"Hide and Seek does quite well precisely what it sets out to do. It keeps you leaning forward to see what will happen next and sometimes gets you gasping. It’s tightly paced and confidently styled. These times call for more daring in our horror films, but for this weekend, this will do the trick." Kevin Allison PREMIERE MAGAZINE "Not great, but an all star cast helps soften the rough edges." Scott Nash THREE MOVIE BUFFS "A slow but steady-paced thriller" Nell Minow MOVIE MOM AT YAHOO! MOVIES "Check it out if you like the horror genre. It was not bad at all." Vince Koehler ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "It's a genuine scare-fest that will have you squirming in your seat and even screaming aloud. Hide and Seek is the best little psychological thriller in a long while." Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES

"Fanning plays a girl, haunted by her mom's death, who makes Wednesday Addams look chipper. It's great casting." Chris Hewitt, ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS "The bottom line is that this movie is highly compelling and utterly creepy." Sarah Chauncey REEL.COM "Robert De Niro rises to a formidable challenge in this sufficiently unsettling thriller: he holds his own against the scene-swiping 10-year-old actress Dakota Fanning." Manohla Dargis, NEW YORK TIMES "The little star, Dakota Fanning, is quite a little talent - and she excels in the "creepy kid with a secret" role." Emily Blunt BLUNT REVIEWS "10 year-old Dakota Fanning gives a killer performance as the creepiest little girl this side of The Ring." Eugene Novikov FILM BLATHER

The Inside Story

"If you’re looking for Oscar material, this ain’t it - but on a Suspense/Horror level, I’d say this was well worth sitting through." Stefan Halley HERO REALM

Robert De Niro has certainly gotten tongues wagging with his latest starring role in the scary thriller "Hide and Seek" as David Callaway , the father of a very young daughter named Emily, who is traumatized by the death of her mother and now believes she has an imaginary friend named Charlie. Personally, I worry little about criticizing people like De Niro, I mean, the man is a legend and one of the greatest if not, the greatest actors ever to appear on the big screen. Sure it's good to be in a position to review film, but hey, the guys doing a pretty good job of keeping us entertained in a diverse range of film product. The key word is entertained and there is plenty of entertainment for those who like, what is generally refered to as, the genre of formulized, spooky, thrillers. Let's face it, if you go to the flicks [that's the pictures for overseas readers] as often as film critics do [well at least those who put in 100%] you're going to see in many ways, a lot of sameness amongst those films designed to scare the crap out of cinema-goers. On that score, "Hide and Seek" does have some pretty good moments. That's some, not a constant barrage. De Niro's co-star, Dakota Fanning who plays Emily remembers her reaction when she first started reading the Ari Schlossberg screenplay. "I started reading it in my room upstairs, but I got so scared I had to go downstairs where my dad and sister were, to finish reading it," She says. While some may say, "no fair Ari, scaring a little girl", it would have been satisfying for the debut screenwriter who said, "I wanted to write a really scary movie." Schlossberg grew up in New York so it was fitting that he set the story in an area he was familiar with, rural woodsy town. He reveals working on the screenplay in the dark at night, playing out the characters whose "voices told me where the story was going." Among the very first to read Schlossberg's script was Producer Barry Josephson. "The script scared the hell out of me," Josephson remembers. "I just couldn't put it down." Australian actor turned Director John Polson says it was the thrills and suspence that helped draw him to work on the project. "A father trying to save his daughter from something, or someone neither one understands, makes for a really exciting dynamic," he said. Polson, who made his directorial debut on "Swimfan" also notes that "Hide and Seek" gave De Niro the chance to be seen in a new role. "We haven't seen Bob play a father holding things together while his family's falling apart. It's a new kind of vulnerability for him to play, and it was exciting to watch him show us a different side." Barry Josephson agrees with Polson but adds that getting De Niro was critical to the project. "De Niro leaves an indelible mark on audiences with every role he plays," says Josephson. "He brings so much to "Hide and Seek" in conveying David's increasing anguish and fear over what's happening to his daughter." While there are other familiar faces of accomplished actors and actresses in the cast such as Famke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue Amy Irving and Robert John Burke, the real showpieces are the two stars De Niro and Fanning. "This role is like nothing I've done before," says Fanning. "First of all, I look a lot different. But that's only the beginning. Emily is definitely scared and in some sort of trouble, but she keeps you guessing about who, or what, is really causing these scary things to happen." And what was it like working with a film legend? "To work with Robert De Niro was like a dream come true," says Fanning. "He's such a nice person to be around, and I learned something from him everyday." Besides appearing on screen, Dakota also contributes to the soundtrack. If you can listen carefully you will hear her singing. There are two other characters who play a big part in David and Emily's life after the sad loss of wife and mother Amy. One is Famke Janssen who plays a child psychologist Katherine. "Katherine is a skilled psychologist who is dedicated to helping Emily and David," says Janssen. "Katherine knows that the simple game that Emily is playing, and her so-called imaginary friend Charlie, represent much more than they seem. But the words 'Hide and Seek' resonate for all the characters, not just Emily, reflecting who they are and what they're going through." The other character is that of Elizabeth played by Elisabeth Shue who becomes a threat through her attraction to David. "But is it Charlie, Emily, or someone we're not yet aware of?" asks Shue. "That's one of the film's key mysteries." Added to this is setting for the film in a decidedly dark wooded area. "The home and country setting are beautiful but at times desolate," says Dylan Baker who plays Sheriff Hafferty. "It's a lovely little town that's just a little eerie. There's something about being isolated in 'paradise' that's more than a little creepy." Polson hopes "that audiences enjoy Hide and Seek's creepiness, suspense and thrills, but he would also like to see them take away a little more. We tried to make a thriller that doesn't talk down to the audience. I want people to have lots of fun with the movie, but also know that they've experienced a moving, complex relationship between a father and daughter." And is there anything else John? "And they've met a creepy new friend named Charlie." "HIDE AND SEEK" was .......
directed by John Polson ["What's Going On, Frank?", "Siam Sunset" and "Swimfan"]; screenplay by Ari Schlossberg ["Lucky 13"]; costume design by Aude Bronson-Howard ["Mississippi Burning", "Scent of a Woman", "Carlito's Way", "Looking for Richard", "Donnie Brasco" and "Meet Joe Black"]; production design by Steven J Jordan ["The Brady Bunch Movie", "Clueless", "Never Been Kissed" and "Head of State"]; edited by Jeffrey Ford ["Little Odessa", "Assassins", "As Good As It Gets" and "I, Robot"]; cinematograhpy Dariusz Wolski ["The Crow", "Crimson Tide", "The Fan", "The Mexican" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"]; original music by John Ottman ["The Usual Suspects", "The Cable Guy", "Lake Placid", "Eight Legged Freaks", "Trapped", "Gothika" and "Cellular"]; produced by Barry Josephson ["The Last Boy Scout", "Wild Wild West", "Like Mike" and "The Ladykillers"]. Casting About "HIDE AND SEEK" stars .......
Robert De Niro ["Casino", "The Fan", "Ronin", "The Score", "City By The Sea" and "Analyze That"]; Dakota Fanning ["I Am Sam", "Trapped", "Sweet Home Alabama", "The Cat in the Hat" and "Man On Fire"]; Famke Janssen ["GoldenEye", "The Gingerbread Man", "Love & Sex", "Don't Say A Word" and "X-Men I & II"]; Elisabeth Shue ["The Karate Kid", "Back To The Future II & III", "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Hollow Man"]; Amy Irving ["Carrie", "Yentl", "A Show of Force" and "Traffic"]; Melissa Leo ["Streetwalkin'", "A Time of Destiny", "Last Summer in the Hamptons" and "21 Grams"]; Robert John Burke ["Looking for Mr. Goodbar", "Tombstone", "Cop Land" and "Connie and Carla"]; David Chandler ["Streetwalkin'", "Her Alibi", "Upheaval" and "The Undeserved"] and Dylan Baker ["Planes, Trains & Automobiles", "The Last of the Mohicans", "Requiem for a Dream", "The Cell", "Spider-man II" and "Kinsey"] as Sheriff Hafferty. What It's All About

