Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins
Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Story line
Edith Cushing's mother died when she was young but watches over her. Brought up in the Victorian Era she strives to be more than just a woman of marriageable age. She becomes enamored with Thomas Sharpe, a mysterious stranger. After a series of meetings and incidents she marries Thomas and comes to live with him and his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe, far away from everything she has known. The naive girl soon comes to realize not everything is as it appears as ghosts of the past quite literally come out of the woodwork. This movie is more about mystery and suspense than gore.Crimson Peak Reviews
I only saw this film because I am a del Toro fan--Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite movie. While Crimson Peak does not come anywhere near the quality of Labyrinth in terms of the script, it still showcases del Toro's unique skill for beauty and suspense.
The sets, costumes and general atmosphere are sumptuous in that signature del Toro way. The luxurious train on the heroine's robe that audibly thumps behind her as she sweeps down the staircase? Yes, please. There is a nod to all the images our minds ever conjured while reading fairy tales. The rich colors, the music, the textures all help draw us in to this world and settle us in for the story.
The film is not without its flaws. There are a few glaring plot contrivances that had me groaning. There is a superficial quality to the scenes involving Thomas Sharpe's clay mining business.
I was impressed with Jessica Chastain's talent for conveying two conflicting emotions at once, all playing out on her face, reminiscent of Gillian Anderson in Bleak House.
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