Kailansorac
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
baradanikto
I am shocked, that this film has such a low rating. This film ticks all the boxes and more.
Hitchcockian suspense that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next.Great atmosphere, clever, subtle cinematography and pace.Great acting that fits this type of film.I've been glued to this film all of the four times I've watched it this week.If I had the money I would buy the books (watch the film - no spoilers here !)Highly recommended.A well deserved 10/10 from me, and a film that you can re-watch and enjoy.
one-nine-eighty
Johnny Depp plays a book specialist, Dean Corso, who's hired to by Frank Langella's Boris Balkan to authenticate an occult books called the Ninth Gate. With one of only three remaining copies of this book to hand, the others being destroyed over time by the Church and religious fanatics, he travels to Portugal and France to compare the book against the other two surviving copies. He comes to the conclusion that all three remaining copies share a secret but before he can investigate fully he's thrust into an adventure he isn't ready for which exposes him to a dark underworld he wasn't aware of. Not everything is as it seems, and not everyone is who they suggest they are.This is an underrated and brilliantly intelligent film which shows that you don't need glitzy special effects to make a film which audiences will enjoy. A good story and some suspense with occasional mystery will trump Hollywood CGI any day (although I have to admit that there is some elements of CGI in the film but for the most part it's low key and not too obvious). This film probably isn't for the fast-food film fans of today, it's not an action film and if you have a brain you can see lots of layers to the film - unlike modern films which are 'what you see is what you get'. Directed by Roman Polanski and primarily filmed in central Europe (due to being wanted for crimes in America) the audience is kept on tenterhooks as it follows Depp's character on his journey of discovery and danger. The film is based on the book "El Club Dumas" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte which looks at secret satanic societies attempts to meet with the Devil himself (or herself). I'd lump this film in with other supernatural/occult films, the likes of "End of Days" (although there is a lot less action), "Stigmata" (but slower in pace), "Don't look now" (without the threat of a serial killer), "The Wicker Man" (without the orgies). It feels like an updated version of late 70's and early 80's supernatural/ occult films, maybe even some of the later Hammer House films which dealt with the Devil rather than monsters in the night. The audience learns information at the same time as Corso does so although it isn't a fast paced spectacle it is engaging, more in line with classic mystery films unlike modern ones where audiences have advanced knowledge of events, this is film 'school' not film 'kindergarten' after all. There is a lot more to this film than what you see on screen, it's like an onion with various layers of content, but some of it is a little too clever for modern audiences (sorry but it's true, especially when I read some of the reviews here which missed the point). I'm loving some of the reviews and theories found here and it's warming to see that despite the idiots who didn't get this there are some people who really did get a grasp of it, bravo to you. I enjoyed this and I'd happily watch it again. I'm giving this a 8 out of 10.
willclayburn
the film is great when the protagonist begins the journey. reluctantly taking on the task of locating a book nearly lost to time but all copies are being collected. nefarious cults and a mysterious helper cloud his mind as he faces death and if forced to do what he doesn't wish to do. seriously there is a jump off a cliff in the end i recommend shutting the movie off when the green eyes make sense. all that comes after is a crappy cartoony light and castle i admit a good ending to this film would have been difficult an Polanski didn't meet it.Depp is great in his role
Cardinal Biggles
I agree with the observation that there is a fugue-like nature to this script. The slow build up. The layers of the plot peeled away one by one as the characters also become fleshed out and the puzzles solved. I rather like that style of thriller.But I was distracted from an otherwise considered film by the constant product placement by the cigarette industry. Every few minutes the plot stops while somebody gets a fag on. Totally irrelevant to the plot! I can only assume that big tobacco have invested heavily in this production. Even the room sets looked smoke-filled. I kept panicking for the damage everyone was doing to their exceedingly rare and mega-expensive rare book collections! Ruined forever probably.It just wouldn't happen. All this amateur hour marketing totally spoiled this movie experience for me, and I had to dump it. So a crap rating in response to the cheap marketing tricks. Its not the only movie to do this. In the late 90s the tobacco industry was fighting back the clean air lobby by trying to "normalise" smoking again. Fortunately the arrival of Vaping put a stop to this blatant hyping of a product form, except for the Bond films where it was done tongue in cheek as a characteristic of the genre. But yes, here it really did distract from the story line, and spoiled the smooth build up of this movie.
