LaFountaine

“The Skeleton Key” Movie

On Wednesday afternoon I saw the movie “The Skeleton Key”, which starred: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt and Joy Bryant.

The storyline involved the following: “Caroline (Hudson) is a hospice nurse who goes from one terminally ill patient to another. The Devereauxs--stroke victim Ben (John Hurt) and his supposedly caring but overprotective wife Violet (Gena Rowlands)--are her next case. It all starts off innocently enough, with Caroline seeing Ben's misfortune as a means to pay for her nursing school tuition. But once she arrives at the foreboding house, a manse set on a bayou in the boondocks surrounding New Orleans (as if N'awlins isn't inherently spooky enough, we have to contend with the city's desolate outskirts?), it's clear that this place comes with history. Seems the former owners' black servants used to practice ''hoodoo''--a local folk magic--way back when in the attic and were strung up for it. Now, their spirits could still be up there. So when Caroline hears noises emanating from above, the (conveniently) curious houseguest investigates. Ben, too, seems spooked. Despite being deemed bedridden by Mrs. Devereaux, he's escaping out of windows. Caroline believes someone--or something--may be tormenting him (you think?), and she searches for the answer, which may or may not be lurking in the attic.”

I would rate the movie a “B”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink. Kate Hudson’s performance was good, but the mystery could have been revealed earlier in the movie.

posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 10:08 AM