Review: Innocence

Genre: Adventure| Fantasy | Horror Directed by: Hilary Brougher Starring: Sophie Curtis, Kelly Reilly, Graham Phillips Written by: Hilary Brougher, Tristine Skyler (screenplay), Jane Mendelsohn (novel)
Genre: Adventure| Fantasy | Horror
Directed by: Hilary Brougher
Starring: Sophie Curtis, Kelly Reilly, Graham Phillips
Written by: Hilary Brougher, Tristine Skyler (screenplay), Jane Mendelsohn (novel)

 

Synopsis: A young woman discovers her elite Manhattan preparatory school harbors a dark secret. (c) Imdb

 

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Innocence opens in theaters nationwide on September 5th. Becket Warner is a young girl that seems to be living a happy life of a teenager. Unexpectedly her mother passes away,  in turn Beckett’s world changes upside down. She moves, and is enrolled in a new school. Unknown to her is what awaits her at this school.

 

Romance brewing
Romance brewing

The film is lead by a cast of relative newcomers.  The most recognizable name is Kelly Reilly. She plays the mysteriously deceptive school nurse Pamela Hamilton. Reilly does well in this role. She’s the accomplished strong supporting actress in the film that the young cast members are guided by. Even though Reilly might not be a household name to most, she gives casual viewers credibility to give the film a chance.

 

Starring as Beckett is newcomer Sophie Curtis. Innocence is only the fifth film that Sophie has done in her short career.  What is really appealing about her role and her as an actress is that’s she’s very natural making  her first attempt as a lead in a film was a resounding success. Many films of this genre are prone to over-acting, as well as weak dialogue. Teens playing teens on screen usually don’t resemble teens in real life. In this film watching Beckett you get a sense she’s a real teen going through real teen issues, minus the Sci-Fi stuff. Beckett takes a liking to a boy named Tobey, who is played by Graham Phillips. Watching the film, Phillips seemed to remind me of Taylor Lautner. Aside form the similar looks and age, there is something comparable between the two. Curtis and Phillips work well together in the film. They both seem natural in their roles.

 

Innocence is an intriguing film but fairly predictable resolving into a mixed  bag with a somewhat fictitious ending but still fun to watch. The film does try  to latch onto too many genres with one minute it feeling like Twilight, and the next moment you think you might be watching a horror film. The potential intrigue that awaits from scene to scene is also a bit of a downfall of the film due to the lack of identity for itself. There are messages that can be taken away that teens can relate to in the film including the loss of a parent. On the surface the Innocence can be spliced into two different films with one part about a teenager dealing with real-life situations and the confusion, excitement, and fear that life brings and the other part being Sci-Fi and supernatural teen flick that is littered with fantasy.

 

I rate Innocence a 5.5 out of 10

Don’t always trust the school nurse

 
 
 

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About Jim Alexander

When it boils down to it, Jim's passion is entertainment. Aside from being an avid sports fan, that follows all things NFL, NBA, and Soccer. He currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago. At the core of his interests...movies! Whether trying to catch the newest flick coming out this weekend, or the latest On Demand release, to heated debates with his friends and colleagues about the most recent "Box Office Blunder". The passion for movies lies deep within him. When he isn't writing, he immerses himself in his other interests; Acting and Radio Broadcasting. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimRko.

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