The Moth Diaries Review

I just watched the Moth Diaries on May 8, 2012. I have read alot about the movie, and seen some negative reviews for the film and I see how some people might interpret that, but honestly I truly enjoyed this movie. It is based off a novel by Rachel Klein, and was adapted to the screen by America Psycho director, Mary Harron. The movie follows an all girl's boarding school in which main character Rebecca (played very well by Sarah Bolger) seems to have a happy life with her best friend Lucie played by Sarah Gadon, and her group of friends. The boarding school was a hotel in the early 1900s that eventually evolved into the boarding school. This is how it would seem on the surface. She is actually living with the memory of her poet father that committed suicied two years earlier. Her friends are keeping her in a good place. Scenes are presented that show how close the group dynamic is. Then, a mysterious new girl shows up named Ernessa, played perfectly by Lily Cole. She captured the mystery of what the character is supposed to be, and her look is innocent, but you know there is something dark under the surface. Ernessa has long jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a face that you would see on a porcelain doll. I was impressed with the performances overall. It was a good female cast. Lucie seems to start distancing herself from Rebecca in order to become better friends with Ernessa. What is interesting about this is Rebecca starts becoming suspicious of Ernessa due to her strange mannerisms and creepy look. Lucie seems to be in a trance as Ernessa is controlling her. At an all girl's school, lesbianism is bound to spring up and though it's not necessarily shown, it is implied. The students are reading Carmilla in class, and Rebecca suspects Ernessa is a vampire. Ernessa is seen at night dressed all in white, sometimes wandering off the campus. Lucie begins to weaken mentally and physically as she lashes out at Rebecca for being jealous of Ernessa. Teachers won't listen to Rebecca's ramblings about a vampire. One by one, in some way or another, her friends dwindle, either by death or expulsion. It all seems to be built around the actions of Ernessa. She plays the whole thing aloof. I like that they didn't necessarily show the friends or teachers get killed, but they show the bloody aftermath. The idea of mystery and intrigue can be good, and I thought it worked well in this movie. Lucie's weakening throughout the movie is portrayed well as you notice the changes. Rebecca even witnesses Ernessa and Lucie in a "romantic" moment. I like that the best friend's name is Lucie. It reminds me of Dracula in terms of Lucy, who was Mina's best friend and was controlled and then ultimately killed by him. I also like Rebecca struggling with the thought of ending her own life. In the long run, Ernessa's main target is actually her. We discover through a diary written by Ernessa that she is indeed undead. In the book, there is ambiguity as to whether Ernessa actually exist. However, in the movie she is a real life entity. One scene towards the end as Rebecca has a vision in which Rebecca is looking at the very razor her father used with Ernessa coercing her to join her, as Ernessa ended her own life in a similar fashion. I call it the Carrie scene, because that's exactly what it reminds me of. Dexter Morgan would have to be called in for this vision scene is what I'll say about it. Lily Cole aka Ernessa drenched from head to toe is a crazy scene. Eventually, the disry I mentioned and the trunk where she sleeps are located. Though I felt that she was able to conquer Ernessa too easily in the end, I felt the story flowed pretty well overall. Ernessa sees herself in Rebecca and she is the one that Ernessa wanted to be with eternally from the beginning. She just had to, you know, take out everybody in the way. I felt it blended elements of Carmilla (especially with the Ernessa-Lucie dynamic)-I loved that book in Professor Mitchell Lewis's Horror, Gender, and Sexuality class, and could sense the elements here. I also was reminded of Dario Argento's Suspiria in many ways-the boarding school, the mysterious nature of the school, the strange disappearances/deaths of the girls, and the moths remind me of that crazy maggot scene. Overall, I enjoyed this movie and I would give it a 3/5. I enjoyed it, and I know many critics had a problem with it, but this is something I actually liked. There are very few things I disliked about it. I am glad I was able to catch this. It had great mystery and conflict, with the hero thinking she's going crazy, but knowing at the same time, she knows she is right. Ernessa is a great antagonist, brooding about mapping out her intentions in a cerebral manner. Where we see the protagonist being very verbal, the antagonist is quiet. When she does talk, her voice is perfect for the character. It's gentle, but cold. As I mentioned, I felt the antagonist was killed too easily, but I did enjoy this movie, and certainly would get it on DVD. Lily Cole is the standout for me in this and I look forward to her as Rose in Snow White & The Huntsman. There were alot of excellent elements to this that kept me interested throughout. Great mystery, pretty good performances, and a decent story with a couple of minor complaints I mentioned make this a movie that blends the dark and the light well. Definitely worth a watch!!