Crimson Peak

Guillermo Del Toro is widely regarded by many as an astronomical and ground breaking film director and visionary artist. To some extent, I completely agree; "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the finest and most emotionally impacting films I have ever seen, and "Hellboy" is a quirky comic book to film series that was extremely successful (not to mention that Ron Perlman nailed the role of Hellboy like it was second nature). This is why when "Crimson Peak" was announced, I was more than excited to go see the film in theaters. You have the charismatic Tom Hiddleston (well known for playing Loki in the "Avengers" as well as in other Marvel cinematic universe films), Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy", anyone?), Mia Wasikowska (notable for her role in Burton's "Alice In Wonderland") and the incredibly talented Jessica Chastain ("Mama", "Zero Dark Thirty", and this year's hit film "The Martian") all playing lead roles in the film. However, I just couldn't help but feel let down by the film despite this ensemble cast of extreme talent from a seasoned director.

The plot revolves around a young woman, Edith (Wasikowska) marrying a young entrepreneur and inventor, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston), after her father is murdered and subsequently moving into Sharpe's haunted mansion, Allerdale Hall, with his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe (Chastain). The whole setting of the film is quite dark and Gothic, but ever beautifully so. Every scene that takes place within Allerdale Hall is breathtaking; attention to detail was exquisite from the paintings on the wall, to the deliberately moody furniture, straight down to the ever creaking elevator. The outfits that were picked for the actors were all well done, and made me jealous that I didn't own anything as fancy as that. 

The acting complimented the moving scenery just as well. If there was any one actor that easily impressed me, it would be a tie between both Chastain for her performance as the psychotic sister Lucille, and Jim Beaver as Edith's father Carter Cushing. Beaver was definitely a hearty and steadfast American man through and through but not in the gun toting, beer drinking manner. He was played as a proud family man who had great gut instincts and whose performance was just as respectable as his character was. However, his longevity on screen did not last as long as Chastain's Lucille. If anything at all, before her major breakdown and true character reveal towards the end of the film, it was her eyes that did most of the acting for her. Whether she was standing far away from the screen or had a close up , whenever someone said one thing or another, her eyes easily represented her character's feelings. It wasn't her words, as her character lies more than naught throughout the film, but her eyes that pushed through her performance, and that is noteworthy. 

Del Toro's eye did not betray him, either; his camera work was extensive, and though the films relies heavily on CGI, Del Toro still managed to create lovely work of his camera throughout the film. My absolute favorite shots came from outside Allerdale Hall. Whether it was when the sun was shining in Spring to the monstrous Winter that swept through, the mansion looked both spooky and stunning at the same time. 

Now, the problems in the films actually rely all within the plot. Notice how, so far, I haven't mentioned any of the paranormal activity that went on in the film. This is because the film displayed little activity from the ghosts themselves throughout the film. What was advertised as a jump scare riddled, haunted house ride turned into little more than a dark romance film with a few ghosts here and there. It was almost too easy to laugh at the shambling ghosts painted red who were supposed to scare you. No, they couldn't scare a child, and it was easy from the beginning to determine that these spirits were not against Edith, but for her. It kind of derailed the experience and did not help any. 

The other problem that I found with the spirits is that in most ghost films, unless producers or the director is shooting for a spin off or some sequel, the spirits themselves will reach catharsis. In "Crimson Peak", that doesn't happen at all save for one or two spirits. The rest are hardly even mentioned and serve more or less as a minor part in a bigger project. I think that if the film scrapped any mention of ghosts, just for the sake of feeling more complete or even just less clogged with unfulfilled potential, then the movie would have had a much better climax. 

This isn't to say that the story wasn't bad. No, it had a lot more to it that was disturbing, a little surprising at times, but also way too easy to guess. Murder, incest, and much more remain to be found as you make your way through "Crimson Peak", adding onto a disgusting but brutal background to an altogether wicked tale. However, with the ghosts tied in, you'll find yourself scratching your head asking yourself, "Why did Del Toro even bother including them in the film?" 

"Crimson Peak" is a beautifully shot film with an excellent Gothic setting, an elite cast that brings out charismatic and psychopathic personalities, but fails to deliver on the scare factor with spirits that hardly matter in the story.