Gardens of the Night

Starring: Gillian Jacobs, Evan Ross, Tom Arnold, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Harold Perrineau, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers, Michelle Rodriguez
Directed by: Damian Harris
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A troubled young woman (Gillian Jacobs) recalls being kidnapped at a young age by a strange man (Tom Arnold), and made to do unspeakable things.

Review:

Tim: It would have been really easy to hate Gardens of the Night- in fact, I almost did. This is an incredibly disturbing movie that reminds us of how much unspeakable evil exists in the hearts of some people. This is a movie about child abduction and the hopeless, miserable, abusive lives they can live afterwards. The subject matter is so grotesque and distrubing that it repulses you from the beginning. I had an extremely hard time watching this movie. For that reason, my first reaction was to hate it. However, I had to come to terms with the fact that the reason for the distaste is because of how real and honest this movie was. It unflinchingly shows you a world where children disappear and spend time with pedophiles and other demons. This is an important movie because the events depicted here take place every day, all over the world.

The cast is superb. Everyone does terrific work. I really like Gillian Jacobs, and I thought she gave a quietly emotional, powerful performance. Her eyes tell the whole story of the hopeless existance she finds herself in. You can see the innocence lost and the absence of hope there. I thought it was a great performance. I also loved the performance of Ryan Simpkins as the younger version of Jacobs' character. Simpkins is so hard to watch because we are literally seeing that loss of innocence which will doom her to a misguided, terrible, tough life. I thought Simpkins gave a brave, unforgettable performance for an actress so young.

The rest of the cast are quite good as well. Tom Arnold gives one of the best performances of his career (which is impressive, no matter how low he's set the bar in the past). It is impossible not to hate him for how he manipulates the young children he has snatched from their homes. I don't know how or from where Arnold pulled the motivation for this role, but I doubt I will ever forget it. I also appreciated the small role of John Malkovich. It felt almost gimmicky having him in this film, but he does such a terrific job (as always), that the movie was better because he was in it. I was also glad to see Harold Perrineau and Jeremy Sisto in small roles. Also, watch for Michelle Rodriguez in an almost hilariously small role at the end. All in all, the cast of this movie was nothing short of tremendous.

I know that Gardens of the Night is not a movie for everyone. It is a brutal film to get through. While powerful, I do have to admit there were some flaws. The movie does tend to drag in places, and a few scenes continue long after we get the point. I also thought that Evan Ross was a questionable choice for the adult Donnie. He wasn't necessarily bad, but I never bought him in the role, and I didn't see the connection between him and Jacobs. I wanted to believe and buy into their relationship, but I just didn't feel that from either character. Still, while not a perfect movie, Gardens of the Night surprises by how emotional it is- it will make quite a few people cry, and it is impossible not to feel something in the pit of your stomach while watching this movie. This is a depressing, dark movie, but an important one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mystic River, The Dead Girl, Little Children, Monster