IS there life after death? Do ghosts exist, or are they a figment of our imagination? Will Kevin Costner ever make a decent film again?
Such life-altering questions haunt Dragonfly (12), a pedestrian thriller which jumps on the supernatural bandwagon.
Costner stars as the head of a Chicago hospital A&E department, Dr Joe Darrow, who is devastated by the death of his wife Emily (Thompson) during a Red Cross mission to Venezuela.
Consumed with grief and regret, Joe struggles to cope, taking out his frustrations on his patients and colleagues.
During a visit to the children's cancer ward where his wife worked, Joe is stunned when one young boy reports a bizarre near-death experience involving Emily.
He's shocked to learn of other children claiming to have had similar visions, all involving Emily and a strange cross-like symbol. Director Tom Shadyac fails to generate any tension, despite a serpentine plot and a feisty supporting turn from Kathy Bates as Joe's caring neighbour.
Costner is practically comatose you'd never know his character was supposed to be overwhelmed with grief. The plot is pure hokum, right down to Linda Hunt's supernaturally tuned nun and the surprise final twist is a dead giveaway.
Rating: 4 out of 10
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