Movie #1165 "Dark Places" is based on my favorite Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. I had read "Gone Girl" first, and although I respected the "style" of the narrative and recognized it as very creative in its storytelling, I didn't like it nearly as well as this one. Here's what hooked me into reading the book/seeing the film. The story concerns the only survivors of a family tragedy. One is the witness and the youngest member (libby) who was able to get out alive, and the other is in jail, her brother Ben, whom she said did the murders. Now 30 years later , the fund set up for her when she died has depleted and Libby is told by her lawyer that she will now have to get a job. A "Killer Club" representative calls her and says he will pay her to come to talk to his club, and she grudgingly acquiesces. Her experience at the club is a game changer: By bringing up all the details of the murders and all the questions asked of her, she is repulsed by the "crime solvers" but also her interest is piqued to find out if she was indeed right about blaming her brother. So she becomes the "detective" in the novel, and I found that a great idea. The story within the story is of course the tragedy, and it backs up to show the young family up to the night of the murders. The movie is a lot like the book ---- I had read the book a long time ago, and while watching the film, I kept thinking "oh I remember this", etc.... so I couldn't say what the differences were --- maybe the very ending ---- I thought there was more of a promise of a relationship between Libby and one of the clubbers by the end of the book, but I didn't see that in the movie. Boy, Charlize Theron puts forth another great performance here, along with Chloe Moritz as Diondra and the guy from House of Cards as her brother Ben. They saved money on the other casting, but that was fine because Charlize is really the whole movie. At one point in the film, Ben says she is as imprisoned as he is, and she gets that across very well. She plays these damaged characters so well, and she is able to go into "dark places" that we fear. The movie is not for the faint of heart (one scene in particular with animal cruelty), but if you can get past that, it is a very intriguing film, with a good storyline. (I recommend it and the book) I give it 4 stars out of 5.
Dark Places
2015 R Rated R113 mins
A quarter-century after Libby Day's mother and sisters were brutally murdered in a crime she believes her brother committed, a group of amateur sleuths begins casting doubt on his guilt. Now, Libby must re-examine details of her painful memories.
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