★ 6 / 10
**_Modern version of Carmilla at an all-girls boarding
Wuchak
**_Modern version of Carmilla at an all-girls boarding school in the Northeast_** Rebecca (Sarah Bolger) becomes suspicious of a mysterious new student (Lily…
**_Modern version of Carmilla at an all-girls boarding school in the Northeast_**
Rebecca (Sarah Bolger) becomes suspicious of a mysterious new student (Lily Cole) at her private prep school. Is it just teenage jealousy heightened by trauma over her dad’s death or does Ernessa have a dark secret?
“The Moth Diaries” (2011) is a psychological youth drama that eventually throws in bits of fantasy or horror. The latter is low-key with enough ambiguity about what’s going on to (mis)lead some. I can’t say more because I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll just point out that “Carmilla” is emphasized in the English Literature class, which was written by Irish novelist Sheridan Le Fanu and published in 1872, predating Bram Stoker's "Dracula" by some 25-26 years.
The setting of course brings to mind “Dead Poets Society,” just replaced with students of the feminine gender, not to mention the events take place in 2010 (when the flick was shot). The story respects the intelligence of the viewer to put the pieces of the puzzle together. For instance, why would the Asian student (Valerie Tian) be so foolish to throw a chair through the window at a party? Why would a certain adult so unwisely come on to a student, risking career and future? It’s not bad writing; the answers are there.
Just keep in mind that the vampire lore of Carmilla isn’t the same as the more popular lore of Dracula.
As far as the cast goes, statuesque Lily Cole (Ernessa) has the uncanny face of a porcelain doll while Bolger is effective enough as the protagonist. One wonders if everything she experiences is all in her head (even though it’s not).
Fans of “The Woods” and “The River King” should appreciate this. It’s superior to the former, but not quite on the level of the latter.
The movie runs 1 hour, 22 minutes, and was shot in Oka, Québec, and Montreal, which is a dozen miles east of Oka.
GRADE: B-
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★ 6 / 10
Pasty White Female
soncoman
Director Mary Harron ("American Psycho," "The Notorious Betty Page") tackles neo-Gothic horror in her latest film, an adaptation of Rachel Klein's novel "The…
Director Mary Harron ("American Psycho," "The Notorious Betty Page") tackles neo-Gothic horror in her latest film, an adaptation of Rachel Klein's novel "The Moth Diaries."
Set at a remote Canadian BoardingSchool for Girls, "
Diaries" is the story of Rebecca (Sarah Bolger) and Lucie (Sarah Gadon,) really, really, REALLY close roommates who are looking forward to spending their last year at school together. Enter Ernessa (Lily Cole) a suspiciously gaunt, pale, yet dark figure who quickly attaches herself to Lucie. Rebecca finds herself on the outside looking in as Ernessa and Lucie's relationship grows stronger; all the while Lucie herself appears to be getting weaker and weaker.
Hmmm
Life force ebbing
Ernessa never seen during the day
Ernessa never seen eating or drinking
Could she be a
super model? No, no, that's not it. How about a vampire? A ha! Could be. Coincidentally, one of the books being taught by the new hunky English teacher (Scott Speedman) is "Carmilla," a Gothic novel about a female vampire and her prey (that actually predates Stoker's "Dracula" by about a quarter of a century.) Is this a case of life imitating art? Or would that be art imitating life imitating art? Regardless, Rebecca can't get anyone to believe her that Ernessa is a danger to them all, even after students and staff start dropping like flies. What's a good Catholic school girl to do?
Harron does her best with the material, and the film does a good job of establishing an overall mood of dread with several effective set pieces. The ending, however, underwhelmed me. It seems rushed and incomplete, which may reflect the film's apparent low budget more than the filmmaker's intent. Harron has done much with little before, so I found myself let down with this film's conclusion. Solid performances, good location work and moody cinematography can't make up for a haphazard script and the lack of a solid ending.
www.worstshowontheweb.com
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@9f80de03: How is it censored? The runtime coincides with the official PAL releases.