Review #491 of 365
Movie Review of I Know Who Killed Me (2007) [R] 105 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $11.75
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 30 July 2007
Time: 5:00 pm
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
DVD Release Date: 27 November 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Directed by: Chris Sivertson (The Best of Robbers)
Written by: Jeff Hammond (debut)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Lindsay Lohan (Georgia Rule) • Neal McDonough (Flags of Our Fathers) • Julia Ormond (Inland Empire) • Brian Geraghty (We Are Marshall) • Garcelle Beauvais ("Eyes") • Spencer Garrett (Bobby) • Thomas Tofel (War of the Angels)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
To read the spoiler points for I Know Who Killed Me, click here.
The plot really is pretty clever. It all begins with a junior college student reading a short story in her writing class about a young woman who is unfulfilled in her life, incomplete, and longing for something that's missing. Clearly, Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan) has a flair for both dramatic writing and reading as the class seems captivated at her every word. The town where she lives, however, is partially under alert with an early curfew for anyone under 21 due to a suspected serial killer—nobody's admitting that—on the prowl for young women. Agents Jusie Bascome (Garcelle Beauvais) and Phil Lazarus (Spencer Garrett) are on the job trying to solve the string of murders where the killer drastically dismembers his victims before dumping them to die. Foreshadowing, of course, alerts everyone except Aubrey that she's next. Don't be fooled though, this is not just the typical serial killer film, though it surely starts off looking like one. Aubrey has doting parents, Daniel (Neal McDonough) and Susan (Julia Ormond) and a football player boyfriend, Jerrod (Brian Geraghty) who, for some reason, feels that a blue rose will win him a night with Aubrey.
"… falls into the 'guilty pleasure' category,…an unexpectedly good movie--scary, intriguing, and sassy."
While this is no M. Night Shyamalan film, it's a Chris Sivertson film using a Jeff Hammond screenplay, there is a very good, maybe not entirely unexpected twist that explains what's really been going on all along. The title alludes, anyway, to Aubrey somehow figuring out who killed her. The problem with the title is that she's not dead. So, nobody killed her. Or did they? Is this something supernatural? Is she a ghost? Is this another case of astral projection from a dying body like was saw in The Invisible? Well, you'll just have to see the film or read the spoiler points to find out. The fact of the matter is that the twist is masterful, and there are some aspects that make the film feel like M. Night Shyamalan might have had a hand in thinking this up. The recurrence of that blue color throughout the film giving subtle visual clues as to what is going on—it was red in The Sixth Sense. It's obvious that the blue has something to do with things, but what? The fact that you never know until the end whom Dakota/Aubrey can really trust also plays out well. Until the climax, that is. Here's where the film does border on being a tad preposterous and illogical. It's disappointing because it didn't have to be this way, some writing techniques could have been employed to explain why police weren't called in other than the cheesy line, "There just isn't time." Still, it does make for a harrowing and frustrating chase to the finish. The film is sassy and scary, a rare combination, with dual performances by Linday Lohan that make her roles in The Parent Trap look downright child's play. Say what you will about her and her personal life, but she did a pretty good and convincing job with this/these role(s).
I was prepared to really hate this movie, and to write a deliciously terrible review. The truth of the matter is that it's actually an unexpectedly good movie--scary, intriguing, and sassy. Part of it falls into the 'guilty pleasure' category, but honestly there's a lot more to this story than a lot of the other stuff thrown out at viewers as murder mystery movies over the past few years. And, Tomas Tofel, plays one creepy dude.
I Know Who Killed Me is not quite in the same league as Perfect Stranger or Mr. Brooks, but it's not that far off if you can overlook the events that lead up to the to the ending and the fact that certain characters seem to disappear as if they were never there, oh, and that the police providing clamp down surveillance protection also suddenly disappear when they might be most needed. That's why this turned out to be more of an $11.75 W.I.P. than a $12.50 or $13.
Lindsay Lohan as Aubrey Fleming | Lindsay Lohan as Dakota Moss |
Jerrod (Brian Geraghty) gives Aubrey (Lindsay Lohan) a signature blue rose. | Neal McDonough as Daniel Fleming |
Julia Ormond as Susan Fleming |
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
Cast Members
Lindsay Lohan • Neal McDonough • Julia Ormond
Brian Geraghty • Garcelle Beauvais • Spencer Garrett
Thomas Tofel
Director
Chris Sivertson
Writer
Jeff Hammond
2 comments:
I heard Perfect Stranger was pretty good. You compared this one to that and said Perfect Stranger was in another league. Interesting...
I do want to see the movie. Often these movies that are just laughed at end up being at least moderately entertaining. Thrillers can pull off being not-so-good, as long as they keep going at a fast enough pace.
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