Mockumentary disorients and disturbs
Ruthie Harper
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Features
Have you ever considered combining the horror mockumentary "The Blair Witch Project" (1999) and the extraterrestrial-crazed "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)? Probably not, but merging the two classics would result in something like the somewhat disappointing "The Fourth Kind," which hit theaters last week.
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, "The Fourth Kind" opens with a monologue by Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element") who plays the character of Dr. Abigail Tyler. But in this opening, she's not Dr. Tyler. She says, "I am Milla Jovovich, and I will be portraying Dr. Abigail Tyler.
"This film is a dramatization of events that occurred October 2000. Every scene in this movie is supported by archived footage. Some of what you are about to see is extremely disturbing."
The movie begins by following Dr. Tyler's story in Nome, Alaska. In the movie, the Alaskan city has a history of unexplained disappearances. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Tyler meets regularly with various Nome residents, many who describe strange experiences during the night. They all see a white owl, and hypnosis allows some patients to see even further into what might really be disturbing their minds - and it's a lot more than creepy owls.
The movie frequently flashes to an interview between a woman viewers are led to believe is the "real" Dr. Tyler and Osunsanmi. Probably in an attempt to make the film seem more like a true story, the actress's name for the "real" Dr. Tyler isn't on the cast list. In fact, a few discussions have risen on IMDB.com regarding who plays the "real" Dr. Tyler. If this sounds confusing, it's because it is.
This constant switching from a Hollywood film to a "real" film not only confuses the viewer intellectually, but the shaky camera and awkward angles disorient the audience. Perhaps the director did this to make viewers feel like they were watching a real home video, but it actually just caused frustration.
As the movie progresses, Dr. Tyler's story becomes more outrageous and unbelievable. Her story ends in a rather cliché format; let's just say it involves children and beams of lights coming from the sky.
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, "The Fourth Kind" opens with a monologue by Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element") who plays the character of Dr. Abigail Tyler. But in this opening, she's not Dr. Tyler. She says, "I am Milla Jovovich, and I will be portraying Dr. Abigail Tyler.
"This film is a dramatization of events that occurred October 2000. Every scene in this movie is supported by archived footage. Some of what you are about to see is extremely disturbing."
The movie begins by following Dr. Tyler's story in Nome, Alaska. In the movie, the Alaskan city has a history of unexplained disappearances. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Tyler meets regularly with various Nome residents, many who describe strange experiences during the night. They all see a white owl, and hypnosis allows some patients to see even further into what might really be disturbing their minds - and it's a lot more than creepy owls.
The movie frequently flashes to an interview between a woman viewers are led to believe is the "real" Dr. Tyler and Osunsanmi. Probably in an attempt to make the film seem more like a true story, the actress's name for the "real" Dr. Tyler isn't on the cast list. In fact, a few discussions have risen on IMDB.com regarding who plays the "real" Dr. Tyler. If this sounds confusing, it's because it is.
This constant switching from a Hollywood film to a "real" film not only confuses the viewer intellectually, but the shaky camera and awkward angles disorient the audience. Perhaps the director did this to make viewers feel like they were watching a real home video, but it actually just caused frustration.
As the movie progresses, Dr. Tyler's story becomes more outrageous and unbelievable. Her story ends in a rather cliché format; let's just say it involves children and beams of lights coming from the sky.
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