The Eclipse: Horror Film, Romance, Tear-Jerker or All of the Above?

The Eclipse is described as a supernatural thriller that features a widowed father named Michael (Ciaran Hinds), and his two children. Following their mother's death, he encounters a few strange incidents - namely a ghost that he believes is haunting his house. (A ghost scene early in the film is truly chilling.)

Michael is a volunteer at a literary festival in Ireland. There he meets and falls quite smitten with Lena Morelle (played by Iben Hjejle from High Fidelity), one of the novelists featured at the festival. The novel that she has written is paranormal in nature, which ties in somewhat with the events that have been happening to Michael.

Enter the stage, actor Aidan Quinn. Quinn stars as Nicholas Holden - a married novelist who happens to be vying for Lena's affections. The nature of their relationship is a little bit fuzzy. But you get the idea that this doesn't really matter too much.

Michael is also dealing with the fact that his former father-in-law is in a nursing home -- and is not so happy to be there. The viewer gets the impression that Michael feels terribly guilty about his father-in-law being in the facility. The heavy sensation of guilt is felt throughout the movie, also added to the suspense. Michael and Lena become close, much to Nicholas's dismay. Towards the end of the film the fairly tepid love triangle grows tense, ultimately resulting in fisticuffs.

If, at this point you were expecting more from the storyline, then you're in for a disappointment. The trailer and the synopsis both imply that this is a supernatural thriller. But this movie doesn't know whether it wants to be scary, sentimental, funny, or romantic. Clearly, it is all of the above. You get the impression that there are several life lessons buried within the sappy melodrama and the cryptic suspense. There are one or two creepy moments in The Eclipse. But they aren't resolved in the manner they would have been had this been a true horror movie.

That being said, it would be easy to say that this film is unlikable except for the fact that the cinematography is simply stunning. Additionally, the acting and symbolism warrant merit. To say that this is the thinking person's horror film might be a misplaced sentiment. It's a story that uses the premise of the supernatural to highlight one man's emotional struggle with death, grief, and guilt. If you happen to be looking for the typical cinematic thrills, then the abstract, open-ended plot will probably frustrate you more than anything else. Check it out and decide for yourself...

SOURCES:

www.netflix.com
www.rottentomatoes.com
www.amazon.comwww.imdb.com