'CRIMSON PEAK' REVIEW - WHAT HAPPENED?

Oh how I wanted to love this movie! I've been looking forward to this movie for over a year...then it came out. The movie was so disappointing that I wasn't sure I had the heart to review it . To get myself into a romantic mood while writing this review I decided to watch for 'You've Got Mail' with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks for the 20th time. Hopefully, my review will be nicer because of it.

SPOILERS BELOW. SPOILERS BELOW. 

First I want to say that 'Crimson Peak' is a beautifully filmed sumptuous movie. It's gorgeous. The production designs and the costuming are a feast for the eyes. Secondly I would argue that 'Crimson Peak' is not a horror film, it's a Gothic romance that happens to have ghosts in it. The film has been inappropriately marketed and perhaps that's part of the problem: false expectations.

The film begins well enough, but the problem soon becomes apparent. The storyline is overly simplistic and predictable. It almost felt like I was watching a film from the 1950s or 1960s. Even the classic film 'The Innocents' (1961) had a few interesting twists and turns, not so with 'Crimson Peak.' Our heroine is the lovely and independent Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska). Edith is the precocious daughter of wealthy American industrialist Carter Cushing (played by the incredible character actor Jim Beaver) and an aspiring author. Edith hopes to be the next Mary Shelley (don't we all).

Haunted by mother's ghost since she was a child, Edith wants to write supernatural fiction, but is soundly rejected by the powers that be and told to stick to "women's topics" like romance. Disenchanted and embittered, Edith meets the dashing Sir Thomas Sharpe of Allerdale Hall played by the equally dashing Tom Hiddleston. Competing for her affections is eye doctor and childhood friend Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunman). Honestly, it's not even a competition. Of course Edith falls for Sir Thomas...for goodness sake he's played by Tom Hiddleston. Unfortunately Sir Thomas is also accompanied by his mercurial sister Lady Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain).

Seriously who could resist this man? via Tom Hiddleston Gifs

Because Edith's dad wasn't born yesterday he has the Sharpes investigated, which reveals some unfortunate information. Edith's father is mysteriously killed in a very violent manner. Then the newly minted heiress is whisked off to Sir Thomas' crumbling estate in merry ole' England. Sir Thomas' manor sits on top of a great mountain of blood red clay, which is used in brick-making. Needless to say things aren't as Edith had expected. Her prince lives in a rotting mansion and his sister treats her like crap. Chastain brilliantly plays a deliciously cruel Mrs. Danvers-like character. In fact, this may be Chastain's best work in years. If the storyline had been better perhaps this role would have had more impact. So long story short, Lucille is out to get Edith so they can steal her money and move on to the next poor victim.

Lady Lucille and Sir Thomas have been engaged in an incestuous relationship and killed their mother when it was discovered. Now they kill Thomas' brides as soon as the money rolls in. As I said, once you know the twist, which really isn't a twist, it's so unbelievably boring that you can't believe you actually sat through this movie to get here. Needless to say the "fit hits the shan" when Edith discovers this "secret" and Dr. McMichael comes to "rescue her. Despite Thomas' bad intentions he falls in love with Edith..., which was a tad too predictable. He ultimately decides to protect his wife from the evil wiles of his dastardly sister. I guess those other girls he married didn't stand a chance. Oh...I'm so glad Thomas finally grew a conscious. Wouldn't you hate to be the wife right before Edith? Thomas defends his wife, only to be killed by his enraged sister in the process. Dr. McMichael and Edith are wounded but alive. Edith kills Lady Lucille. The end.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?

When I first saw the trailer I thought that perhaps Sir Thomas and Lady Lucille were some sort of immortals. When I learned about the reason behind the title "Crimson Peak" I thought the clay held some mystical properties. Perhaps Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston's characters were secretly married themselves, instead of being incestuous siblings? However, my main issue with the film was the ending. If I had wrote the ending Edith would have bit the dust or became an immortal herself trapped in the same cycle that they were. I don't know. Anything would have been better than the craptastic ending that was.

Alas, it turns out that my imagination is way more interesting than the actual movie itself, which frankly surprised me. This is a Guillermo del Toro movie for goodness sake. Shouldn't he be capable of writing a dark and twisted love story? Instead, we get a rehashed version of the novel (and film) 'Rebecca.' Mind you, 'Rebecca' was written by the brilliant Daphne DuMaurier in the 1930s. This is 2015. Couldn't Del Toro have come up with a more modern concept? Nope. I gave the film three stars simply for the production value and the visuals and JESSICA CHASTAIN, who carries this otherwise bland film. Yikes, I guess watching 'You've Got Mail' while writing this review didn't help.

THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS.