The American mystical, fantastic television show The Lost Room was created by directors Craig R. Baxley and Michael W. Watkins for the Sci Fi Channel. The project consists of three episodes of timing of 90 minutes each. The date of the release of the series âLost Roomâ is considered to be December 11, 2006, on this day the first series was shown, on the 12th and 13th of the following.
Criticism
The television film received conflicting reviews from foreign critics, but was warmly received by the audience. The first episode was nominated for the 2008 Screenwriters Guild Prize Award. Film critics in their reviews of the series Lost Room praised the casting and audiovisual design. Some time after the premiere, the picture was highly appreciated by individual online publications, its IMDb rating: 8.30.
Mystery world story
Often the mini-series âThe Lost Roomâ is reviewed by movie experts as a mystery world story, that is, a description of a fantasy world that exists parallel to ours, but carefully hidden from prying eyes of strangers. The narration in such projects begins with the fact that the average layman suddenly intersects with an unknown reality, which gradually draws the hero into the world of inexplicable phenomena, things and events. A great many such stories have been filmed since the middle of the last century, but the project of Baxley and Watkins compares favorably with its action-dramatic core. A fascinating detective story unfolds in front of the viewer, including elements of the thriller, intellectual action and comedy. The telefilm is full of shootouts, car chases, robberies, speculative deceit, betrayals, etc.
Short storyline
The Lost Room series (episode 1) introduces the main character, Pittsburgh police detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause), whose daughter Anna (El Fanning) disappears in parallel reality. For outsiders, the incident looks like the abduction or even murder of a child amid a lawsuit for guardianship between former spouses. But Joe knows that the baby remained in the rented room of the 60s motel on Highway 66, in the so-called "room", which exists outside of time and space. To find the daughter, the detective must collect the necessary "objects".
Ornate Mythology
The series âLost Roomâ (season 1) has an original, very complex and ramified mythology, both surprising and intriguing. Perhaps the creators aimed for several seasons or experienced genuine pleasure in writing. For example, not only the main character, but also three secret communities: âOrderâ, âLegionâ and âCollectorsâ are hunting for âobjectsâ - of varying degrees of power, artifacts from the âroomâ. Each organization has its own history, postulates, philosophy, pursues different goals. Such a rich material can really captivate the viewer, therefore, reviewers in the reviews for the series âLost Roomâ call it the main feature of the project. Of course, the topic of artifact search is not innovative, in the history of television and the film industry there are similar products, the same âLibrariansâ or âVault 13â. But the story underlying the âLost Roomâ looks many times more serious and older than the aforementioned shows for family viewing. There is no particular depth in it, but the tone of the narrative is much less playful.
Room Objects
Artifacts occupy a significant place in history. At first glance, familiar objects possess unique qualities: useful, strange, and dangerous. For example, a radio that can change a personâs height depending on the frequency being tuned, or a comb that can stop the running of time, a deadly ballpoint pen, a bus ticket, teleporting its owner and many other âobjectsâ. The use of any item does not just happen, the majority causes a strong dependence on its owner, like the relationship between Gollum and the Ring of omnipotence.
The series âLost Roomâ, viewers praise the reviews for the fact that the authors did not limit themselves to the story of the hunt for artifacts. In addition to confrontation with organizations collecting "objects", the main character has to confront the police, which is trying to hold Joe accountable for the abduction of Anna. On the whole, the project presents to the audienceâs judgment a world rich in action and detailed, looking from this much more lively and brighter.
Project disadvantages
Particularly fastidious movie experts criticized the mini-series, which, in their subjective opinion, is more reminiscent of the paintings of the 90s than the modern television show. To some extent, they are right, but the shooting style, plot twists and turns, special effects and character images do not seem outdated, but rustic. Moreover, the finale, although it completes all the storylines, but leaves a lot of questions. Most of them can be explained by the authorâs intention to preserve the intrigue of the series âLost Roomâ. How many more episodes could have been shot is known only to the creators of the show. After all, the feeling of mystical understatement continued to excite the fans of the project even after its closure.
Acting Ensemble
The cast of the project, most viewers in the reviews of the series âThe Lost Roomâ were called pleasant, even in the supporting roles in the project are recognizable performers, for example, Julianna Margulis (âAmbulanceâ, âGood Wifeâ), Kevin Pollack (âWillowâ, Nine Yards, Shark), Peter Jacobson (Doctor House).
Unfortunately, actor Peter Krause, who embodied on the screen the image of the protagonist Joe Miller, does not reach their level. Although it was rather difficult for the performer to show something impressive, because his character is inexpressive and stereotyped. He is a typical policeman on the other side of the law. The audience saw many similar heroes, so Miller was not able to arouse special spectator interest. Blond eight-year-old baby Anna Miller was played by angel-like El Fanning, the younger sister of the famous and talented actress Dakota Fanning. Other characters were played by actors familiar to the viewer from supporting roles in films and series.
Recommended for viewing by a wide audience
The Lost Room television movie is a professionally shot, "strong" mini-series, with an amazing original world and for the most part vivid, memorable characters. Unpredictable twists that modern TV people like to insert where necessary and not necessary, are present in the project, but rather sparingly and justified. The non-linearity of the narrative is explained by the initially given volume of understatement, and not by the manic need to break the cliches, which many creators of modern television shows suffer from. The project is recommended for viewing to lovers of science fiction (and not so much), mysticism, and to everyone who does not miss curious and energetic television series. For such an audience, viewing the brainchild of Baxley and Watkins will be a real find.
And let the viewer not be confused by the format. Of course, a four-and-a-half-hour television movie is too small even for a mini-series, Sir Peter Robert Jackson and other modern filmmakers sometimes take a full meter longer. After all, there is no absolute certainty that if the Lost Room were stretched for 6 seasons, it would become much better. Therefore, it is worth rejoicing in what is, enjoying the viewing.