​FILMS

the loft

2015 review number 92:

The Loft: (Mystery/Thriller): 64 out of 100: Here's another case of Hollywood remaking a foreign film, this time it's based on the 2008 Belgian film of the same name. The common thread is the director, Erik Van Looy, who directed both films.

 

Five married men agree to buy a penthouse loft so they can conduct extra-marital affairs. This way, nothing can be traced back to hotel bills and receipts. The five friends in question are Vincent (Karl Urban), Chris (James Marsden) and his half brother Philip (Matthias Schoenaerts), Marty (Eric Stonestreet) and Luke (Wentworth Miller). Everything is going to plan swimmingly until they discover the body of a woman in the loft. The story is told in flashback through a police interrogation where the men piece together the clues to determine who was responsible for the woman's death.

 

The utilisation of flashbacks makes the story a stop/start affair. Just as the tension builds, we are taken back to the police station where the men are being interrogated separately. There are some interesting twists and turns though, albeit of the far-fetched variety.

 

One cannot fault the acting by the principal actors. They all excel in their roles, however they can't escape the fact that they are mainly sleazy, unlikeable characters due to their intention to bed as many women as they can. James Marsden's character is probably the most sympathetic of the lot and he shows here that he is equally at home with drama as he is with comedy. The actresses including Australia's Rachael Taylor (Anne) and Isabel Lucas (Sarah) do the best they can with their limited screen time but they are just there to be sex sirens to fulfil the fantasies of the men. The wives led by Rhona Mitra (wife of Chris) are simply women scorned. Female viewers might despise the deplorable actions of these male characters.

 

There's enough suspense and tension in the story to maintain viewer interest. Those who like a whodunit would appreciate the unravelling of the plot and the distrust exhibited between the protagonists although you do have to suspend disbelief when the pieces come together at the end.

 

I haven't seen the original so I can't offer a comparison. I didn't even know that this was based on a Belgian film until I did my research for this review. According to the IMDB viewer ratings between the two versions, it appears to be another case of the foreign original overshadowing the Hollywood remake. I shall be looking out for the foreign version in the future so I can make my own comparison.

 

The Loft doesn't reach any great heights but it's sustained by adequate performances around an interesting and unpredictable, yet unbelievable story.

 

Starring James Marsden, Karl Urban, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet and Matthias Schoenaerts

(108 minutes)

Parental advice: Coarse language, sex scenes, nudity, sexual references, violence, adult themes and drug use Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJZYqGfYGE (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Tuesday 30th June, 2015)

 

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