Silent Fall (2000, DVD)

When one dark Russian night I turned on the TV to watch another exciting thrill from Macedonia, little I knew that time was around midnight and every single NATO member was sleeping already, in terms of the news program that is. I had nothing better left than to be satisfied with eggs and veggies on my plate and some movie with Richard Dreyfuss on the channel I accidentally took for a Peace Corps mission.

By the time my dinner was gone I started yawning. First of all, let me tell you that Richard Dreyfuss scares the hell out of me. Even in my favorite Mr. Holland s Opus he seemed like a neurotic maniac and I could not help it but think the same of him in Silent Fall. Secondly, this neurotic maniac who turned out to be a psychiatrist had made a fatal mistake and blames himself for the death of a ten-year-old autistic boy. Of course, he stopped treating kids and when another kid needs help, really really needs help, the whole story turns out very dramatic. We ve seen that thousand of times. Stay with me and I ll show you.

Some Hero devoted his life to saving people, he used to be very good, best of best [almost like TR on Epinions] but one day a person died. Hero could save him, or at least that is what he thinks. Everyone else tells him that it was not his fault, but when time comes everyone makes sure to press that button. And then Hero has to save one more person.

Sugar? Nah, thanks, I m sweet enough.

Well, with cheese added to my veggies I smartly used the commercial to grab some tea, turned off the lights, rolled under my plaid and hoped finally to fight insomnia. Gosh, little I knew that I needed to put a mug in some save place. No more blaming Chris for chipping my cups.

Metamorphose that happened after preamble actually made me write in the first place. This is movie that shows a wide range of dramatic styles. Coming in as a boring loser facing the world plot, it takes a new twist when the said neurotic maniac enters the room with two brutally stabbed bloody corpses. Just when you start analyzing the damaged carpet and the boring gray color of the police uniform, the mystery [Ben Faulkner] shows up covered with blood and with a knife in his hands.

Now, what you think when you see that? All right, a nine-year-old killed his parents and is walking around the house, looking for someone to share the story. But he can t share, he s autistic and doesn t talk. More than that, his 18-year-old sister Sylvie [Liv Tyler], who was hiding in the closet runs towards him and hugs him, thanking God he s alive. Gee, could he be a murderer? Looks like it s a weird situation for a sheriff to be in.

This was the first time I came across autism. The topic was covered well-enough for a loon like me to understand the problems of a kid and why an autistic child with a knife in his hands puts even more mystery on a murder.

The psychological side of the case was the main reason why I could not fall asleep. Eventually with the lights out I was pulled from drama to suspense then to thriller with some horror flick elements and then to melodrama. No, I did not cry, but it s a sad story that in times can get rather heavy.

Every single character is a walking dream of an obsessed psychotherapist. Most of us live our real lives with everything that s going on inside of the characters. Now, ok, I know I m a psycho [not the one who made Battlefield Earth, mind you], my Mom keeps telling me for over a year that I need a therapy and my own borderline increases into a nightmare world, but I still think it s something easy to relate to. Fine, I can t believe all of you lived your lives without thinking how crazy it gets, and almost none of you has been in a situation of an autistic person in this world. That s something new that made the movie worth watching.

There are no nuts college students working out urban legends, and no demon possessing Linda Blair, there is no mask or hook involved either. It s not your typical horror thing, it s a murder, not even that clearly planned murder, it just happened, for a reason though. The way this murder is solved is the horror line itself.

If you watch it carefully you ll be able to reach the answer way before the perfect solution will be handed to you. You ll find it in the acting, that is not plain, but dramatic. And though it was not perfect, it was good. Comparing to most of the horror crap you won t see a murderer changing the character completely and unreasonably at the moment of being charged with it. Human realities are presented by human acting, which is just good. However Ben Faulkner should shock you, something like Linda Blair in The Exorcist, this kid is playing over his head. Stop for a moment, and think that it s just a kid who is acting more mature than most of the Hollywood stars today. But you won t catch yourself on a thought, Wow, he s brilliant ; instead you ll be in his power, overtaken by his character. The whole suspense is built on story and acting, no fashionable directing or camera work, just plain drama.

Around 2AM I found myself sitting on the floor, my head covered with plaid, a bit disappointed by solving the puzzle myself, lights off, chipped cup lost somewhere with the remote, and Chris back from some party with a question, So, you finally have seen The Exorcist? Ugh, well, it was Exorcist at all, I mean, they are so different, but the kids Sometimes I think we should have kids acting in the adult thrillers, forget about adults, forget about teens, kids are our future.

Turn off the lights, get kids and cups out of the way, cover yourself with something that reminds you of Scottish Highlanders and enter the world of psychotherapy. Oh, and just so you don t kill me afterwards, it s predictable, the plot that is.