DVD
REVIEW: Joshua
01/06/07
Try to recall, if you can, an exceptional film released
approximately 15 years ago titled “ The Good Son” then try
to imagine someone trying to recreate the feeling of this
film and failing miserably, and you’ll end up with “Joshua”.
This long winded feature film should have been a direct to
DVD B-movie , and not a very good one even in this category.
It’s attempt at being a mix of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The
Omen“, with the general idea of “The Good Son” was
confusing, boring and finally anti-climatic.
This movie centers around a young, well to do family with a
young boy and a newborn baby girl. They seem happy at first
but you can tell from the start that something about the
young boy is off center and not quite right. He seams
perfectly polite, quiet and well behave and even a bit of a
prodigy in both piano and in his knowledge of the thing he
learns. But it doesn’t take much to see there is something
innately wrong with this seemingly intelligent young man.
The arrival of a newborn sister seems to bring out the
jealousy and evil within this 9 year old boy , and that
begins to slowly tear the family apart, first mentally then
physically and you see the horrific things that this child
is capable of.
Jacob Kogan is the remarkable boy that portrays Joshua and
is the one bright point in this dull film. He did a
marvelous portrayal of a troubled child who starts to border
on psychotic, he had the perfect balance of intelligent
child and malicious intent. He was very believable and would
have been better suited if this film didn’t drag on forever
and then fizzle out the way it did. The other characters did
their best to carry the weight but I believe it was the
screen play which was hopelessly flawed and did nothing to
entertain my mind nor enrapture me emotionally. Honestly, I
was so bored, all I wanted was to reach the end so I could
be satisfied knowing the outcome, and even then I was left
feeling cheated. It wasn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen,
but it was close.
VIDEO:
Widescreen
AUDIO:
English 5.1
DTS, English 5.1 Dolby Surround and Spanish Dolby Surround
English and Spanish subtitles
BONUS FEATURES:
Audio Commentary by
writer/director George Ratliff and writer David Gilbert
Deleted Scenes:
A total ox six deleted scenes some of the scenes are:
1. Kid Number Two
(0:28)
2. Asleep at Work (0:29)
3. What is Post-partum? - This is a interesting scene
where Joshua ask his mom what is Post-partum and tells her
that she scares him (1:56)
4. You Think Joshua Needs You? - Abby (Joshua‘s Mom)
asking her husband if he think Joshua needs him or anybody.
(1:37)
5. Museum Stairs - An extended scene showing what
happened when Joshua took his baby sister for a stroll in
the Museum. (2:17)
Never-before-seen,
DVD exclusive of Dave Matthews music video for his song
“Fly”: Fly music video by David Matthews - This is
the song that Joshua sings so wonderfully at the end of the
movie explaining his motive. (4:11)
Cast and crew
interviews including:
Jacob Kogan
Sam Rockwell
Vera Farmiga
Director George Ratliff
Producer Jonathan Dorfman
Production Designer Roshelle Berliner
Internet Advertising
Campaign: More interviews with George Ratliff and
Sam Rockwell discussing Vera Farmiga, Jacob Kogan and
Post-partum Depression. Also Jacob Kogan speaks about
Getting into Character and about Sam Rockwell and Vera
Farmiga.
RATING BREAK DOWN:
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AUDIO |
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Review By Helen
helen@smartcine.com
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