Danika (2006)

Danika Merrick a young mother of three has a caring husband a beautiful house and a safe simple life. She does her best to shield her family from a world filled with fears of car accidents kids falling into the wrong crowd kidnappings violent crimes and terrorism. But despite all of her good intentions Danika s worries over everyday dangers begin to manifest themselves into strange delusions of horrific proportions. With the belief that she is going insane Danika seeks psychiatric help who convinces her that she is over-stressed and chemically imbalanced. Leaving with a prescription and new focus she feels that her life will return to normal What happens when her gruesome hallucinations start becoming a reality? Ultimately Danika is a psychological suspense thriller filled with mind bending twists and turns which proves the more we try to control our fears the more our fears control us.System Requirements:Run Time: 80 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: NR UPC: 687797115898 Manufacturer No: FLP-11589 Product Description

THE FACE OF FEAR

DANIKA is not really a horror movie, but a psychological tale focusing on Danika (Marisa Tomei), a young mother who is vastly over protective of her three children. Her husband (Craig Bierko) had an affair with their nanny, but now all seems right for the family..until Danika starts having horrifying visions of terrible events that may or may not be real. DANIKA is a complex tale centering on the fear we have that something may happen to those we love. Tomei is effective, as is Bierko and Regina Hall as the kindly therapist. A bit contrived at the end, but not a bad film. October 19, 2007

Good family movie, a must for Marisa Tomei fans, she was AWESOME

I was in blockbuster after not being in one for a while, and lo behold what did I see...a current movie starring Marisa Tomei? She is still doing movies huh. I've been a fan of hers since I was little, ever since I first saw her in "A Different World", without knowing why. Now I know, it's because I've had good taste, duh! She is the most underused and underrated actress I can think of (while writing this review, that is) and wish she would star in more movies. I said STAR, not "appear". I also like phycological and mental thrillers (fight club, momento). Although Danika is NOT in the same league as those two, due to the ending, Tomei makes watching it all the worthwhile. I had to watch it over, because at first I didn't 'get it' .. the ending. It turns out, yep, i 'got it' alright, I was set too high on my expectations. Then I read other reviews and saw it is not just in my head, that this movie "commits cinematical treason" someone said -- by tensing you up, preparing you for an awesome ending, and then .... blah, unsatisfactory conclusion (but makes sense). Enjoy the ride but don't expect a grand ending. Oh yeah, and of course enjoy the treat of seeing a movie that actually stars Marisa Tomei. August 20, 2007

An overlooked gem in the crowded field of psychological thrillers

Marisa Tomei has always been one of my favorite actresses. With that pretty face, gorgeous red hair, and animated spirit, she should be one of America's biggest stars. She's won an Oscar, for goodness' sake, so no one can doubt her acting abilities. Why, then, does it seem like such a rare treat to actually see her play the central role in a film? The woman is fabulous in Danika. Say what you like about the story (it's one of those psychological thrillers, so audience reaction will inevitably be somewhat divided), but Marisa Tomei turns in a gripping, very believable performance.

Every parent (well, every good parent, anyway) wants desperately to protect his/her family, especially the children, so in this respect Danika (Tomei) is basically no different than the vast majority of wives and mothers in the world. All of a sudden, though, her life has taken a turn toward the surreal. She begins having awful visions which lead her to seek psychiatric help after what can only be described as a psychotic episode at work. Not only does she see awful things happening to her husband and kids, she also has psychic-like visions of other kids dying in horrible ways, and these things come about in such a way that she feels as if she could have saved them. This leads her to become ever more obsessive in terms of protecting her own family, and we all know how teens and pre-teens react to overprotective mothers. A lesser actress couldn't have played this role effectively, as the story is surreal and sometimes confusing as the tension builds toward a pretty powerful conclusion.

As with all psychological thrillers, the proof of the pudding is ultimately in the ending. It is possible to figure out, to some degree, what is really going on here - I picked up on it from the preview alone, although I didn't predict the final machination of the emotional climax - but I don't think it matters much whether you figure things out on your own or not. The emotional power of the final minutes is not to be denied, and the whole movie leaves you with plenty of food for thought. It's the kind of ending that viewers will want to discuss with one another after the fact, and I think that is a sign of the story's ultimate effectiveness. Any movie in this genre is going to draw one-star reviews from those who claim not to get it, but I think the majority of viewers will find this movie spellbinding and emotionally jarring. June 2, 2007

Happy accident

I picked this movie up wandering around the video store and it looked kind of interesting so I gave it a try. I have to say that I am happy I did. This was a nice diverting hour and a half, although I did figure out the twist ending just before it came. Marisa Tomei was just wonderful in this film as the mom. The movie reminded me a bit of Sixth Sense and later of Jacob's ladder, with elements of both. I was watching this with a sweetie and the film got a real scream out of her while Marisa was putting groceries away. I was told I should have warned her what was coming. Heck, I didn't know. The bottom line here is that this is a pretty good film, has suspense, some gore, and some mystery. Pretty sad though. It might take a while to get over this one. Talk it over with someone you love though. That will help ease the pain. Glad to recommend this one. May 16, 2007

too much underscoring

This was a terrible movie. It started off with a feeling of suspense that never had a break. The sound/music designer should have been held back - this movie would have been better had some scenes not been underscored at all. We got bored with the constant Danika episodes that never moved the story along. Various potential plot elements (a missing girl, a schoolteacher) were introduced but turned out to have no relevance to the eventual end of the movie. I recommend Jacob's Ladder instead. April 23, 2007

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