HIDE AND SEEK

US, 2005, 101 minutes, Colour.
Robert de Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Elizabeth Shue, Amy Irving, Dylan Baker, Melissa Leo, Robert John Burke.
Directed by John Polsen.

In The Sixth Sense, a traumatised Haley Joel Osment saw dead people. In Hide and Seek, a traumatised Dakota Fanning sees mysterious companions that no one else sees. In The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis was a psychiatrist who discovered something unexpected. In Hide and Seek, Robert de Niro is the psychologist who has to deal with his daughter and make some unexpected discoveries. In a way, The Sixth Sense was so good at ‘misdirecting’ audience attention that it meant that audiences are more alert to plot twists – but, personally, it was only just before the truth was revealed that it occurred to me what was really happening. A reviewer can only hope that audiences will enjoy the plot development and the surprises.

It is actually pleasant to see Robert de Niro acting the part of a quietly normal character for a change, bespectacled, concerned, domestic and worried about his daughter’s strange behaviour after her mother’s violent death. Dakota Fanning is always a knowing little actress and she is convincingly gaunt and troubled here. Some good actresses are also part of the scenario, Amy Irving, Famke Jannsen, Elizabeth Shue and Melissa Leo.

Australian director, John Polson (Siam Sunset, Swimfan) keeps the whole thing fairly edgy even as everyone is trying to help the little girl back to normal, but the climax is overly American as it resorts to violence to solve everything. But it is an entertaining, sometimes off-kilter psychological thriller.

1. An entertaining thriller, psychology, death trauma, murder, mental illness? A satisfying combination?

2. The New York City settings, affluent homes, hotels? Upstate, the countryside, the country town, the locations, the houses, the water? The holiday house and its interiors? The musical score?

3. The title, the games and their references? The deeper meaning, Charlie hiding within David?

4. The misdirection of the audience, the focus on Emily instead of on David, assumptions made? The satisfying shock when the truth was revealed?

5. The psychological plausibility of the film, David’s character, Emily’s? The interaction between the two? David and his attitude towards his wife, towards women? As David? As Charlie?

6. The initial situation, Alison and the merry-go-round, the glimpse of David? Her goodnight to Emily? The inability to talk to David? Six past two in the morning, the suicide, the bath and the candles, Emily seeing her dead mother and the blood?

7. The focus on Emily, her relationship with her mother, in the playground, at night, seeing her dead mother, the shock? At the institute, in the playroom, her drawings? With Katherine? The focus on her illness and the possibility of recovery?

8. The character of David, Robert de Niro as ordinary, with glasses, his work, the tapes and his copying the verbatims in his notebook? The grief, the reliance on Katherine? The decision to take Emily to the country? The initial encounter with the sheriff? With the estate agent? His memories of Alison and her death? The chance encounter with Elizabeth and Amy? The next-door neighbours and their own grief? Laura and her bringing gifts? The suspicion of Steven? The film setting up suspicions of Steven?

9. Emily and her life in the country, her silence, looking wan, her talking to her father, the discovery of Charlie, and the audience not seeing him? Her explanation of the games, the dark drawings of Charlie? The hide-and-seek?

10. David’s perspective, carrying on as normal, his kindness, cooking for Emily, her not eating the meal? His trying to persuade her to get better? The discussions about Charlie and his puzzle?

11. The weeks passing, the routines of life, Elizabeth and her friendliness, bringing Amy for friendship? Emily’s suspicions? Her harshness towards Elizabeth? Warning her? Amy and the games? The gifts of books, flowers? Talking with Elizabeth?

12. The situation between David and Elizabeth, Amy, Elizabeth’s personality? The horror of her death?

13. The flashbacks to Alison, the revelation of her affair, the effect on David? The clues indicated for understanding what was really going on?

14. Laura, her grief, David’s visit, the sympathetic listening, her keeping the mementoes? The husband, his being in the grounds – his coming to the house, David knifing him?

15. The estate agent, friendly, bringing the key in the middle of the night, David’s suspicions?

16. The sheriff, his suspicions, the final attack and his death?

17. The point when the audience realised what was happening? The shift of emphasis? Emily being seen as normal, the effect of David’s behaviour on her, the audience not seeing Charlie, and then seeing David transform? The character of Charlie, his viciousness? Her fears? Her helping Charlie, the blood on the walls – and David cleaning them?

18. David’s breakdown, the emergence of Charlie, Robert de Niro’s performance as Charlie? Menacing Emily? Menacing Katherine? The revelation of his jealousy, his attitude towards his wife, killing her? The knife and his pursuit of the sheriff, of Steven?

19. Katherine, the phone calls, pleasant, her coming to the house, the confrontation with David? Her being hit, into the cave, the shooting?

20. Emily, her escaping the house, in the cave, the violent ending and the melodrama with Charlie and his being shot?

21. The end – and the indication of Emily’s multiple personalities?