candyapplegrey
Attempted to watch but found ourselves mostly fast-forwarding this Nora Roberts 'thriller' that we videoed for our Dad. It was a Channel 5 Saturday night premiere and we'd been burned once already with Willed to Kill. Plus, we'd seen a Nora Roberts movie before so should have been more wary. This was more of the same. Jerry O'Connell, that goofy, odd-looking guy plays the lead looking perpetually surprised – perhaps by the script which has Faye Dunaway (still pretty fine) calling him 'a beautiful young man' but I would say it's a fair guess that this line was not written with him in mind because he is not by a fair stretch of the imagination that beautiful or young. Young in comparison to Ms Dunaway maybe. And I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'll say no more. If you're ready to accept this though, you might also allow yourself to believe the daft storyline, which involves ghosts, reincarnation and visions of the past all muddled together randomly in a crazy, clashing potpourri. Beyond silly. There's a signposted-a-state-away love storyline that doesn't ring true for a second. A cameo from the gorgeous Alejandro Rose-Garcia as the intriguingly evil brother Julien is enjoyable but we see too little of him. New Orleans is the other draw – I'd never been interested in going there but this has changed my mind – it looks stunning. Unfortunately, neither is enough to warrant your wasting your time on this movie. Scarily unscary.
capone666
Midnight Bayou The most annoying aspect to reincarnation is switching over all of your identification.Unfortunately, the returning soul in this made-for-TV-movie has to change more than just his name.Despite his Eastern education, Boston lawyer Declan (Jerry O'Connell) is drawn to New Orleans and purchases a plantation to renovate.Around town he meets a local, Lena (Lauren Stamile), whom he is inexplicably attracted to.As the renovations continue, the mansion's history unravels its self to Declan via vivid flashbacks of a former female resident's murder.Desperate for answers, he seeks the wisdom of Lena's grandmother (Faye Dunaway), a voodoo priestess with past life experience.However, the spiritual truth that Declan seeks will change his life forever.A more mystical love story than what Nora Roberts is known for, this adaptation of her novel muddles in mediocre acting but surprises in the shock-ending department.Incidentally, when you're reincarnated in Louisiana, 9 times out of 10 you come back as a crayfish.Yellow Light vidiotreviews.blogspot.com
millicentsambajon
what we have to understand is that sometimes what works in books does not necessarily mean that it works on the big screen.. this movie deviates consequently from the book.. i am a Nora Roberts fan and i do understand that many fans like me did not enjoy this movie very much, maybe because there were many alteration of the story.. but we have to take note that the plot remains truthful from its origin.. the theme of girl meets boy afraid to fall in love because of all the pain she went through, mother being the main villain, same as the mother-in law hundreds of years ago.. and of course solving the mystery of one of the heroine's disappearance.. all in all it was an entertaining movie... one should just have an open mind and feel what the director wants us to feel.. be transported in Lucian and Abigail's time.. feel their love for one another and feel the distaste and hate of Josephine and jealousy and envy of Julian towards Abigail. at the present time, Lina's apprehension to give all her heart to declan was devastating.. i can feel her pain. also she was torn about her mother. hating her for leaving and walking all over her through out her life but at the same time longing for the love a mother should give her child. and of course let us not forget the ever loving, supporting and mystic grandmother... i congratulate the director, the cast and crew for bringing these characters alive... i wouldn't have them any other way...
bluestorm5
I just finished watching Midnight Bayou and was very pleasantly surprised. I very thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Lina and her Grandmother Odette, the supernatural twist, although fairly predictable, was still intense to watch - and of course the Louisiana Bayou backdrop. There are two time lines playing out in this movie, and I felt it was done in the least confusing way possible, as you can very easily see the difference in decor and dress of each time line. What would have made this a bit more enjoyable for me would have been a bit of character development in the past time line, as well as a bit more romance in both time lines. But that isn't really the focus of this, it's about soul mates reaching across time and finding peace - it's about something deeper than romance. Jerry O'Connell doesn't do it for me as a romantic lead - he's got far too much comedy about his demeanour, however the character playing Lina was extremely sexy, sultry and sassy - just the kind of woman you'd picture out in the steamy bayou's of Louisiana - she did a terrific job with her character. My last thought to any potential viewers is to not expect Notebook quality romance, this is a TV Movie, and I say that with no malice intended - it should just be appreciated for what it is, and for the story it tells. You'll get romance, a bit of humour, suspense, history and a few thrills - Enjoy!
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