In the Dark Half

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Anakin G Mar 4, 2019 Alistair Siddonï¿ 1/2(TM)s film of Lucy Catherineï¿ 1/2(TM)s screenplay is framed largely from the viewpoint of the grief-stricken teenager Marie (Jessica Barden) who not only loses her mother to suicide nearly a year before the timeline the film starts, but is then confronted with the another sudden inexplicable death, while she is minding Sean (Alfie Hepper) the young child of next-door-neighbour Filthy (Tony Curran) who is her father Steveï¿ 1/2(TM)s (Simon Armstrong) close friend and hunting companion. Throughout the main body of the film, Marie (and also the audience) are experiencing her father Steve as though he is Marieï¿ 1/2(TM)s dead mother Kathy (Lyndsey Marshall). So profound and confusing is the self-protective psychological mechanism that has taken hold when 15 year old Marie, alone, has discovered her mother hanging from the bannister in the stairwell of their home. Steve, at first, seems to be inexplicably absent from the funeral of his close friendï¿ 1/2(TM)s tragic young child. But the profound effect of Marieï¿ 1/2(TM)s denial and disbelief at her motherï¿ 1/2(TM)s death is also the reason why the police interview into the circumstances surrounding Seanï¿ 1/2(TM)s death appears, at first sight, to continue (contrary to P.A.C.E. regulations regarding the interviewing of juveniles) without an appropriate adult being present. The mistaken misperception of the father by Marie as her late mother is not fully appreciated by her father, Steve, who is himself still reeling from his wifeï¿ 1/2(TM)s suicide. Seanï¿ 1/2(TM)s death is a further emotional blow to the already heavily-defended and confused Marie, who tries to comfort bereaved and unhinged neighbour Filthy, who has been wrestling with misguided rumours about the departure of his wife some years earlier. Steve nearly grasps the profound nature of Marieï¿ 1/2(TM)s misperception when she says angrily to him ï¿ 1/2You never used to be a bitch !ï¿ 1/2Â? to which the reply ï¿ 1/2~What did you just call me ?ï¿ 1/2Â? is never answered as distressed Filthyï¿ 1/2(TM)s banging and collapse outside the front the door of the house interrupts things. Marie seems to assist Filthyï¿ 1/2(TM)s own suicide and compound it by burning his undead body instead of following her first instinct which is to go and call for outside, adult, help. A tricky film which people who canï¿ 1/2(TM)t stop to re-run / re-watch it will be unlikely to fully appreciate and that may leave them feeling cheated / deceived by the timeshifts and full immersion in Marieï¿ 1/2(TM)s profound misperceptions. The hocus pocus necromancy dilutes what would otherwise be a powerful portrait of a young woman who with better understanding and counsel might achieve better resolution and outcomes to her major emotional upheavals. See more

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In the Dark Half

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