the obvious moral, or give it some more thought.