Paramount Pictures

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow

Directed by Martin Scorsese, this film could have been a blockbuster but for one major flaw.  It was horribly wrongly marketed!  The previews and the advertisements certainly made this film out to be something that it was NOT, and when people saw it, they were deeply disappointed.  They were expecting a horror spectacular, a supernatural thriller, and it wasn’t anything like that at all.   This is a suspenseful mind game from start to finish.  You will never be able to relax, as you don’t know where you are or which way is up!  Nothing is what it seems, then it changes, but it’s not that either.  I don’t want to compare it to other films, as the comparison would give away the secrets of the story, but let me say it’s not a horror movie at all.

However it’s a wild ride and very nerve wracking and suspenseful.  It keeps you on your toes through it all.  There are clues, but they are easy to miss.  It’s much easier to watch and listen and be confused for a long time till at the end it becomes crystal clear.  There are evil villains and heroes galore, but you can never tell who is who.

It’s got great cinematography and eerie atmosphere.  This place is not a fun place to live, that’s for sure!  And this guy volunteered to go!  Wow.

DiCaprio has been is some strange movies lately (see Inception for an example).  Not sure what his career goal is in doing this, but working with Martin Scorsese must have been a blast.  And there are some fantastic actors in this film!  Max von Sydow and Ben Kingsley.  This must have been a joy to make.

I haven’t read the book, but I bet it’s a good read, but the movie is a great suspenseful ride if you don’t come in expecting a horror flick.  If you like your mind bent into weird shapes, this will do it!   If you’re one of those folks that figures out what’s going on before it happens, then good for you.  I’m kind of glad to be dumb enough to not see it coming and get shocked in the end.  And after the shock, is a few more shocks.  You might end up like some who ended this movie with “What just happened???”   The last few minutes are up for interpretation, but it’s a clever ending.  If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean.   This was filmed in Acadia National Park in Maine, and it’s a perfect setting.

Oh if they had just marketed this right, people would have looked at it with different eyes and it “could have been a contender.”

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

3 Comments so far »

  1.  

    Mushfique said

    August 7 2010 @ 9:47 am

    i totally agree with you on your point, ‘a suspenseful mind game from start to finish’ Honestly, i had a headache after watching this movie ! LOL!.

  2.  

    Frank said

    August 9 2010 @ 9:53 pm

    Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

  3.  

    Ed's Review Dot Com » Movie Review – Abandoned (2010) {PG-13} said

    July 3 2011 @ 11:13 am

    […] as few surprises along the way. This is movie like “Where are the Children” or “Shutter Island“. It’s a very good little film, and a great tribute to Brittany Murphy, a talented […]

Comment RSS · TrackBack URI

Leave a comment

Name: (Required)

eMail: (Required)

Website:

Comment: