[Doc Faustus]

Yesterday, I swallowed my pride, bit my tongue and geared up for a mediocre filmgoing experience. The trailers gave me no reason to expect what I ended up seeing; a violent, fairly shocking, fun ride that hearkens back to Argento at the top of his game. Lindsey Lohan' s acting is unobtrusive, dead on and intelligent, her mannerisms good and her characters both sympathetic. I was reminded of Jennifer Connelly in Phenomena and other intelligent, spirited young heroines. The resolution would have been unexpected if I wasn't an abnormal psych buff raised by an aspiring mystery writer, or else unexpected if I wasn't familiar with gialli. The gore was more intense than expected, so this might not be a good date movie or a film for your thirteen year old daughter who's into Lindsey Lohan. Maybe for your thirteen year old daughter who's into Saw, but the violence is pretty realistic and intense. Violent, visually poetic and surprisingly thoughtful. Follow the imagery, follow the colors and enjoy a twisted giallo fairy tale that could have come from one of the genre's best.