MOVIE REVIEW: Premonition is solid, but not stellar
The concepts of time and memory are nicely tweaked in this mystery, reminding us how important those things really are.
Sandra Bullock (“The Lake House”) plays an ordinary housewife who suffers the unexpected death of her husband (Julian McMahon, “Fantastic Four”). But the next day, she realizes it hasn’t even happened yet. As her days unfold in a jumbled order, she tries to stop the tragedy from happening. Can she alter the calendar of fate?
Complicated, I know, but not overreaching. While there are some moments of thick confusion and surprise, “Premonition” keeps the playing field between film and audience pretty even – sometimes too even, to the point where I felt like it was holding my hand, carefully leading me along to the conclusion.
Written by Bill Kelly (“Blast from the Past”), the storytelling successfully avoids practical explanations and mostly maintains a good balance between dark obscurity and real relationships. Without the real relationships and emotional drama to keep the film grounded, “Premonition” could have been a lot worse.
This film’s realism is mostly due to Bullock’s performance. She keeps her portrayal subtle and consistent as a woman who is both frightened and determined. Not her best work, but she does a fine job to get by.
Director Mennan Yapo (“Framed”) gives us a patient, steady film with a few injections of shaky suspense here and there.
“Premonition” doesn’t explode like a bottle rocket as much as it crackles like a prickly sparkler, gaining heat and strength. It could have been hotter. It could have been tougher.
Casey T. Allen, Statesman movie critic can be reached at caseyal@cc.usu.edu.