The Marsh (2007)

Well made supernatural thriller that is short on gore but still has plenty of atmosphere and scares. Though the movie does use some well-worn plot elements (i.e.: group of friends covers up crime/murder and it comes back to haunt them, literally), it does it all quite professionally. The actors are uniformly terrific, not a bad performance in sight. The special effects are done expertly and, for a change, used sparingly and to good effect. The story is well written and beautifully photographed, and the director keeps the pace up through the film, substituting mood for cheap shocks, though there are a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments. This one caught me by surprise, I wasn't sure they made them like this anymore. If you enjoyed The Others or Lady in White this film will appeal to you.

OK, now here is a ghost story that came way under my radar and turns out to be a superior ghost story with a couple of twists. A lady children's book author is plagued with nightmares of a little girl disappearing in a swamp and images of an old house. When viewing a television story, she notices the house in her nightmare and the surrounding area, specifically a marsh where she keeps seeing and following this little girl. She tracks down the property and moves into the house, in a small remote area close to a little town. After installing a door she finds in the cellar, strange things begin to happen and what were her nightmares are now becoming too real. Yes, the house and the marsh hold deep secrets in the town and the house, and she enlists the help of a local paranormal consultant played very well by Forest Whitaker. He moves into her house with his equipment and quickly realizes the supernatural is at work. This movie succeeds on every level with excellent performances, and a very tight story that keeps you guessing until the final reveal. Are her nightmares really lost memories of a past she has forgotten, and if she is the little girl ghost then how is that possible? All the questions are answered, and I had a real ball with this one. Highly recommended.

"The Marsh" works as a typical, haunted house story. There are those that have criticised it, but really, what did you expect? Starring Gabrielle Anwar. WHO? Oh, that pretty french girl who was in that submarine movie. Right. It's a B-movie, people! So don't expect too much and you may be pleasantly surprised. Forest Whitaker, pre-King of Scotland, provides a shot of star value and basically holds the movie together. The special effects are good and the best thing about "The Marsh" is that's so pretty! The house is pretty, the female lead is pretty, hell, even the ghost is pretty! Its like a Normal Rockwell painting that's been messed with. Quite cool, just check your brain at the door and you'll be fine. :)

A Halloween movie--not terrible if you actually watch it on that Holiday, with a few drinks, as you do other things.Not an amazing or terribly original film. Smooth and seamless special FX.Forrest Whitaker does a very fine job...with what he is given screenplay-(and direction)wise.Just don't expect to be amazed by the plot and execution.No one who worked on this project should be shattered if some viewers notice that it was done for the money.Nothing wrong with that.Entertainment.