Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Kerry O'Malley, Brian Howe.
Director: John R. Leonetti.
I liked Annabelle when I first saw it. I mean, I understood it to be a pretty uneven film from the get-go: there wasn't much substance or meaning to it, not a great deal of real plot cohesion and didn't have a particularly strong story. What it had was a collection of random but effective scares, many of which I found to be pretty impressive and even a little genuinely frightening.
The stars are charismatic enough: I like Mia, after all...she has a little (more than a little intentionally) Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby going on. Luckily for Mia, her Husband is way less of a tool than poor Rosemary. The interactions between the two are lovey-dovey cuteness, and it's endearing enough for an audience to be fearful for them, and that's a very useful thing. In fact, let's get that out of the way: this movie has severe Rosemary's Baby envy. The main character is even named Mia. I think once we realize it's a serious influence on the film, I think we can move past it and even somewhat admire its homage...it might even make the film a little better in the end.
The sequence of the cult attack is very well done, too. Director John R. Leonetti uses tracking shots and worrying close-ups, shadows and tight light sources...it manages to even look rather natural. The house is full of weird little corners-perfect for a slightly out-of-focus to spirit their way through creepily-and, well, how creepy is it when Mia is putting on her robe and hears "I like your dolls" whispered in the dark? It's a pretty chilling moment, really. The whole sequence has a breath-taking set-up and then is followed up with a really ferocious attack. I don't know if the movie ever matches that sequence ever again during its running time, but it won me over the first time I saw and it won me over this time. too.
There is a sort of simple honesty to this film. Character moments are very candid, the movie makes no attempt to subvert or in any way attempt to make you think that this is about anything other than that creep-ass doll.
Following up an incredibly well staged cult attack with the horrors of Jiffy-Pop wasn't the world's greatest cinematic plan. It moves us in the right direction in the end-we move out to a new location (a strange but interesting decision for a second act), the baby is born (changing the stakes) and we see our first minor element of demonic shenanigans with a good ole' invisible leg-drag (which we may want to put a moratorium on for the time being...it's getting a little old-hat). But still, not the strongest transitional scare I've ever seen.
When I watched this on the theater, there was a pair of young women in the front row who always cringed and made small noises when Annabelle was on screen. It was adorable at first and then, since this movie is ninety-five percent close ups of the doll, it got a little irritating.
Even the new apartment Mia and John have is a very clear homage to Rosemary's Baby-that long hallway with all the rooms branching off, high ceilings, gothic architecture. The building is a dead ringer for the Dakota. Again, much like their old house, it has those nice sharp corners...makes for a very nice set piece. Actually, the set design in general is really nicely done here. There's excellent use of space.
Oh, I forgot about the disappointing borderline-racist addition of Alfre Woodard. Don't get me wrong, Woodard is a phenomenal actress and an absolute legend. She looks like she's a little bored here, and who could blame her, and...well, look, she embodies the magical person-of-color trope that movies used to fall into years ago. It's a shame to see Annabelle lazily (and, I think, unwittingly) backslide into that device.
John's joke about the creepy kid drawings is admittedly pretty funny and sounds like something I'd say under the circumstances: Mia asks, worried, "You see what I mean?" John looks at the drawings, and says gravely, "Yes, I see...these aren't very good, I mean look at the proportions..." and grins.
Annabelle has another really solid scare in it that I felt legitimately frightening at the time I saw it: she follows a little girl through her apartment, sees her standing in a room across the hall...the door starts to close, little girl breaks into a dead run towards the door and, just as the door removes her view, the door bursts open and horrible undead chick continues the run at Mia...I genuinely got freaked out by that the first time. I thought it was a great scare.
The Basement sequence and desperate run up the stairs is filled with cliches but it's still rather effectively done. The elevator doors opening again and again into the creepy basement, the echoing sounds of a crying baby, and the spooky dark figure chasing her up the stairs...we've seen it all before but it feels...well, not exactly fresh, but not nearly as cliche as it should come across. I'd say it's a fun horror scene, but not exactly the finest moments of cinema.
One of the biggest criticisms I could level at this film would probably be in its pacing. It's a very stop and go film: big shock moments followed by plodding scenes of halting dialogue and close-ups of people looking concerned...it feels very much like killing time on occasion. Things really do start to drag in the third act...and keep dragging.
The bait and switch of Mia thinking she's bashed out Annabelle's little stuffing-like brains and then being made to think it's her baby...that's pretty intense stuff. I wondered for a moment if this movie was going to go that dark. It didn't seem to fit...and it ends up being a misdirect.
So, Alfre Woodards divine purpose in life is the save a handful of white people. Thank you, Hollywood. I mean, I get the bond that occurs between the two Mothers, and Woodard's character is thinking purely in terms of getting to save the child she has been unable to save before. It's a solid character motivation in the end, and one that is supposed to be color blind, but it has some unfortunate connotations in this day and age.
Final Thoughts: This film is very technically sound and has a nice collection of scares. It's awkwardly written and paced at times, has some unfortunate bad habits and poor connotations...has some great set pieces and designs and just has some really great individual scenes. It's an entertaining enough scary movie, not a fantastic film.
Final Rating: Three Stars.
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