When movies are successful enough they now generate sequels.
With any luck they go even further and create a franchise, a series of movies
made for cheap that generate tons of money for the film studios releasing them.
This is great for fans of a movie and even better when the movie is a solid
flick. But most second features in a series end up not quite as good as the
original. Such is the case with BRAHMS: THE BOY II.
If you remember the first film it involved a young woman
hired by an elderly couple to watch their son while they went on vacation.
Except when she got there the little boy turned out to be a doll. Eventually we
learned that there actually was a young boy who had been scarred during a fire
now living in the walls wearing a porcelain mask. As the film ended we saw he
survived a stabbing by our heroine and was repairing the doll she shattered.
The sequel kicks off with mother Liza (Katy Holmes) and her
young son Jude (Christopher Convery) surviving a home invasion, leaving both of
them traumatized with Jude now not speaking but writing anything he wants to
say. Thinking a new setting will help they move to the Heelshires' property
with husband/father Sean (Owain Yeoman). This is the property from the first film
but not the main house, instead still on the grounds.
Once they move in strange things begin to happen. Jude finds
Brahms, the doll, buried on the property. Taking him home and cleaning him up
his attachment to Brahms deepens daily. He wants Brahms to eat with them, to be
served a plate of food. Liz can hear voices coming from Jude’s room. Out of the
corner of her eye she can see someone run by, thinking it is Jude, only to have
Jude come up behind her. Is something actually taking place of is this Liz’ method
of dealing with the trauma of the break in?
Also disturbing is the presence of a caretaker on the
grounds named Joseph (Ralph Ineson). Walking the grounds with his shotgun,
accompanied by his dog, Joseph talks of things from the past but seems to be hiding
something. A shadowy figure, could he be behind some of the things taking
place?
Eventually Jude finds the old mansion from the first film,
guided there by “Brahms”. Liz finds him and takes him home but not before the
feeling of something strange going on there. As things begin to escalate at
home, the feeling of security the relocation was supposed to bring declines as
does the thought that Brahms is a good way for Jude to communicate. Before
decisions can be made by both parents, their options become limited. Is it Liz?
Jude? Or is Brahms really making it happen?
The movie does a decent job of keeping the tension at peak
level throughout. Knowing what we do of the first film we’re aware of the
dangers that this family is facing. At least we think we do. But this becomes
part of the issue, we already know that Brahms survived the first film. But do
we? Or have they chosen a different path where Brahms is nowhere to be found
and some new evil force is making things happen? Or was Brahms the doll really
the cause of everything in both films? All of these options are on the table
before finally being revealed.
I’ve always said the sign of a good actor is when you
believe they are the character they are playing and don’t notice that this is
acting. All three of the main actors here do a great job. Holmes has developed
into an actress that deserves more and better roles. She’s convincing here as
Liz and you are concerned for her and the safety of her family. Convery, for
his young age and playing most of the film in silence, is perfect as the wide
eyed innocent whose life is being taken over. And Yeoman shows again how good
he is, something I thought back when he was featured in THE MENTALISTS TV
series.
So does the film work as a sequel? Yes and no. It is a solid
story, the performances are well done and it looks good. But it doesn’t have
the same impact as the first film did and that film didn’t feel worthy of a
sequel. Taken on its own the film might be better, without the baggage of the
first film. If you go in that way the odds are you’ll enjoy this one better
than someone who saw that film. It’s good for a night’s rental and
entertainment but I don’t see this one moving forward into a complete
franchise. Better to stop here.
No comments:
Post a Comment