Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

lathe-of-heaven I just finished watching this movie for the SECOND time...I knew I had seen it a while ago, but I couldn't quite remember what was going to happen. MAN, what a Suspenser! The mood, the style, the Suspense... The director frigg'n NAILED it. The look, the writing, the performances were all top notch.I remember when I saw this the first time that I didn't really care for the lead guy too much; he was really just SO annoying because he didn't seem to be able to communicate with others at all. VERY frustrating... But, as the film progresses you begin to see other sides to him and he is not at all as self-absorbed and one dimensional as one may have thought.Talk about PSYCHOLOGICAL... I think this is just about as psychological as a Thriller can get, unless of course you venture into Horror territory where you have masterful films like 'SESSION 9', for example. The characters are well portrayed. When Julia Styles and Paddy first meet it is amazing; I would think that it would be very DIFFICULT to do a scene like that and be CONVINCING, enough to draw the audience into the story as much as it did. And then, when you first meet Paddy's almost ex-wife... Talk about a mind-bender. You are seeing some absolutely first rate writing, directing, and acting here, let me tell you...Normally, speaking very broadly, I do not usually care for films like this; where happenstance, fate, or whatEVER draws these innocent people into this web of disaster, no matter what they do. BUT... in this case, the film is done SO damn well that you truly have NO choice but to ride along, gripping your @ss the whole time, hoping and praying for the best. That is, unless you happen to be one of these vacuous reviewers here who are so jaded, bored, and clueless, that they wouldn't know a good film if it went down on them (so to speak...)Seriously....Bottom line... this is an exceptionally well done film with Suspense and Tension dripping out of every orifice (the film's, not yours...) It will take you and smack you around until you bloody well beg for mercy...

John Woodside I was drawn into this film by the uneasy feeling that the central characters were being drawn into a slow-sucking situational quicksand, an experience that for most of us only happens in nightmares.If you prefer snappy pace and predictability in your films, move on. As the other reviews indicate, you either really like this film, or really dislike it for any number of reasons. At times I wanted to grab the "hero" by the shoulders and give him a shake to snap him out of his apparent lassitude. At that point I realized the movie was working for me, I was invested emotionally. Casting stays refreshingly clear of stereotypes with not a "pretty boy" in sight, and direction, performances and technical credits are mostly right on the mark.This picture would have done so much better at the box office if it had let the potential audience know that Patricia Highsmith was the author of Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." For those of us not familiar with Highsmith's work, the title "The Cry of the Owl" is just too far removed from the essence of this film to be a draw.So when you have the opportunity to see this film, relax, put your feet up and watch the first ten or so minutes. If you fall asleep, or find your mind turning towards undone kitchen tasks, then get back to "Jersey Shore" or whatever else gives your entertainment rush. If this film passes the ten-minute endurance test, you'll find it evolves into 100 minutes of compelling entertainment, destined to linger in the dark crannies of your mind for longer than you might expect.

Chrysanthepop 'The Cry of the Owl' has a wicked sense of humour. On the surface, it may appear as a thriller but it is more of a dark comedy with subtle humour. After all one cannot fail to see the irony in the premise: a stalker being stalked by his stalker. Of course, once the premise is introduced this oddly absurd movie, the story turns into a game of jealousy, betrayal and murder.The execution is quite interesting. It has an old fashioned look to it. Most of the visuals are quite photographic. The slightly washed out colour give it a gloomy look reflecting the colourless lives of the characters. Most of the film is seen through Robert's point of view and the twists are surprising.The film is philosophical too. Robert stalks Jenny because she represents the illusion of happiness. However, once Jenny invites him in, this illusion is shattered and he loses interest in her. In a later scene, he describes to his wife Nickie that the first time he saw her, she was like a beautiful statue and then she moved, and it was all downhill. He seems to be more fascinated by an illusion of perfection and is put off by the humanness of people.Jenny, on the other hand, who is more messed up than Robert, thinks it's fate and that they should be together. She immediately dumps her boyfriend and stalks Robert but eventually she too realizes that her illusion is shattered and the more she tries to cling on the further he slips away. In a way, Nickie too tries to hold on to Robert and, in event, uses more extreme measures. Ideals and illusions are what instigates trouble in these characters' lives.Paddy Considine is excellent as the awkward, passive, neurotic loner Robert. Julia Stiles is mostly very good as the pretty Jenny (even though there are a few sequences were she's a little off as she fails to depict Jenny's anguish and despair convincingly). Caroline Dhavernas is terrific as Jenny's more sexually aggressive counterpart. James Gilbert is irritating.Subtle and quiet, yet dark, funny and even twisted, 'The Cry of the Owl' is a well-crafted little film.

jackclancy What a waste of time...acting was pathetic, as if actors were walking through their roles so they could pick up their paychecks. This movie made no sense, was unbelievable from the beginning, middle,while the ending still did not tie the movie together. The characters were left undeveloped so you had no idea what their motivations were. So many unanswered questions, I lost count. How many of you would actually believe this could really happen?! I enjoy Julia Styles' films, but this one ranks far below her talents. Can someone please tell me what the point of this movie is, if there is one? I am very surprised so many enjoyed this film,guess they had plenty of time on their hands to waste. Don't buy the hype, it's not worth it.