"A nifty little thriller with some effective psychological and supernatural flourishes." Eleanor Ringel Gillespie ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

It's the end of a long day. Home from a function David and Alison Callaway are winding down. With their daughter Emily tucked in her bed, Alison runs a bath while David waits for her to come to bed. He dozes off and awakes at 2:06am to find himself alone. There is a light shining from the bathroom and David, looking for his wife opens the door. Through the bath curtain he can see her. Laid back, it appears she has fallen asleep. A reasonable assumption, after all, Alison did take a tablet and wash it down with a glass of wine. David pulls back the curtain and recoils in horror. His wife lies dead in a bath filled stained by her blood. Later, in an effort to ease the pain for his daughter, David moves them from memory filled Manhattan to up-state New York. Emily keeps to herself and David is worried by her solitary behaviour. But Emily has a friend. A friend she alone can see. His name is Charlie and he loves playing Hide and Seek. Come out, come out where-ever you are." The Verdict "While it may appear to be, in the end, a little formulatic, "Hide and Seek" still manages to pull it all off thanks to an outstanding performance by Dakota Fanning. Solid backing from De Niro and support by Famke Janssen is, with the twists, turns and a few shocks enough to ensure fans of the genre will get their monies worth. Rather than go for a spook film, punctuated by a barrage of big scary moments, Australian Director John Polson has gone for a 'thriller' style approach that works reasonably well. Go see it? Why not." The Cast

Robert De Niro Dakota Fanning Famke Janssen Elisabeth Shue Amy Irving Dylan Baker Melissa Leo Robert John Burke Molly Grant Kallins David Chandler Stewart Summers Jake Dylan Baumer Josh Flitter

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

David Callaway Emily Callaway Katherine Elizabeth Alison Callaway Sheriff Hafferty Laura Steven Amy Mr Haskins Doctor Disturbed Boy Little Boy

The Crew Directed by John Polson Written by Ari Schlossberg Produced by Barry Josephson Executive Produced by Joseph M Caracciolo Jr Co-producer by John Rogers Original Music by John Ottman Cinematography by Dariusz Wolski Film Editing by Jeffrey Ford Casting by Amanda Mackey Johnson & Cathy Sandrich Production Design by Steven J Jordan Art Direction by Emily Beck Set Decoration by Judy Gurr & Beth Kushnick Costume Design by Aude Bronson-Howard Production ManagerDana Robin Production Supervisor Joe Hartwick Jr Run Time 101 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - 20th Century Fox - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved