Who
would have known a Pagan Irish ghost could carry such a grudge? Annie Sawquin
was done wrong during the days of Old New York, so her vengeful spirit is not
about to let Lower Manhattan off the hook centuries later. Frankly, she has a
right to feel put-out. Unfortunately, every year on Halloween, the specter
takes out her frustrations on three innocent children. Mike Lawford’s son
Charlie was taken last year, but he hasn’t given up hope of finding him. At
least as a tenured professor he will have plenty of time to look in Uli Edel’s Pay the Ghost (trailer here), which opens this
Friday.
In
his quest for said tenure, Lawford somewhat neglected his wife Kristen and son,
so when the good news comes on October 31st, the newly secured faculty member
takes Charlie out to celebrate at the annual Halloween carnival. It is rather
conveniently located, since like most struggling academics, the Lawfords own a
brownstone in Greenwich Village. Unbeknownst to Lawford, Charlie has been
acting strange for the last few days, because he has been targeted by uncanny
forces.
One
minute Charlie is there, the next he’s gone. It is hard to explain that to his
wife, who openly blames Lawford for their son’s disappearance. Yet, as they
approach the one year anniversary, both parents have strange supernatural
experiences that suggest Charlie is reaching out for their help. Soon, she even
starts to forgive Lawford, in light of all the macabre bedlam they encounter.
Enlisting the help of Hannah, Lawford’s colleague and mentor, they trace back a
series of historical and folkloric clues to Sawquin, a Celtic Pagan, who was
scapegoated for a plague sweeping through early Colonial New York. Lawford just
might be able to rescue his son, but he has a limited window. Once Halloween is
over, the die is cast and last year’s victims will be consigned to the other
side forever.
Believe
it or not, even though Ghost represents
a collaboration between Nic Cage and the director of the infamous Madonna
vehicle Body of Evidence, it really
isn’t that bad. Apparently, Edel discovered the magic word that convinced Cage
to turn down the mania. Maybe it was “IRS.” Regardless, he indulges in minimal nostril-flaring
throughout what is arguably his most restrained performance in years.
Sarah
Wayne Callies from the Walking Dead
is passable enough as Kristin, but it is not what you would call a showcase role
for her. As Det. Reynolds, Lyriq Bent does not have much to either, except
defend the honor of New York civil servants, but he wears the part well after
playing the cop in all those Saw movies.
However, Veronica Ferres (known for films like Saviors in the Night and Adam Resurrected, who must have been confused to find herself in an upstart
genre movie like this) adds some much appreciated class and seasoning.
