The Awakening (2011) [DVD] [2017]

Love this creepy British horror film, slow burner with a great cast!

Decent British horror, with a decent main cast of Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton, with an interesting twist I certainly didn't see coming. A couple of issues: Some of the language used was rather American, given this film is set in early 1920's Britain, with 'touche' being used be Hall's character as well as 'Santa Claus'. Britain primarily used the term 'Father Christmas', as opposed to Santa. This dropped the authenticity of the film. OK, it's hardly a period drama, but still, I was wondering why the use of these words were not obvious and then challenged. As for the film as a whole, it certainly keeps you interested and wondering what on earth is going on. There is a fair bit f suspense. As a whole, it's definitely a solid 3 star film, highly watchable indeed.

The Awakening is directed by Nick Murphy and Murphy co-writes the screenplay with Stephen Volk. It stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Shaun Dooley and Joseph Mawle. Music is by Daniel Pemberton and cinematography by Eduard Grau.Britain, post World War 1, and Florence Cathcart (Hall) makes a living as an exposer of charlatan spiritualists, a debunker of ghost sightings. When she receives a request from school master Robert Mallory (West) to investigate the supernatural events at a remote boarding school for boys, she is suitably intrigued to take on the assignment...It comes as no surprise to find that numerous reviews for The Awakening make reference to ghost story films that were made previously. The Woman in Black released a year later would suffer the same fate, charges of it not bringing nothing new to the table etc. A ghost story set in a big mansion or remote educational/correctional establishment is what it is, and will continue to be so, all fans of such spooky fare ask is that it does it well and maybe add some adult themes into the bargain. The Awakening does these in spades.The concept of a disbeliever in ghosts having their belief system tested to the full is not new, but it's a great concept and one with longevity assured. Here, boosted by a terrific performance from Hall, the screenplay consistently keeps you guessing. The possibilities of real or faked are constant as the director pumps up the creep factor, whilst he simultaneously crafts a number of genuine shock sequences - including one of the best doll house scenes put to film! This really has all the requisite jolts and atmospheric creeps for a period spooker.It's not until the final quarter when the screenplay begins to unravel its mystery, a finale that has proved both ambiguous and divisive. The ambiguity factor is a little baffling since everything is made clear in a nicely staged scene, and this is something which the director has gone on record to state as well. As for the divisive side of things? That's a blight for this sub-genre of horror. It's convoluted! Contrived! It has been done before they cry! These are true to be sure, and without doubt there's a leap of faith required to not get annoyed, but it garners a reaction and has done its ghost story essence very well indeed.Beautifully photographed, scored and performed by the leads to boot, this is for sure one for fans of period spookers with brains. 7.5/10

Ghost stories are difficult to write and probably even more difficult to film. Having recently watched The Woman in Black and the several M R James short story adaptations for television - all excellent - I feel The Awakening ultimately fails. The technique, I think, is to make the tales believable, or almost so, even to the most hardened of sceptics. The Awakening certainly could be but in the end is not.Florence is a ghost hunter who initially is shown unmasking a fraudulent medium; at this point she appears to be working in partnership with the police. although it is difficult to see what crime has been committed, but this is never fully explained. She is played Rebecca Hall who, although strikingly attractive, acts in a manner that seems out of place, being somewhat reminiscent of the style of today's TV cops: as an earlier reviewer succinctly pointed out it that of a woman of the 21st century rather than of the 1920's. Florence is asked by a school master to investigate a haunting at an isolated boys' boarding school in what is now Cumbria and to this end she takes along a large collection of pseudo-scentific equipment. The school, staffed by war wounded, is sufficiently creepy and the filming of the highest order with very muted,cold colours and some excellent - if at times a somewhat cliched - shots. At this point we begin to realize that everyone is psychologically damaged in some way. The story develops slowly - perhaps too slowly for some tastes - but to me this adds to the feeling of growing menace. Particularly good, I thought, were the scenes invovling the dolls' house. The tale then, rather unsatisfactorily, becomes half detective story and half ghost story and finally has a very unbelievable and unlikely psychological ending, something even more pseudo-scientific than Freud himself could have invented. Beware - psedo-science and ghost stories do not mix! However, there is a wonderful twist in the tale, cleverly executed, which is rather reminiscent of a simliar twist in A Beautiful Mind.Then there's the sex scene and the violent assault scene both of which have become almost obligatory in a large proportion of films; no repeated F words however! I have no objection to such scenes (or the words for that matter) as long as they are an essential part of the plot: here they are not. Or perhaps I've missed something as there are several obscurities in the film which a second viewing may clarify.If you like ghost stories this is worth watching but watch it before The Woman in Black.