Dorothy Mills Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Jane Morton, a psychiatrist from Dublin in deep mourning following the accidental death of her husband and son, is assigned to work on the case of Dorothy Mills, a teenaged girl in a small village who tried to strangle a baby. After miraculously surviving a car accident, Jane discovers a village darkened by strange events and meets a very nervous Dorothy, who swears she never touched the baby. After analyzing the teenager, Jane makes a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder until the day that Dorothy speaks with the voice of David, Jane's dead son.
| Carice van Houten | Jane Van Dopp |
| Jenn Murray | Dorothy Mills |
| David Wilmot | Colin Garrivan |
| Ger Ryan | Eileen McMahon |
| David Ganly | Aiden Kearsley |
| Gary Lewis | Pastor Ross |
| Rynagh O'Grady | Mrs. Mc Cllellan |
| Joe Hanley | Paul Fallon |
| Gavin O'Connor | John McCarthy |
| Charlene McKenna | Mary McMahon |
| Louise Lewis | Maureen Kearsley |
| Ned Dennehy | Garage Owner |
| Marie Mullen | Garage Owner's wife |
| Sean Stewart | Duncan McClennan |
| Eamonn Owens | Kurt |
| Agnès Merlet |
6.00 out of 10 (210 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Brilliant!
posted on 05 Jun 2009Just when you think you know what this movie is about it surprises you. It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Great script, spot on direction. Wonderful acting by all. Carice van Houten plays it just perfectly as the doctor. Jenn Murray, is simply brilliant with a performance which must be seen.It's hard to tell you what the story really is about without giving it away, but need to say it's a wonderful journey. From the setting on Hope this little film gets the distribution it deserves. It's just wonderful and I strongly recommend this movie.Hope it gets some distribution in the US, as I think there is an audience for it. Nice to see what can be made for under a million dollars, a good script and a talented director.
A superb little horror flick
posted on 20 May 2009This is one of those movies you may only first discover in the video store, as I did. So, I read the reviews and a bit of the plot on the DVD, and decided, "Why not?" It turned out to be quite a movie, filled with intriguing moments of mystery and surrealism. This ain't a predictable run-of-the-mill Dead Teenager Movie. This is a film about atmosphere and small chills.However, one thing that is predictable is that it uses a disturbed young girl as a main character. You know her name just by reading the title. But I didn't care about the cliché because the actress playing her gave a really believable performance. After Dorothy allegedly harms a baby she's babysitting, a psychiatrist named Jane goes to the island Dorothy lives on to examine her behaviour. Turns out Jane gets more than she bargained for. The community on the island is very secretive and strange, plus most of the folks don't take kindly to Jane's snooping.So, who is Dorothy? Is she demonically possessed, like in "The Exorcist"? If you can take a minor spoiler, she has a personality disorder. That's all I'll reveal. The rest is for you to discover. Jane is a likable person, and so is Dorothy, actually. She's not crazy by choice, if you can call her crazy. The two actresses work well, together, as the mystery in the film grows.The film gets its chills from what's shown on the screen, not from what's eventually (and I mean eventually) going to be shown, like a generic cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer from another movie. "Dorothy Mills" is smarter than that. There's a scene where a man sees a bunch of dead sheep. It's not revealed at first what he sees, but when we also see it after a few seconds, it's scary. We also ask, "What the hell is going on?"After the movie was over, I luckily wasn't left scratching my head about the main details; only a couple of the small ones, like the chase at the beginning, which causes Jane to crash her car into the water. I know it's related to the end, but... I dunno. Well, it's nothing to dwell over. "Dorothy Mills" is refreshing, intense, and well acted. One last thing I just have to note is the scene with an old creepy-looking lady playing her son's guitar. That alone is just pure awesomeness. She may be old, but she's young @ heart.
