6 Souls

6 Souls

Starring Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Conroy

Directed by Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein

Cara Harding (Julianne Moore) is a doctor who's out to debunk the myth of multiple personality disorder, believing it to be a nonsensical hoax.  She's managed to convince the police to put a man to death who tried to use that defense, and her father, