The Host
THE HOST (12)
D: Andrew Niccol
Universal/Open Road/Chockstone (Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz,
Paula May Schwartz & Stephenie Meyer)
US 2013
125 mins
Science Fiction/Romance
W: Andrew Niccol [based on the novel by Stephenie
Meyer]
DP: Roberto Schaefer
Ed: Thomas J. Nordberg
Mus: Antonio Pinto
Saoirse Ronan (Melanie Stryder), Max Irons (Jared Howe), Jake
Abel (Ian O'Shea), Frances Fisher (Magnolia Stryder), Diane Kruger (The Seeker), William Hurt (Jebediah Stryder)
How did Stephanie Meyer get published?? If this and the
Twilight saga are the stories to go by, 13 year old girls are easily pleased and undemanding by their choices in literature.
I'd rather not spend too long reviewing this film. The story
and central plot was tedious at best and the central premise was straight up lifted from Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (it seems Stephanie Meyer is incapable of developing an original
idea).
Practically every human being on earth is now controlled by
extra-terrestrial souls, except for Saorsie Ronan whose human conscience is wrestling with being controlled, her acting performance to present this is nothing short of hilarious.
The rest of the film is long, arduous torture where NOTHING of
any interest happened until Arsenal beat Sunderland 4-1 (I may have switched over to Match Of The Day for a split-second), another stupid love triangle is thrust in, but if you aren't a teenage
girl then the relationships between the characters provide no chemistry or romance whatsoever.
The only parts of this film which did hold attention were
unintentionally laughable with a teenage brat of a lead character and amateurish acting from everyone else (what were Diane Kruger & William Hurt thinking? Fire your agents at
once!)
1/10
