Crush

 

Year:  2009

Director:  John V. Soto, Jeffrey Gerritsen

Cast:  Christopher Egan, Brooke Harmon, Emma Lung, Christian Clark

Julian, an American student studying in Australia, takes up house sitting to earn some extra cash.  He is elated when he is called to house sit for a very wealthy family with a magnificent home.  However, soon after settling in, a mysterious girl shows up; she seduces him and he complies, though he is in a committed relationship.  However, when he tries to end his relationship with her, she demonstrates her true intentions.

There is no denying that Crush is a great looking film.  It's full of rich colors, expressive cinematography, gorgeous set pieces, and an equally gorgeous young cast.  Visually and technically, the film could not be any better.  It even completes itself with an impressive, if not at times distracting, soundtrack.  Moreover, the acting from the cast is pretty solid and Christopher Egan definitely makes for a charismatic protagonist.  Unfortunately, these great visual and technical aspects are squandered on an overdone, lackluster plot.  While Crush deserves some credit for attempting to add some originality to the "fatal attraction" premise by throwing a supernatural element into the mix, the film still manages to play it extremely dull and by-the-numbers.  No motivation is given for Julian's actions, particularly since his relationship with his girlfriend is portrayed as being perfect.  Where most films with this same premise ignite almost tangible chemistry between the illicit lovers, here there are virtual no sparks created between Egan and Lung; they go through the motions, but don't sell it to the audience.  Additionally, Lung's Anna never really seems all the obsessed with Julian.  Sure, she shows up every once in awhile, but never really seems all that bothered with the fact that he doesn't want anything to do with until the climax when the "twist" is revealed and then it has more to do with something entirely different than her being crushed by his disinterest.  And certainly the filmmakers could have built a little more suspense into the progression of the plot and the revelation of Anna's true intentions, considering the opportunities that the script creates for this in the film's exposition.  

Ultimately, Crush is not a bad film; it's simply forgettable and dull.  The premise twist is promising, but the screenplay doesn't give it the treatment that make it as memorable, exciting, or suspenseful as it should have been.  

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