Half Light
(Sony Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(2006)
review by Died With Boots On

I'd like to start this review with a prefatory statement. I obediently confide in the Demi Moore that starred in "A Few Good Men," not the "Striptease" Demi Moore, and certainly not "G.I. Jane" Demi Moore. I'm still not sure where I stand on "Ghost," though I unforgiving refuse to allow it a second chance. With that said, this is probably one of Ms. Moore's most outstanding performances, radiating the very same exceptional histrionic vibe as the supporting cast. More on that later.

The beautiful wife of a dashing British gentleman (Cusick), the dedicated mother of a playfully curious preadolescent boy, Thomas (El-Balawi), and the world-renowned, award-winning Stephen King of her generation, Rachel Carlson's (Moore) life is perfect. Well, aside from her jealous husband who also seeks his niche amongst the literary greats, and, rightfully so, compares himself with the obscurity of Mrs. Stephen King. Oh, and the writer's block that induces a state of mind bordering on mental insanity, a state avoided by her husband's religious pill shoveling, which serves only as a placebo. Ah, yes, and the drowning of her son. And what about the mountainous gobs of icing on the moist, decadent cake? That's right, her son's death is the sole byproduct of her negligence. Promising to fulfill her motherly duties to her seemingly never entertained son, she hammers away on her typewriter while glancing at her wristwatch, aware that in five minutes, her son Thomas will be tugging on her sleeve once more. After spending a good amount of time polishing off her chapter, she finds the time (and loses her sense of guilt and responsibility) to make a nice, fresh, crispy garden salad. By the time she decides to spend some quality time with her son, he has already tucked himself in for a permanent nap with the fishes.

Suffering delusions, from a crumbling marriage that was long ago devoured by her husband's self-loathing and envy, his eye constantly trained on the net worth of his wife, a resounding for million pounds, and unable to cope with Thomas's death, Rachel, under the advocacy of her best friend and publisher, isolates herself on a beautifully rustic island in North Wales. Her closest neighbor is the lighthouse keeper, a man who bunks in the watchtower on his very own island across a channel of water. After meeting the homegrown locals, her writer's block ebbs away. She fills her lungs with the salty sea air and commits to a several mile hike into town. She reaches a rickety boardwalk that stretches along an avenue of elementally battered general stores and pubs. Rachel's savoring eyes are met by the glazed over physiognomy of a cocaine addict. Though this is no ordinary crack junkie looking for a score, for this stranger is clairvoyant. She quietly informs Rachel that her son is waiting for her on the swing set, an empty, rusted swing set not more than twenty paces from either of them. Rachel, overcome by a sense of the presence of the ethereal, runs for the shelter of her mother's little helper. Juggling her conjugal visits to the lighthouse keeper and her novel research, she finds herself once again drifting on cloud nine. However, as the plot unwinds, several omens from her deceased son fall into her lap, forewarning the abrupt death of her idyllic island paradise.

Combining elements of a slew of my favorite movies, "Identity" and "Skeleton Key" included, this film utilizes the divisive art of the archetype, foreshadowing much of the film's darker sequences with ill lighting. The Welsh culture emanated throughout the film and provides for a charming and pastoral frame of reference to fall back upon. All in all, the ambience of the movie is accurately labeled as a romantic thriller, the first in its class as far as I'm concerned.

This film is the first well-written, well-cast, well-contrived thriller I've seen in months. Why it warranted a straight-to-DVD release is beyond me, especially with a name like Demi Moore on the bill. Though without the rancid Halitosis of Hollywood breathing down its neck, it is an even greater success. From the stagecraft to the photography, to the music (especially a memorable track done by " The Bogtrotters"), this film was everything you could ask for in a thriller, not to reiterate the mind-blowing pageantry of Hans Matheson, an actor I hope to see more of in the future, and Henry Ian Cusick, a man whose talent is just as apparent as his femininity. Watch it. Enjoy. Before Demi Moore goes back to sucking.