Psychological thriller has no thrills, few frills

Gothika is the latest flick in the series of horror/thriller ventures from Dark Castle, Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver's production company. Not a guilty pleasure in the vein of their shamelessly trashy House on Haunted Hill remake, yet better than the atrocity that was Ghost Ship, this movie is still not as good as it should have been. \nThe problem with Gothika is it's really a steaming turd, thinly veiled under the guise of talented actors, visceral cinematography and high production value. If one compiled the elements from 8MM, Stir of Echoes and any late-night cable women-in-prison movie, this film would result. \nAlright, plot. Well, Miranda Grey (an apt, yet restrained Halle Berry) is a criminal psychiatrist who encounters an apparition on her way home. When she wakes up, she's in her own prison, charged with murdering her husband. Strange things happen and Miranda has to solve the clues to find out why she's being tormented. \nMathieu Kassovitz, who helmed the somewhat decent French thriller The Crimson Rivers but is better known as Audrey Tautou's love interest in Amélie, directs a trashy, convoluted script with stylistic flair. \nMatthew Libatique (the ingenious director of photography for Requiem for a Dream) lenses the elements in a very intricate fashion that is quite choice. It's the best reason to watch the film, bar none. \nThe other two saving graces are Berry, who is good considering the material, and Robert Downey, Jr., who I feel is reason enough to watch most anything. Penelope Cruz is fairly stagnant, digressing from the charm she oozed in Vanilla Sky. \nThe plot is pretty ridiculous. Just so it would be considered a surprise "twist," the bad guy ends up being a random character that had only been in the movie for ten minutes, which is grotesque and way out of Joel Schumacher's left field. The ending is pointless, a Sixth Sense rehash. And despite being visually impressive, the CG effects are at times piss-poor. \nFinally, a few disclaimers: At the sneak preview screening at the Union, the projection was framed improperly, so the ratio was stretched and boom mics floated about like omnipresent phalluses. Also, the audience was utterly annoying -- screaming, laughing and talking throughout like a bunch of undersexed freshmen. \nDespite its flaws, Gothika has some good scares, and, if nothing else, is neat to watch. But for the cost of admission, you'd be better off saving for Christmas.