Great Idea badly Executed.
posted on 04 May 2009This is a great example of a movie with a strong idea that's poorly executed. What could have been an alternate take on themes comparable to "The Sixth Sense" the storyline instead tumbles into a hollow drama poorly disguised as a Psychological horror. On the plus side Jenn Murray as the disturbed "Dorothy" and Carice Van Houten as her Psychiatrist "Jane" play out their roles to near perfection. I'm from Ireland and I've been looking forward to this film for almost a year now but for me what let it down the most are its gaping plot holes. The most obvious one of these is the fact that the Islanders live in fear of Dorothy and at times she is seen as a freak. So why would you ask this troubled teen to Baby-sit your child knowing what she is capable of. This plot point is what takes Jane to the Island to begin with to investigate a report of child abuse and it's as if the writers failed to notice this weak link in the story. Another gripe of mine is how Ireland is portrayed. There are no Islands around the coast of Ireland where the locals dress like they are stuck in the 1940's or act like characters from "The Wicker Man". I found this to be thoroughly distracting and it certainly brought forth more than a few giggles from the audience I watched it with. It would have been creepier if the Islanders were played straight and saw nothing wrong with exploiting Dorothy for her strange "talent" and were willing to KILL anyone who tried to take her away from them. This would've put Jane in jeopardy and as a result created tension and suspense both of which it is totally lacking in. This is a movie that's more akin to "Agnes of God" than "The Exorcist" as it's been touted. If you enjoyed "Agnes of God" you will probably like this.
Tired and Trite Story only partially saved by Carice van Houten
posted on 02 May 2009There are two reasons to rent this DVD: Carice van Houten who is becoming one of the finest actresses on the screen today and the scenery of Ireland. Otherwise this tedious and silly 'thriller' is a tired unimaginative rehash of all of the previous movies about multiple personality disorders such as The Three Faces of Eve, Sybil, etc that are so superior to this story written by Juliette Sales and writer/director Agnès Merlet. Apparently hoping to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, director Merlet places her story on an Island off Ireland populated with a sick group of folks who protect the strange secrets of the title character Dorothy Mills (Jenn Murray). Needing to explore her own demons, a Dublin psychiatrist Dr Jane Van Dopp (van Houten) gains the assignment to explore the strange case of Mills and her history. In a series of flashbacks and inane reenactments of incidents, the truths behind the island's strange inhabitants, Dorothy Mills, and Dr Jane Van Doop come forward. The ending has a twist but not one that justifies the dull story that requires a large amount of patience on the part of the viewer. Pass on this one. Grady Harp
Overtly sentimental film which plays like an Irish version of "The Wicker Man".
posted on 17 Mar 2009A young girl Dorothy Mills was accused of trying to kill a baby that she was sitting for.Jane Morton is a psychiatrist who is sent to Dorothy's small Irish island.It is her job to try and understand what happened and to hopefully help Dorothy try and avoid a harsh punishment from the courts for what she had done.Is Dorothy suffering from multiple personality disorder or is she possessed by vengeful spirits?"Dorothy Mills" is highly derivative.It borrows several elements from Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man" and Herk Harvey's "Carnival of Souls".I must admit that the titular performance of Jenn Murray is extremely believable,unfortunately the film drags quite a bit during its middle section.Still it's worth checking out if you are into subtle ghost stories.The photography of Irish cliffs is stunning too.6 out of 10.
very nice movie.
posted on 25 Feb 2009a solid and fresh story with great actings especially the 2 main leads.2 surprising twists, one around the middle when you realize what is happening to dorothy and one in the end which explains it all, what makes it great is you do not see this coming, well at least i didn't.remember that crappy movie with nicolas cage about a crazed community on an island ? well this is not at all like that altho i thought it would be when i read the synopsis.so if you think you know the story because it involves a closed community living on an island with the main lead being an outsider, think again.there are many crappy movie in the genre, this is not one of them.as a bonus the psychiatrist is very easy on the eye ;)
Suitable for a rainy Sunday (warning:very slow pace)!
