I have watched this film twice now... Upon my initial viewing, I did have similar reactions to many of the previous posts: poor acting, ridiculous dialogue, poor production and continuity and sound... BUT, something seemed to congeal with the twist at the end and It left an impression.
Upon reviewing, it seems apparent to me that the ENTIRE story is all a manifestation playing out in the Grandfather's head as the girls "entertain themselves" by utilizing their "special abilities" to torment him. To me, this explains the bad acting AND dialogue; as well as, inconsistencies with the production. The whole story, including the baby sitter and the burglars, are manifestations created as characters to entertain the twins to mess with their invalid Grandfather while they are supposed to be "taking care of him". Think about it... the characters are ALL stereotypes with annoying repetitive cliched "tween" dialogue thrown in... all created by the twins.
With this perspective, everything made sense and the true brilliance of the work became apparent. I once heard a theory that the old sitcom "Green Acres" was supposed to be a dream and that the main character had hit his head while working in the city. When he woke up, he was on a farm with his city sensibilities in a rural context. This "explained" some of the ethereal aspects like a talking pig and a phone located on top of a phone pole. My interpretation is that Somnium is in the same vein... A dream/manifestation of a world created by the twins and their sensibilities for their own amusement/evil pleasure.
The bad acting and dialogue can be seen as a condition manifested in the dream state of the twins. It is evident, that everything is different in reality as the film ends and we realize grandpa is a stroke victim and the characters take on a "British accent". The acting at this point becomes much more emotive and the dialogue becomes relevant and in context. Hence, the bad acting, dialogue and production ALL reinforce a dream condition directed and scripted by young girls, which all changes abruptly when their auntie comes home at the end and the girls promise their Grandfather another "adventurous journey" tomorrow.
Watch the film again, with this perspective, and the "genius' of the work will be evident. The actors that you thought were bad, will now seem skilled in their craft in order to dumb down their portrayals and delivery of the ridiculous repetitive dialogue. The producer/director will seem genius in his use of budget, film, and craft in the unveiling of this disturbing story.
I may be giving this film too much credit and my perspective may be off; however, it is the only explanation that makes sense in this story... other than pure amateurism, with a heavy dose of conviction and vision.
Upon reviewing, it seems apparent to me that the ENTIRE story is all a manifestation playing out in the Grandfather's head as the girls "entertain themselves" by utilizing their "special abilities" to torment him. To me, this explains the bad acting AND dialogue; as well as, inconsistencies with the production. The whole story, including the baby sitter and the burglars, are manifestations created as characters to entertain the twins to mess with their invalid Grandfather while they are supposed to be "taking care of him". Think about it... the characters are ALL stereotypes with annoying repetitive cliched "tween" dialogue thrown in... all created by the twins.
With this perspective, everything made sense and the true brilliance of the work became apparent. I once heard a theory that the old sitcom "Green Acres" was supposed to be a dream and that the main character had hit his head while working in the city. When he woke up, he was on a farm with his city sensibilities in a rural context. This "explained" some of the ethereal aspects like a talking pig and a phone located on top of a phone pole. My interpretation is that Somnium is in the same vein... A dream/manifestation of a world created by the twins and their sensibilities for their own amusement/evil pleasure.
The bad acting and dialogue can be seen as a condition manifested in the dream state of the twins. It is evident, that everything is different in reality as the film ends and we realize grandpa is a stroke victim and the characters take on a "British accent". The acting at this point becomes much more emotive and the dialogue becomes relevant and in context. Hence, the bad acting, dialogue and production ALL reinforce a dream condition directed and scripted by young girls, which all changes abruptly when their auntie comes home at the end and the girls promise their Grandfather another "adventurous journey" tomorrow.
Watch the film again, with this perspective, and the "genius' of the work will be evident. The actors that you thought were bad, will now seem skilled in their craft in order to dumb down their portrayals and delivery of the ridiculous repetitive dialogue. The producer/director will seem genius in his use of budget, film, and craft in the unveiling of this disturbing story.
I may be giving this film too much credit and my perspective may be off; however, it is the only explanation that makes sense in this story... other than pure amateurism, with a heavy dose of conviction and vision.