'The Ring'plays on imagination
By Nicole Rodriguez
The trailer boasts a haunting whisper: "Before you die you see the ring." We are unsure of what the ring is or why it causes such a horrific effect on those who see it - all we know is that we are intrigued. And it is this sense of the mysterious that DreamWorks Pictures' "The Ring" plays to its advantage throughout both the trailer and the movie itself.
In her first starring role, Australian actress Naomi Watts plays columnist Rachel Keller - a working mom who suddenly finds her family struck with tragedy when her niece Katie mysteriously dies under some pretty gruesome circumstances.
Urged by her mourning sister to investigate the death, Rachel soon discovers that Katie died exactly seven days to the minute after watching a mysterious videotape with her boyfriend and two friends at a remote cabin in the woods. In addition to this, it turns out that every other person present at this viewing died at the same moment as Katie.
Driven by both her desire to solve the mystery of Katie's death as well as her own curiosity, Rachel journeys to the cabin and tracks down the tape - only to find that the urban legends she has been hearing may not actually be fiction at all.
Directed by Gore Verbinski ("The Mexican"), "The Ring" is a sleek, sophisticated film that uses good old-fashioned suspense to chill audiences to their cores. Unlike most modern horror flicks, the horror of "The Ring" is created not in the gore seen, but that which is left to the viewer's imagination. For example, we see Katie killed in the opening sequence, but the camera cuts off just moments before the deed is done. We are chilled by her retelling of the legend to her friend, and then horrified by her own terror-stricken face as we watch the legend become her reality, but we never actually see what happens to her. Verbinski knows that the mystery of the unknown is ultimately more terrifying than anything he could show us. And he keeps this frame of mind for the entirety of the movie.
As beautifully constructed as it is, it is obvious that "The Ring" couldn't thrive without the aid of incredible actors - Watts, in particular. After gaining critical acclaim as a good girl/bad girl in David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," Watts manages to give Rachel a sense of depth not derived from the script. Yes, Rachel is a strikingly beautiful blond (as horror film leads often are), but in no way is she the damsel in distress. She is bold and gutsy, more concerned with saving the life of her young son and ex-boyfriend then saving herself. In fact, although she appropriately cowers when faced with the evil of the tape, there is never a moment in the film when that determined gleam leaves her eyes.
The supporting cast also holds its own - specifically Martin Henderson (who plays an old lover of Rachel's) and David Dorfman (her young son Aidan). The scarcely-known Henderson proves to have possible leading man potential. Henderson's character (Noah) has broken the heart of his former lover and walked out on his responsibilities to their son, yet he is so charismatic and charming that the audience can't help but be seduced by his presence. We become Rachel in this aspect, in that we can't stand when he is around, but the moment he leaves we keep wishing for him to come back. We hate that he's seen the tape because we know what the end result will be, but we love that he has been drawn into this plot, mostly because we know this assures him his fair share of onscreen time.
Dorfman, who is perhaps best known for playing Gwyneth Paltrow's youngest son in 2000's "Bounce," takes a Haley Joel Osment turn in what is becoming the typical "Sixth Sense" psychic son role. While his performance is solid and perhaps even haunting, he is never given the same opportunities to display his talents as Osment had in "Sense." This movie is less about the son Rachel is trying to save and more about her quest to do it. Therefore, Dorfman become almost disposable, save the few plot holes his character fills in.
A remake of the Japanese box office smash "Ringu," "The Ring" takes an almost comical plot line and transforms it into a genuinely terrifying example of what horror films used to be in the days when they were actually scary. This is one film that is guarenteed to keep you up at night.