posted on 11 Feb 2009If you look at the cover you see the only reason to watch this movie. The actress who plays Dorothy is excellent. You would never guess that this is her debut. Carice van Houten was OK but I did expect much more from her. (One thing bothered me throughout the movie. Carice is Dutch and when she speaks Dutch you hear her accent. In the whole movie there is not one remark explaining why she has this accent. If the makers wanted to pull off in letting us believe that she is Irish than they failed. Maybe I am nitpicking but once you will hear her speak you will understand my point.) The premise that we are presented with is full of potential and could have really made this movie interesting. Sadly the makers have chosen for the easy way out. And their way has to be accepted. Since they made sure there is no other way to interpret it. The problem with the solution they chose for the movie is that they make you realize that this movie could have been much shorter and by that I mean much shorter (with a total runtime of 20 minutes). From the first big event happening to Jane(Carice) you can predict what is going on. Only the ending is somewhat surprising but almost has no impact since by then you will be bored to death. The ideas about possession or multiple personality disorder themselves were fitting to the story only somehow they never seem to match together. Another big complaint is the fact that there is not much happening in the movie. The events surrounding Dorothy are not impressive and only make sense because of the brilliant Jenn Murray. Is this movie not worth watching then? Well,the mystery itself and the acting (from Murray in particular)is pretty strong. Only the pay off is less satisfying. Suitable for a rainy Sunday.
What a surprise!
posted on 05 Dec 2008Jenn Murray - what a find!! I hope that we see more of her, because her acting in the role of Dorothy Mills (and the other "personalities" inside of her) is amazing. The packaging and description on the DVD is deceiving and stupid. This was nothing like The Exorcist. It was a gimmick to sell it to American audiences. I've found so many excellent British movies hiding behind horrible cover art, and it's frustrating. All ofthe actors are excellent in their roles. There were moments in the film that had a "Wicker Man" feel to it; remote island, eccentric and secretive townspeople. This is high quality film making. The director also did "Artemesia", another fine movie.
I think I found a new gem and its name is 'Dorothy Mills'
posted on 07 Nov 2008"Dorothy Mills" is one of those films that may not fit into the horror category, but it still contains enough elements to get the attention of horror lovers who want more than gore and a nice variety of scares. I admit that I also like those kinds of horror films, but I can also acknowledge and praise something a little bit more complex, less violent and more 'psychological', which is the case of this film. 'Dorothy Mills' certainly went beyond my expectations and I honestly don't understand why some people are complaining about the movie being 'too slow'. For the contrary, this film successfully manages to capture the attention during the first minutes, which is a crucial thing to do when you're telling a story. If you shock the audience enough during the first minutes and develop a well narrative line that gets more and more complex throughout the end, you're all set, and personally, I think Agnès Merlet and Juliette Sales achieved this perfectly.I don't know anything about Jenn Murray, the young actress who portrayed Dorothy Mills. I am not acquainted with her earlier work, but I don't need any information to state that she is definitely one of the most gifted actresses I have seen in a long time. The first time we see Jenn on screen, her character is doing something extremely violent, which provokes repulsion and hate towards her. However, only a few minutes later, Dorothy suddenly appears as a poor innocent child, which causes more sympathy than fear or rejection. Jenn Murray is obviously gifted enough to elaborate a complex character, who never ceases to amaze the audience with a variety of types of behavior through the entire film. Dorothy is a flawless character, not only thanks to Jenn Murray, obviously, but also because the writers did a marvelous job creating her. Judding this film by the cover, one would be inclined to assume that 'Dorothy Mills' is another movie about a bad little girl who kills people and gets away with it because nobody ever suspects of young innocent little girls. Well... this is really not the case. The cover is misleading and it makes it makes it look campy, when in reality, Dorothy is a much more complex character with a lot of things to express. Again, I have a special love for campy films as well, but I'm just stating a difference, in this case.I highly recommend this fine psychological thriller, with one of the most complex 'villains' I have seen in a while. If you're in the mood for a good thriller with some well done twists, give this movie a chance.
