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Film review

Enough, already

The repetitive, nonsensical plot of Premonition, a supernatural drama starring Sandra Bullock, annoys more than it entertains.

By Philip Booth
Published March 15, 2007

Sandra Bullock stars in Premonition.
	[TriStar Pictures]

Premonition, Sandra Bullock's wayward attempt to become a scary-movie hero, is sort of like Groundhog Day with a twist.

This time, the main character wakes each day to the same ghastly, annoying fright film. It never ends and it's utterly nonsensical, the movie version of hell.

The supernatural drama - unintentionally funny - opens with images of a happy young couple, Linda (Bullock) and Jim Hanson (Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck), glorying in the purchase of a beautiful vintage home. The story flashes forward 10 years to a warm and fuzzy breakfast scene - the family now includes two little girls - followed by a tragedy: Linda gets word that Jim has died in a car accident.

Here's the Groundhog Day part: Every subsequent morning, the grieving widow wakes up to a new reality. One day handsome hubby is his cheerful, supportive self, tooling around in the kitchen. The next day, he's dead, and the living room is packed with friends and family members dressed in black.

Not sure that something's amiss? Then pay more attention to those creeping, minor-toned string swells.

Premonition soon ventures into thriller territory, as Linda drives herself batty trying to apply logic and reason to assorted mysteries, including the appearance of terrible scars on the face of her 10-year-old daughter, Bridgette (Courtney Taylor Burness), and a possible affair between Jim and a sexy colleague (Amber Valletta).

"Obviously you're dealing with some inconsistencies," says Linda's heavily accented and apparently brilliant psychotherapist (Peter Stormare), whose role in his client's fate is yet another enigma.

Even worse, it appears that small everyday decisions by Linda can have a life-and-death impact on loved ones. The Butterfly Effect, anyone?

Her mission: She must figure out which day it is, and then design a plan of action that will save Jim's life. Along the way, Linda is consoled by her mother (Kate Nelligan), her best friend (Nia Long) and one of those movie priests who encourages "faith" while managing never to utter the word "God."

For good measure, German-born director Mennan Yapo throws in not one, but two flashback-laden montages, loaded with images taken from earlier sequences in the movie, apparently just marking time as he and screenwriter Bill Kelly (Blast from the Past) try to figure out how to exit this cockeyed story.

Review

Premonition

Grade: D

Director: Mennan Yapo

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon, Nia Long, Kate Nelligan, Amber Valletta, Peter Stormare, Courtney Taylor Burness, Shyann McClure

Screenplay: Bill Kelly

Rating: PG-13; violence, profanity

Running time: 97 min.

[Last modified March 14, 2007, 10:00:33]