Restraint

Well I must confess the only reason I picked this movie out was to see Stephen Moyer presented himself out of True Blood. Never heard of the movie before that. Oh, and the cover girl looked good...All in all, it's not that bad of a watch. Considering the number of characters in the entire movie it was certainly well made and keeps you engrossed till the end. Of course during the entire movie I was thinking I didn't realize Kristen Stewart was that hot until I realized later that it wasn't her, it was Teresa Palmer and she's smokin' if you get my drift. If not for Moyer and Fimmel, see this movie for Palmer, she certainly deserves more than a look! I'd give a 10/10 for her, but considering the meek storyline, I'll drop it by 4 notches.

I thought the camera work in this movie was beautiful. It didn't feel like a low budget film at all; the actors were top-notch, and the sets, props, costumes, and effects felt just right--even luxurious, where that was appropriate. (My definition of a low budget film is Chill.) Granted, the movie used a limited number of locations, but it used them very well. When one of the main characters has agoraphobia, there's not much need to leave the house. All three of the main actors were wonderful. They gave us characters who were neither heroes nor villains, just smarter-than-average people trying to get more out of life than society was willing to hand them. To me, this felt like a Hitchcock film: the characters play cat-and-mouse with one another while we viewers turn into heartless voyeurs and wait to see who is left standing at the end. In fact, the main flaw is that the three characters don't give us much to root for. I didn't become emotionally attached to anyone, so the exercise of watching them struggle for survival became a little too analytical. But that's much better than being bored, and this movie never bored me. And each of the characters had his or her own special appeal. One of my favorite moments is a little ghost story Ron tells. It could be considered the touchstone of the movie. The entire film feels ghostly--and deservedly so. Wonderful atmosphere. My only other complaint is that the ending isn't quite clear enough and thus lacks emotional punch. I wasn't surprised by the twist, but I expected it to be presented more effectively. I think a blend of main ending and alternate ending might have been better. I suspect the director was struggling with this part of the story; the rest of the movie feels very smooth and very well handled. But in any case, an excellent film. Considering that it's the director's first film and that the actors are not stars, it's amazing. And the cinematographer did splendid work. I notice that the person who gave this movie one star didn't have anything to say about the movie itself. I suspect he/she is one of those idiots who goes around "balancing out" the ratings, despite the fact that he/she hasn't bothered to watch the film.

I really enjoyed this movie. It has some great acting and a fantastic simple story that keeps you glued to the screen. If you go into this movie wanting just some good acting and great characters then you wont be let down! Teresa Palmer is superb and definitely one to watch for in the future! She really could work the camera and make you see things without uttering a word. Travis Fimmel on the other hand was very good but I just found that he was trying to be a Brad Pit wannabe (Is it a bad thing?) but apart from that he was 8/10! It has a good ending that will keep you thinking for a few days after. This is what made it a 9 for me. It was NOT one of them "OH MY GOD I NEVER EXPECTED THAT" type endings... It was just a ending that for me was very unique. It felt more like a horror movie ending (In a good way). This is a movie I would recommend for lonely night in when you want something interesting to watch.

I watched this movie solely for Teresa Palmer's presence. I didn't really expect much going in other than a watchable thriller. I didn't even get that. It was technically watchable, but it lacks suspense and surprises. Oddly enough, the acting is fine. But there is absolutely nobody to root for, making this one somewhat of a murky and miserable experience. I don't mind thrillers that are derivative at all, as long as they are entertaining. You've seen this one all before and done much better. Let me start with the main problem, the characters. Palmer is by far the best thing about this movie. Her alluring, seductive, and amoral performance was the highlight for me. She was actually likable, which is more than I can say for anybody else. Travis Fimmel is actually very convincing as the crazed villain. He was just a bit too abrasive for my liking and didn't know when to simmer it down. It got to the point where it became OTT. He began to annoy me and it ruined the performance for me. Stephen Moyer plays his manipulative part well, but he's a major idiot. He is purportedly our hero, but he is arguably as flawed as the villains themselves. The ending made me wanna jump in the screen and strangle him. Speaking of the ending, I will give it some credit. The movie is just too unoriginal, slow, and unlikable for me to ever see again. It is worth a look, but nothing more. 5.2/10

I'd have to agree with Dave-zora's review on this one. I can only surmise that the very favorable reviewers were paid for their reviews. The plot is a re-hash of an old chestnut. Psycho invades home, holding innocent victim/s hostage. Psycho then proceeds to torture the victim's physically and emotionally for an hour or so, to kill time. Victim finally gets revenge. The only addition here is the victim is an agoraphobe so he can't escape from his house. The camera work is of the NYPD Blue "cameraman in a rocking boat" school of cinematography. Keep the camera swaying back and forth, up and down. All outdoor shots are heavily filtered to make even a bright day appear dark and depressive. The contrast and color have been manipulated to appear dark (high contrast, very little color). The actors are doing their best with what is an endless, pointless, insufferable script. The two stars are for their efforts.