Probably the best of its kind
posted on 16 Oct 2008I really want to give this 8 stars out of 10 but I gave it 10/10 in hopes that it will bump up the rating.I love these kinds of movies, and this is probably the best one of its kind. I don't know what explains the mediocre rating on IMDb. If you are a fan of ghost stories, then run to the video store to rent this. You will see a film that will keep you guessing throughout. Just when you think you've got it figured, it will turn in a completely different direction, all the while maintaining a consistent story. I kept expecting that the story would make predictably disappointing turns, that would make me groan; but it didn't. And the ending... that really makes it.All this and Carice van Houten too... Plus the young actress who played Dorothy was amazing. I would recommend watching this just to see her performance.
very, very Irish
posted on 24 Sep 2008This film is carried on convincingly by Dutch actress Carice van Houten. She plays a psychiatrist who is sent to a remote island at the Atlantic coast of Ireland's province of Donegal.There she has to work her way in with a very closed, off-handed local community to help a young girl in trouble. This community definitively looks Protestant, and behaves in a Protestant way. The Republic of Ireland is known for her Roman Catholic faith.Apart from this, 'Dorothy Mills' makes a good watch. Those familiar with Ireland's west coast will warm up to this film's rich use of its scenery & spirits. The latter includes an extensive array of fairy tales, which connects well with 'Dorothy Mills' somewhat improbable plot. These spirits show themselves once again in this film's tragic end: Irish history is littered with tragedy.
What was this movie about?
posted on 19 Aug 2008I tried watching this with an open mind and really wanted to like it. Usually I enjoy complicated plots if they are well-done. This movie made very little sense. It's worse than Watchmen and that says a lot. If you watch this movie, don't take your eyes from the screen for a moment, keep a score sheet (like in baseball) to keep up with the characters and what they're doing, their relationships to each other, and the relevance of their individual plot threads. Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. My husband and I kept asking, "Who is that and why are they suddenly here?" The ending made a little bit more sense than the rest of the movie, but, as I said, you have to pay attention like you're studying for the SATs in order to keep up with this drek.
Great movie if you don't expect a pea soup vomiting demon
posted on 11 Aug 2008It bothers me when movies are mis-marketed. I understand why they do it but it's misleading and annoying. Many movies that don't quite fit a genre are shoehorned into one.As was the case with 'The Hole', 'Dorothy Mills' is more of a psychological thriller marketed as pure horror. The quote on the cover, "A contemporary take on the Exorcist", the tag line 'Evil chose her" and the typical horror imagery would have one renting this with hopes of hiding behind a cushion from a pea soup vomiting demon. Probably achieves more rentals/purchases but it also inevitably disappoints many, but not in my case.In reality this is not really about 'evil'. It's a chilling and intriguing tale that deals with the multiple personalities of a girl called Dorothy Mills and/or the dead speaking through her. Set in Ireland, Dublin based psychiatrist Jane Van Dopp travels to a small island where the troubled girl lives. Whilst working on the case she begins to suspect the multiple personalities are more than just figments of Dorothy's imagination.It's not entirely original but a very interesting plot regardless. The strongest aspect of the movie is Dorothy's various characters: the transformations being startling! Furthermore,Jenn Murray, the actress who plays them, is absolutely brilliant and it's difficult to believe this is her first role.I feel this movie is deserving of some decent exposure; I'm just not sure misleading marketing is the right way to go about it.
