"Hide and Seek"

Starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Amy Irving, Dylan Baker and Elisabeth Shue. Directed by John Polson. (2005, 20th Century Fox)

'Hide and Seek' is yet another trip down the psychological thriller route about a possibly demented little kid (Dakota Fanning taking the honours this time around) who wrecks havoc to those around her. But 'Hide and Seek' isn't just ready to stop playing its game and has enough twists and genuine scares to be a compelling thriller.

Robert De Niro plays David Callaway, a psychologist who's wife (Amy Irving) commits suicide leaving behind their young daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning). Both David and Emily move away to a small country town to try and start anew but when Emily invents an imaginary friend named Charlie, it ignites a terrifying turn of events. Sure, this concept has been done before but this film doesn't necessarily paint Emily as the villain and there's more to the story including a series of twists. Also entangled in the game is David's potential love interest Elizabeth (Elisabeth Shue), a nosy sheriff (Dylan Baker), a fellow therapist Katherine (Famke Janssen) and two odd neighbours (Melissa Leo and Robert John Burke). Remember every character has a necessity to the story even if some are used as red herrings to the overall mystery.

Director John Polson (an Aussie) knows exactly how to make a good thriller. He has studied the genre well and knows how to scare, deceive and captivate his audience. The backdrop of country New York is beautifully moody helping to the tone of the story and there's not much at fault from his directing skills. The screenplay too has its shares of genuine scares and is frighteningly real with a twist ending that does make you reconsider the entire movie. Is it plausible? Not entirely, but it directs the film into different angle that gets the film into high gear. This genre is the easiest to criticise because it sometimes expects its audience to be fools into believing an absurd explanation for its conclusion. 'Hide and Seek' could have been another example, but the twist is so refreshing that it hardly matters how illogical some of it may be.

The cast may have all done much better work in the past, but together they are all terrific even a few that have little more than token roles. Robert De Niro is in fine form as usual, but when was the last time he wasn't mesmerising? You can get De Niro to recede a book of poems and he will find a way to make it work. Dakota Fanning is always sensational and is by far the best actress of her generation. This is just another standout role from an actress that makes some of her older counterparts look amateurish by comparison. Famke Janssen and Elisabeth Shue don't have much to do, but it's always great to have them around and they both do very well with underwritten roles. Amy Irving and Dylan Baker in smaller roles also come off well.

'Hide and Seek' isn't anything that hasn't been done before, but it executed by a terrific production and seasoned actors who turn thinly-plotted roles into something a little more. Sure it doesn't make too much sense, it doesn't give too much explanation into its twist ending and a lot doesn't add up, but it does such a good job covering itself with genuine scares and giving De Niro a chance to command the final acts that it's not a concern. A solid entry in the thriller genre that if taken not seriously will get you in.
out of ten
- Chris Cappola's Reviews

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