The Awakening

Cohen Media Group | Release Date: August 17, 2012

6.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 58 Ratings

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slipperyAug 29, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first half of the movie is outstanding, which makes it much more of a shame that the second half is so shallow and unoriginal.

It begins in the early 1920s. Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) is a wealthy, university educated, strong, independent, opinionated woman (and published author) who has made a name for herself discrediting spiritualists, debunking hauntings etc.

What makes her stand out, though, is that she's not simply a typical one-dimensional cardboard cutout. Early on, particularly, she shows an intense frailty despite her strong outward demeanor. Having lost a young man during the war, inside she's a mess, crumbling with guilt over her betrayal of a man who loved her, and his subsequent death in the war. They never say it, but it seems that in her fiery desire to discredit ghosts, she's passionately looking for faith, for proof of life beyond death, for proof that the man who loved her isn't simply spoiled meat under the ground. Each time she finds proof that the ghost is a hoax, she crumbles just a little more, even to the point of losing all will to live.

She's met by the admirably subtle Robert Malory (Dominic West). His outward strength, like hers, is a facade. He takes tremendous pains to hide a mild stutter and a slight limp. He tells Florence of a ghost haunting the boarding school where he teaches, and mildly bullies her into coming to debunk it so that the young boys at the school can sleep at night, yet it's obvious that HE believes in an actual spirit.

One of the things that touched me, were the performances of Dominic West and especially Shaun Dooley, who played the abusive teacher Malden McNair. There's a scene where Malory (West) suddenly becomes awkward and excuses himself. He goes to his room and begins shaking uncontrollably, in what looks like an epileptic seizure. Bearing in mind, he's a WWI veteran, I imagined it was the long-term after-effects of nerve gas. It's the kind of detail most people wouldn't think of in writing a character for a movie such as this. McNair, for all his bluster, is likewise frail. He suffers a chronic cough. TB? Or damaged lungs? At one point, after admitting bullying a student mercilessly, he pleads with Malory that he didn't want to coddle the boys, that he wanted them to grow up strong, and "not like us." Again, I was touched by the sensitivity, the awareness of how the tremendous fear one experiences in war can be completely unmanning, debilitating even years later.

But even for al the magnificently subtle characterization and plot weaving, about halfway though the movie, it was almost as if the writers threw up their hands in despair and said "Where can we possibly go from here?" The second half of the movie virtually ignores the subtle build-up of the first half, and instead we have a few cheap and unnecessary dramatics, a rather awkward and (in my opinion) out of place and unnecessary sex scene, followed by a rather desperate sewing together of plot pieces from The Sixth Sense, The Others and The Haunting.

The movie had good suspense, but the plot just seemed to take a ridiculous turn in the second half, and not even an original turn. The actors and actresses, particularly those mentioned above and also Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Tom, were fantastic. Not a bad movie, but disappointing.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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ArcandioAug 7, 2013

If you're looking for cat scares, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a film with atmosphere, impending horror, excellent plot twists, and British pacing, you're in luck.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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deerios98Nov 28, 2013

The movie was alright and was no better then the paranormal activity franchise, The paranormal activity movies are more entertaining then this and the trailer may be more entertaining. This movie was dull, boring and wasn't original but itThe movie was alright and was no better then the paranormal activity franchise, The paranormal activity movies are more entertaining then this and the trailer may be more entertaining. This movie was dull, boring and wasn't original but it had good editing and acting and that contributed a lot to the value of the production and story. Story 2/10, Editing 8/10, Camera shot and composition 5/10, Acting 9/10, sound and boom operation 6/10, sound mixing 5/10, Entertaining 1./10.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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AD_PhoenixJan 30, 2013

This film is a good example of how modern horror films could be more original, rather than stick to the norm found on today's screens. Delivering itself like an early 1900s adaptation, the film captures the feel of the era through its sets,This film is a good example of how modern horror films could be more original, rather than stick to the norm found on today's screens. Delivering itself like an early 1900s adaptation, the film captures the feel of the era through its sets, locations and costume design. Although the scares are sometimes expected, what's fresh here is the addition of tension created through the brilliant sound editing and score. There is certainly a bigger inclusion of drama than a lot of other horro films, to help the audience connect with our heroine through character development. Atmospheric, dark and creep, The Awakening is a tense post-WWI gothic horror which I would consider in the same vein as The Woman In Black.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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charlotteydwiFeb 4, 2013

This film shows that we can still make original horror films and not just relay the same old trash. The plot was strong and the acting paid off. I definite must watch.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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Mike_MSep 26, 2013

Why they didn't make a full movie about what the first half of the movie is about.......... has "lost opportunity" written all over it.

As it is, The Awakening seems like 3 different movies. You've seen 2 of them and you don't want to seeWhy they didn't make a full movie about what the first half of the movie is about.......... has "lost opportunity" written all over it.

As it is, The Awakening seems like 3 different movies. You've seen 2 of them and you don't want to see them again. I'm obliged to blame the script, though plenty of people who could have turned the project down went ahead and made the script.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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SpangleMay 7, 2015

An interesting film, The Awakening is not exactly what I was expecting, but still wound up delivering some good stuff. Firstly, from a horror aspect, there are some truly terrifying scenes that really get the juices flowing. There are notAn interesting film, The Awakening is not exactly what I was expecting, but still wound up delivering some good stuff. Firstly, from a horror aspect, there are some truly terrifying scenes that really get the juices flowing. There are not many, but there are some and damn are they effective. The film also sports some great acting from Rebecca Hall and Dominic West who really dominate the screen every time they are shown. The mise en scene is gorgeous, especially the production design. Really beautifully put together all-around. The mystery/thriller portion of this one is interesting and really opens the door for interesting discussions on loneliness, death, and the afterlife. However, the film simply tries to do too much, which is ultimately its undoing. Though ravishingly beautiful and well-written, it overreaches and would have been best served narrowing its focus and really digging deeper into one particular issue. Ultimately, the first three quarters of this one are quite strong, but then comes the lackluster final quarter, which really could have been done better.… Expand