THE OMEN Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
20th Century Fox
Grade: B-
Directed by: John Moore
Written by: David Seltzer
Cast: Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis
Screened at: Loews 34th St., NYC, 6/9/06
Opens: June 6, 2006 The next time you see the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy, be careful what you tell them. Do not say, “How’s the little devil doing today?” You may lose a friend, that is if your acquaintance has seen or even heard of John Moore’s movie “The Omen.” A remake of Vicente Minnelli’s 1976 classic that stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as adoptive parents of a diabolical kid who speaks only with his eyes, the John Moore version is perfectly valid for the many who were not even born when the original was played and for those whose memory for events of thirty years ago is understandably hazy. If this “Omen” is not as frightening to us as it should be, don’t blame it on the ‘76 version, which just about every critic must have cited. Blame it on the never-ending panoply of horror films, particularly of the zombie subgenre. We’re now ready to take even a graphic look at a decapitation with a ho-humn attitude. Nonetheless, given some stark images gorgeously photographed by Jon Sela with scary and, happily, not too obtrusive music by Barco Bertrami and Jerry Goldsmith, “The Omen” is a worth while project that should be well received by all who do not need to compare it with the original. As Moore introduces the story–which is faithful to the original ‘76 version–we see how Robert Thorn, an ambitious American vice consul in Rome, is elevated to the role of ambassador and assigned to Britain. The happiness of his wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles), is short-lived. She has had a difficult childbirth, and, with her newborn seemingly dead on arrival, she is given another infant by someone in priestly garb. It takes her and her husband some time before they realize that he’s the Anti-Christ, sent to earth per prophesies from the Book of Revelation that indicates the end of the world when the Jews are resettled in Israel and when destruction becomes rampant (as if someone thousands of years ago could have predicted a major tsumani and the pulverizing of the Twin Towers in New York). Director Moore does not fall for the usual claptrap of horror movies, such as the red herrings that arise when something looks scary but is only a friendly dude entering the scene too quietly for the residents to become aware of. The child himself, Damien (performed by a mute Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick in a role that is not particularly challenging), is cute enough, but for reasons unknown to his folks, he flies into a tantrum not when they refuse to buy him a Dove ice cream bar but when he approaches the exterior of a church. Ambassador Thorn is warned about the little monster by Father Brennan, a dork of a priest (Peter Postlethwaite), but the irritating clergyman loses his argument when instead of laying his beads on the table, he recites doggerel about the upcoming Armageddon. Also when he loses his 10-gallon hat while running through the streets and does not bother to recover it, we know that his end is imminent. Mia Farrow turns in the most professional job as Mrs. Baylock, a convincing nanny from hell who somehow has accumulated a resume of 40 years’ service. Her real gig is to protect this son of Satan, while at the same time somehow hiding a vicious Rottweiler from an employer who may be more of a cat person but who alarmingly has never invested in a pet for his comfortable London digs. Julia Stiles is a fine actress but at twenty-five, she comes across as too young for the 38-year-old Schreiber. Perhaps the production would have been better off getting one of the more mature persons considered for the role, such as Rachel Weisz, Laura Linney, Alicia Witt or Hope Davis. “The Omen,” then, while not especially scary, does well for what it is, a movie that does not pump up the adrenaline but instead tells a story in a quieter way, making it almost believable. Maybe Robert Thornton should have revised his theological belief about their being “no God, no Devils, this is all we’ve got.” Rated R. 105 minutes © 2006 by Harvey Karten
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