Suspect Zero (2004)

"Sooo.. case closed then right?"

Genre: Crime Thriller Horror Drama Sci-Fi

Starring: Ben Kingsley (Ghandi; Sexy Beast), Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking; Conversations With Other Women)

Directed By: E. Elias Merhige (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Overview: An FBI agent is on the trail of a serial killer who can use clairvoyance to find his victims. What is serial about him? He only kills other serial killers. Vigilante, or poetic justice?

Acting: Ben Kingsley? Sexy Beast? Come on. House of Sand and Fog? Pff. GHANDI? As if! Anyone who plays a part aside him is cramping his style. Sadly, the other actors don't hold a candle to him as they did in the other aforementioned films (which are all recommended). They play passable roles, but Kingsley? Oh my God.
Rating: 8

Cinematography: The images and the visions are pretty cool in that dark way, and the delivery is very well maintained throughout. It's not so much frightening as it is great suspense. Not so many 'jumping out of the corners' scenes. The psychic freaking out on the page with a charcoal pencil? The near-crane cams? Very worthy, very dark. Good stuff.
Rating: 7

Script: The writing is pretty cheesy at times, admittedly, but it's still good and bleak and dark and apropos. Yes, the characters who crown Kingsley seem to be written in a much poorer fashion, but the dialogue is solid, if not a little too leading by the nose. You know the whole common denominator thing, made so that stupid Americans get it. Well I'm a smart Canadian, and I get it fine. Stop cramming it down my throat.
Rating: 7

Plot: The story's a good one for a crime drama. Granted it's rote and there's the whole, 'will the future happen like the visions say' and that sort of thing, but there's never any great suspension of disbelief, everything flows well. Decent. A couple nice twists and turns along the way.
Rating: 7

Mood: The illustrations honestly make half the movie. As I was telling a friend of mine, if I were an artist, this is the sort of artist that I would be, this is my style. The art sets the mood of the film rather well, as does Kingsley's character. Dark and brooding with a slightly hurried rush and a certain element of fear.
Rating: 8

"Weird, it smells like the bodies of 20 serial killers out here, WHEW!"

Overall Rating: 74% (Zero Doubt That This Is Good)

Aftertaste: I was expecting basically a big turd that Kingsley made a mistake in working on. They I realized half way through, he's a smart guy, he doesn't pick bad movies, what was I thinking? Why do I listen to those people who say it's not that good? In all honestly I have learned recently that film lovers live in different degrees, Hobbyists, Hardcores and Fanatics. Fanatics spend their life doing film, Hardcores learn about film and see lots of movies. I can put myself in the one-third towards Fanatical hardcore Hardcore film aficionado. I know that you may not like this, but add dark to Kingsley to cool illustration to murder? Come on, you know me well enough to know I'd like this, regardless of what people say, regardless of the fact that I like most of what I watch. I actually liked this better than the rating I gave it, just so you know.