Solace

Can you imagine that it is soon 21 years ago, since one of the best serial killer films was released called Seven ? Oh man, time is running away fast. But the good news is that some films still deliver, even until this day. And Seven is one of those films that will always be close in my heart. I did see it in a cinema, back in 1995, and of course i gave it the highest rating. Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich all did excellent performances, and the style of the film by director David Fincher, made it unique. Serial killer films have been released in many years, in many different shapes. Usually, most of them are not very good, but sometimes we do get a nice surprise. American Psycho with the brilliant actor Christian Bale, is without a doubt one of the biggest serial killer classic films. A film that many people may not talk about, is the really brutal, disturbing film called I Saw The Devil. Directed by Kim Jee-woon, he gave us a very unique look into a serial killer´s sick mind. I would say this film is still one of my favourite in this genre, so i suggest you buy this one on dvd, or blu ray, as long as it is in your movie collection. Let us not forget Zodiac, a really intensive and well acted thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey, Jr. Very long, but a very interesting view on the Zodiac serial killer case in San Fransisco. Let´s speak about Seven again, i know that for many years, there have been discussions about a sequel to Seven. For a long time, we did not hear anything more about it. Until a script for a film called Solace turned up, that is said to be re-written script for a sequel to Seven. When New Line Cinema confirmed that the film was going to be made, with director Afonso Poyart, i could not help to feel curious about this project. Knowing that from the beginning, this was supposed to be a sequel to Seven, just made my curiousity even bigger. Since i really love the classic Seven, and still enjoy it today, is this ( supposed to be ) sequel almost as good as Seven is, or is it just a cheap way to get audiences fooled ?

FBI Agent Joe Merriweather ( Jeffrey Dean Morgan ) and his partner Agent Catherine Kowles ( Abbie Cornish ) are trying to locate a serial killer, that have left several bodies marked with a special signature, and a card with what they belive is a riddle. Agent Joe recognize the pattern, and he knows that this is the same serial killer they have been hunting for a long time. He decides to go out and visit his old friend John Clancy ( Anthony Hopkins ). John used to help the FBI to find out details of dead victims, since he can see what happened before they were killed. He dropped out, especially because of his young daughters death. Agent Joe tries to talk to John about coming back, that they really need his help. Eventually, John agrees, especially because he knows that this is the serial killer he tried to find before. Time is ticking, and more victims could be found dead. Who is this man doing this, and why does he choose specific victims ?

For those of you who remember the film Seven, might remember how well made it was. There was a lot of tension, emotions, and unexpected turns during the film. And it all made things better with such powerful performances, that were included in Seven. With Solace, we have a completely different story. Sure, there is a serial killer here, and he have his very own signature, that he leaves on each body. But there is not a lot of tension here, or a lot to be pleased about. Since we have such great actors as Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Abbie Cornish, you would expect to get a nice experience. Unfortunately, Solace is more of an pretty basic thriller, that you have seen so many times before. No unexpected twists, no surprises to lift the story, and most of the acting performances are not very good. And the only good reason to watch Solace, is thanks to Anthony Hopkins. He may not deliver here, as he usually does from an acting perspective. But, in a few scenes, he makes us feel curious about his character John Clancy, for helping FBI finding out what happened to dead victims. So he is basically the strongest point in this film, while we have some big problems to deal with. Director Afonso Poyart have directed 2 films in Portugal in the past. I have not seen any of his previous work, but i wonder if he was the right man to direct a serial killer film with a cast like this ? Knowing that this was supposed to be a sequel to Seven, makes you worried. There is nothing interesting about this film, if you compare it to the 90´s classic, and that is such a shame. In some scenes, i can see that there is an interesting story to be told. Especially with the character of Anthony Hopkins, because he knows how to make characters feel alive. But without a good script, or without strong characters, Solace falls pretty flat on the ground. Colin Farrell as a serial killer, was not the brightest idea ever either. I do like him as an actor, but his performance here is not what you would expect. I just read today that in France, the box office numbers in tickets sales were 6, 594, 509 million dollars. That is pretty impressive, considering this film did not screen almost anywhere in America. I suppose that french people love Antony Hopkins, and i can´t say no to that. But this is not the film he will be remembered for, in fact, most of us will probably forget about it.

Rating: DD