Clichéd and Pretentious
posted on 03 Aug 2008I decided to watch Dorothy Mills after going through a number of very positive reviews on IMDb, and I must say, ended up totally disappointed. The whole experience also goes to say a lot about IMDb ratings.What starts as a moody psychological/supernatural thriller quickly descends into clichés and predictability with a lot of atmospherics compensating for little or no story to tell. The principal character of a psychiatrist suffering from a personal loss is done to death and, Carice Van Houten, though undoubtedly very beautiful doesn't provide any depth to it. Jenn Murray (as Dorothy Mills) has obvious talent, as she switches effortlessly between the multiple characters, proving to be the only star of the show. The character of Dorothy Mills herself however is full of clichés. A multiple personality disorder patient, who also happens to be possessed, seems absurd and too convenient. The director also fails to handle the underlying suspense of the story relying on many unnecessary scenes like the car crash in the beginning to add to the suspense while in effect taking it away. The appearance of the three teenagers threatening the psychiatrist etc is similarly unnecessary and useless to the story (So, the spirits of three teenagers possess Dorothy and also manifest themselves on the roads etc and to the Carice Van Houten character? Get real!). The whole idea of the islanders hiding something is too obvious from the start and so is Dorothy's predicament after the scenes depicting her contacting spirits. After that the story follows a downhill course to a silly ending where the "sinners" (rapists and possible murderers) are "banished" from the island.Or maybe it is just a very mediocre Film with a bit of atmospherics etc for some entertainment value, the unusually high rating on IMDb though, only pumps up expectations which it certainly fails to meet.
Enjoyable!
posted on 24 Jul 2008Although writer/director Agnès Merlet resorted to too many clichés at times, Dorothy Mills does deserve credit for not taking the Hollywood road of botching the conclusion with special effects or nonsensical action scenes.The movie has a solid pacing and takes the time to acclimate us with its characters. Unfortunately, most of them are terribly uninteresting and look like they were inspired by similar movies.There are two glowing exceptions: psychiatrist Jane Van Dopp and our title character: the young and troubled Dorthy Mills. Dutch actress Carice Van Houten (The Black Book, Valkyrie) has a lot of presence on screen and manages to showcase all the emotions the doctor goes through, without overacting. The script still doesn't really do the actress justice but she does relatively well, despite not being completely at ease with English.Without a doubt the most pleasant surprise of the whole movie will be the performance of newcomer Jenn Murray as Dorothy. Knowing that this movie was small budget and comparing her performance with the rest of the cast, one can only be amazed by her raw talent and presence. The role of Dorothy is incredibly challenging and it would have been easy for the movie to become unintentionally funny had the actress playing Dorothy been only average. But on the contrary, Jenn Murray elevates the movie by at least a point or two.The story is slightly conventional. A nice twist at the end has a good effect to it but feels kind of forced. Some dramatic scenes barely work. More than anything else, the plot is almost ruined by not letting Dorothy be the sole vehicle of the strange happenings on the island. But this is still a cool mystery movie with an awesome performance by Murray, whom I look forward to seeing in many more films.
Interesting
posted on 10 Jul 2008A psychiatrist journeys to a desolate island in Ireland to investigate the attempted murder of a young infant. The perpetrator of the crime is a young girl who seems to be suffering from multiple personality disorder...or is she possessed by the spirits of the dead? This well made thriller confused and frustrated me at times; but when all was finally revealed in the last minutes, I was better able to appreciate it. It's well acted and directed, but it does take it's time getting to the final revelation.For those who like a good mystery with a bit of the supernatural thrown in and who don't mind a bit of a mind puzzler. Those expecting scares and gore should best stay away.
more movies like this please!!!
posted on 27 Jun 2009Sorry to disagree with some remarks of this movie being slow(?). I liked the pace of it and it gave you time to really understand the different characters and their secrets and lies. it added much needed depth to the story, something that is lacking in many Hollywood films.I found that the film was always interesting, mysterious and in some scenes quite chilling. It is, by far one of the most refreshing films of the year. The acting was superb. Another criticism that I found was uncalled for was the nit picking about the Dutch actress Carise's accent. Did you not notice her character's surname it's actually Dutch (Doh!)she is meant to have lived in Ireland for a while and therefore picked up the Irish accent I live in Glasgow,Scotland and in my city there are hundreds that have come to work in here from various cities of Europe and other parts of the world and there is one I know who is a German psychiatrist who has picked up a slight accent from staying here for a few years.If you want to nit pick what about big Terminator Arnie's accent - it never changed in all his movies, how do you explain a German accented robot from the future?... Given that Carise's first language is Dutch I really admired that she managed to get the accent at all.