Possession (2009)

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It is OK movie. Nothing special, viewing it as a whole, but it does grab your attention most of the time. The title of the movie may give you the impression that it is a horror movie, but it is a drama with elements of thriller. Sarah was very good in the movie. I don't know the names of the 'brothers' but for what they acted, it was good. The twist or the changing of the roles is clever, but then the blood connection makes no sense to me - that is, if the other brother consciously decided to switch the roles. I did not like the very ending with the hands of the 'spirit' helping her tie the chain... All in all, six from me.

I haven't seen the Original Asian movie this is based on, but I am pretty sure, that I would like that more than the Remake I have seen. I'm pretty sure it is more subtle and has better character arcs. Not that the actors are bad in this, but as someone else wrote in a magazine: Seems like Sarah M. Gellars career has gone AWOL, since Buffy ended. And this movie won't bring her career back.It's a nice little psycho thriller, that tries to stay ambiguous, but you might know where this is going, without me or anyone else telling you about it. There's still a chance you might like it more than some other people, but also a very good chance you might not like it at all. There's better thrillers out there, but you could pick a worse movie. If you are a fan of Sarah M. Gellar, you might wanna give it a try ... also if you like thriller movies in general (with a touch of supernatural thrown in for good measure). Everyone else should stay clear of this

A lawyer, Jess(Sarah Michelle Gellar) faces a crisis of bizarre proportions when her beloved husband, Ryan(Michael Landes) suffers a serious car crash thanks to his barbaric ex-con brother, Roman(Lee Pace) who was speeding at excessive speeds passing motorists during a foggy morning whilst in the midst of a temper tantrum(as is established at the opening, this guy was quite an unfriendly, rude, hostile, ill-tempered fellow, whose mere presence repulsed her). Something quite surreal might've taken place, a possible "soul transference" where Ryan has taken "possession" over his brother's body! At first, Jess avoids Roman despite his knowledge of specific events only her and Ryan would know and had shared. But, as she notices little quirks and behavioral patterns Ryan made now being exhibited by Roman, Jess ponders the real possibility that her husband has returned to her! But, is it an actual hoax? Is Ryan really present in Roman's body? Is such an unbelievable situation as soul transference perhaps legitimate? This movie is really an odd experience because the plot really develops a weird scenario. Imagine the sheer notion of your gracious, cherubic husband, who wrote you love letters everyday, carved your entire head and face in clay, and had a rose(or flowers)around all the time to remind you of his devotion to you, returning in the body of a man you positively loathe! I think Sarah Michele Gellar really handles the part as well as can be expected. She shows the complex emotions one would obviously face when dealing with such matters as having your husband in a coma on the brink of death while his brother seems to harbour Ryan's personality and soul. Then, there are plot complications and revelations which cast doubt on Roman. A lover, Casey(Tuva Novotny) turns up throwing a wrench in the evolving relations between Jess and Ryan/Roman. When Casey goes missing, and a tear drop necklace(her grandmother's)that Ryan had given back to Jess is proved to be a fake version of another which she accidentally broke, we are(as Jess)left wondering whether a soul transfered or if this is all a load of manipulative hogwash. Anyway, the movie is definitely lifted by good leads and certainly has a unique storyline even if it is a bit daffy. I think Gellar fans will find her performance acceptable, even if they find the film a bit of an odd duck. The complications are interesting and I thought the movie had a heart..that's something, I guess. One complaint I have is the film's title and DVD cover..definitely more than a bit deceptive. One development that really made me feel uncomfortable(..besides the eventual love making between Jess and Roman, while Ryan's body lie unconscious in a hospital)was the pregnancy, which is why I brought out the point regarding how awkward the movie was as an experience.

This movie was very uneven I think I would have to see the Japanese version or read the book in order to appreciate it better or at least understand what happened at the end of it. Too much of vital details was left on the cutting room floor apparently or maybe the director expects too much of his audience. Wanting an intelligent audience is one thing but leaving so much details out to the point whereby the audience is practically left to make up their own movie is just ridiculous. It has shades of Bollywood's 'Anamika' in it. The idea behind the film was brilliant but it was executed poorly. I like Sarah Michelle Gellar but this was not one of her best work.