As a Twilight and Pattinson fan, I was extremely eager to see The Haunted Airman. After it was over I wondered what the hell I just saw.
The film version of the book, The Haunting of Toby Jugg by Dennis Wheatley, is very choppy and confusing. Each scene gets stranger as it progresses and its running length, seventy minutes, is not enough to justify a conclusion. It was as though director Durlacher decided to just end it because he couldn't think of anything else.
Robert Pattinson plays Jugg and he is the best thing in this movie. This was the first non-Twilight film with him in it that I saw that PROVED he is an actor. He is absolutely breathtaking and you can clearly see his descent into madness. He realizes that his lover, Julia, has turned against him and the only person he can trust is himself. This sets off a chain of events that will lead to a tragic end.
Pattinson does very well playing a paraplegic; he drags his legs around convincingly and shows his humiliation when he has to be sponge-bathed by a nurse (Melissa Lloyd). His wheelchair fits the time, the old ones that were run manually and he moves fast! When Toby wants to get away, there is no stopping him. It is a brilliant performance and Pattinson shines.
The second reason, if there are others, to see this short film is Rachel Sterling. She plays the beautiful aunt-in-law of Toby's who starts a relationship with Dr. Burns and pulls away from him. Sterling is gorgeous and you can see the chemistry between them; it is as though they really WERE the characters and the strain of the relationship is evident especially at the end.
Other stand out performers include Julian Sands as Dr. Hal Burns. Although the run time is short, you learn quickly that he is the one driving Jugg slowly mad. He is slime and Sands pulls it off perfectly. When he steals Jugg's letters, I was ready to throw something at the screen. Sister Sally Grant is played by the spectacular Melissa Lloyd. She shines in this role. She appears to be Jugg's friend and confidante, but it's clear whose side she's REALLY on.
I would recommend this movie for the acting but nothing else. It is good to watch near Halloween if you want to feel your skin crawl and jump over every shadow or spider. Pattinson makes this film worth it.
The film version of the book, The Haunting of Toby Jugg by Dennis Wheatley, is very choppy and confusing. Each scene gets stranger as it progresses and its running length, seventy minutes, is not enough to justify a conclusion. It was as though director Durlacher decided to just end it because he couldn't think of anything else.
Robert Pattinson plays Jugg and he is the best thing in this movie. This was the first non-Twilight film with him in it that I saw that PROVED he is an actor. He is absolutely breathtaking and you can clearly see his descent into madness. He realizes that his lover, Julia, has turned against him and the only person he can trust is himself. This sets off a chain of events that will lead to a tragic end.
Pattinson does very well playing a paraplegic; he drags his legs around convincingly and shows his humiliation when he has to be sponge-bathed by a nurse (Melissa Lloyd). His wheelchair fits the time, the old ones that were run manually and he moves fast! When Toby wants to get away, there is no stopping him. It is a brilliant performance and Pattinson shines.
The second reason, if there are others, to see this short film is Rachel Sterling. She plays the beautiful aunt-in-law of Toby's who starts a relationship with Dr. Burns and pulls away from him. Sterling is gorgeous and you can see the chemistry between them; it is as though they really WERE the characters and the strain of the relationship is evident especially at the end.
Other stand out performers include Julian Sands as Dr. Hal Burns. Although the run time is short, you learn quickly that he is the one driving Jugg slowly mad. He is slime and Sands pulls it off perfectly. When he steals Jugg's letters, I was ready to throw something at the screen. Sister Sally Grant is played by the spectacular Melissa Lloyd. She shines in this role. She appears to be Jugg's friend and confidante, but it's clear whose side she's REALLY on.
I would recommend this movie for the acting but nothing else. It is good to watch near Halloween if you want to feel your skin crawl and jump over every shadow or spider. Pattinson makes this film worth it.