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The Mothman Prophecies have been purported to be based on a true story and have led me to do some digging of my own. And yes, the people of Point Pleasant, W.Va., believe there is a moth-like creature with red eyes that can be seen from time to time. Some claim he is a spirit summoned by a long-dead Indian chief. Others hold him responsible for a catastrophic bridge collapse. John A. Keel has written a book about Mothman, and now this movie exists. The ‘true story’ aspects Mothman touches upon the hint of his existence, and the human characters are, I think, not fact-based but rather taken from an ancient trope in the horror genre where attractive individuals undergo horrific things.
Richard Gere stars as a Washington Post reporter named John Klein. He’s so happily married (to Debra Messing) that when they opt to buy a new house, they try the closet floor for potential lovemaking, which leaves the real-estate agent, who walks in on them, quite surprised. If there’s one thing that you ask of a real estate agent, it’s the sense not to leave a closet door ajar when he knows there is a noise that can only be described as coitus from behind said door. And also Gere is 53. He’s in great shape, but to make love at 53 on the floor of a closet with a real estate agent who is secretly watching is I submit, not based on a true story.
Then Klein and his wife are involved in a collision. You did not see it, did you? she asks, and before dying, she sketched a mothlike figure that she witnessed squished against the windshield. Unlike most windshield fatality insects, this creature that Klein comes across in the middle of his life Twilight Zone Shift possesses multiple forms and lives. As he drives, or at least attempts to drive to Virginia he finds himself in West Virginia hundreds of miles off. Klein tries to seek help by knocking on a door, only to have a terrified homeowner accuse him of stalking him for the last three nights.
Laura Linney stars as Connie Parker, a police officer in a small town. She trusts Klein, and together they begin to participate in a so-called odd set of occurrences that includes a bridge collapsed and a rescue that is so elaborate that it always annoys me for some reason because it shifts the focus of the film. What is this, a film about the Mothman, or a post-bridge collapse dramatic rescue? And as the Mothman presumably still is, how is the happy resolution after the bridge collapse any form of settling the story? A movie gets no credit for attempting to solve one complication while boring us with another.
Mark Pellington (Arlington Road) heads the project for which he deserves a better screenplay, as he demonstrates tremendous command over the camera, timing, and pacing. Pellington also demonstrates extreme command over the effect of the film. The Mothman does not function as a credible threat since it is camouflaged and has vague characteristics lacking defined boundaries and engaging in space-time movements far beyond its presumed focus. Also, insects, unless they are gigantic, are very unsatisfying as villains. Gere and Linney share some decent moments onscreen. I enjoy how he takes a moment of hesitation before launching himself into a decisive action. This is her first film after You Can Count on Me, which earned her an Oscar nomination. I can tell you that upon catching it recently, I was taken aback by her performance. The awful grim lesson appears to be, that if one is remarkable in making a low-budget independent film, that person should be ready to be rewarded with the opportunity to star in a lavishly produced movie where the skills that earned them that recognition are barely needed.
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