One of the reviews said this: "What is the definition of a gullible idiot? A: Anybody who buys the patronizingly glowing reviews posted above! In case you aren't aware, it has now become standard practice for individuals with a vested interest in low budget movies to talk them up on sites like this in the hope that the public will pay money to watch them at the cinema or on DVD. Ask yourself this: why would these people need to generate favorable publicity for a movie when a good movie will generate its own favorable publicity through word of mouth? The answer is obvious. " This is a movie review site. Why wouldn't you review a movie you like? Technically, the internet is the new word of mouth, same as texting. If you want a good film that is different than the Hollywood rip-offs, remakes,and abominations, look this one up. It's a good thriller.

Whileit was interesting, it was not tense or terrifying. Drama was a little on the slow side and mystery was not present. So what made this a good movie? I don't exactly know. I just know that it kept my attention and after watching 25 movies in 3 days that doing such a feat is hard. I guess it was steady pacing. Well that, a naked woman and a semi unique twist at the end...but I figured it out way before, still I enjoyed it. A few plot flaws,but I'm too tired to type them out now. It's a Saturday afternoon movie and it's not a waste of tie.

Ron and Dale are a pair of early 20s lovebirds. Neither are especially smart – Dale at least has the partially redeeming feature of being incredibly hot. Actually Time Out. As amateurish as it is I wouldn't be doing my job as a guy if I didn't point out that as well as being hot she also manages to indulge on a couple of occasions by being *. Guy Public Service Announcement over. Back to the review. Circumstances have conspired against Dale and on and they are on the run. With the cops on the trail and the media highlighting their flight to freedom they take cover in what they think is an abandoned home, only the home is actually owned and occupied by Andrew, a timid British man with agoraphobia who can't stand the great outdoors. Which begs the question – why Australia Andrew? Andrew's only friend is a bird and it appears that his fiancé has done the runner on him, leaving him alone. Ron immediately takes Andrew hostage and the duo tease and bully him around to fill in time and find out if there are any valuables to take – Ron with his fists, Dale with her smokin' bod. As the external search continues Ron and Dale come up with a way to make some quick cash from Andrew due to Dale's apparent similarity to his fiancé, as they decide they will flee the country they desperately need cash and hatch a plan to get their mitts on his substantial cash reserve in the local bank over the coming days. But that still means waiting and lying low, and being in close proximity for so long and more importantly reliant on each other to some degree creates a somewhat uneasy alliance. Both Dale and Ron seem to have come from far rougher backgrounds than Andrew's privileged upbringing, Dale quite enjoys the charade playing someone else for a time, and particularly enjoys the dress-ups that go along with their plan. It is clear to all that Andrew treats Dale far better than the rough and abrasive Ron despite the fact she is one of his captors. It is also clear that Ron is nuts. As time goes on the tension (of all kinds) builds between the three. As Andrew grows a little more confident – or desperate – he starts needling Ron and suggesting to Dale that she doesn't need to be a part of all this, Ron is himself needy for all forms of attention and devotion and often bullies Andrew to big note himself to Dale and to subjugate Andrew back to his low spot on the totem pole. Of course this all can't end well, but when the inevitable does happen it seems well earned and worth the trip. I had never heard of this film until I watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice and had to IMDb the name of the love interest, when I saw this film on her CV I had a quick squiz at the few reviews available and decided to track it down. Now that I have seen it I urge others to do the same. This is nothing like the cheesy exploitative "I know what you did last Summer" DVD cover would suggest, it is a high quality taut thriller, featuring solid performances and a pretty good plot. And yes the chick is still unbelievably hot. Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. A great little Aussie thriller, worthy of far more attention than it obviously received.

The boyfriend who plays Ron in the movie is an excellent actor as well as the girl who plays Dale. the story is about a guy who loves a girl and thinks he rescues her from her awful stripping job but it seems he loves money more than her, but he will do anything for her even kill for her. It happens that they appear on a mans acre that has a phobia, (fear of the outside). Well, Dale looks like the this man's ex-fiancé that left him 6 months ago. Ron wants money, so Dale has to pretend to be the ex-fiancé and go cash some checks and get some jewelry out the bank deposit box. The only problem is Dale might be falling for the other man and Ron might get left out. You will have to watch the story to find out the rest. This is very good story. Check this out.

Maybe it's because it was raining outside and it was dark in my quiet and half empty apartment. Maybe it was all the rain drops fluttering against tin windowsill. Maybe it was just me on that evening in that apartment with that weather outside. The point is - I was totally and absolutely sank in this movie's atmosphere, ambushed by the mastery of the camera operators, I could breathe the fog and I could touch those car tracks left on the gravel. The plot was not surprising. The ending was rather traditional. All of that didn't matter, really. The aura, the ambiance, the climate - it was fantastically dark, intriguing and kept me in the chair glued to the screen close to believing the bad movies days are ended. The acting was fabulous. I loathed Ron and I loved Dale. I didn't doubt in Andrew's agoraphobia. Stephen Moyer has been around for some time now but still big bravo for convincing and real play. But special credits go to Travis Fimmel and Teresa Palmer - those two newcomers have great and bright future and I cannot wait to see their next characters. I do recommend that movie to everyone who can remember the beauty of the camera in Bram Stoker's Dracula or miss those days when even 'action-thriller' needed to have that spark in it without reaching for chainsaw and flooding the theater with ketchup.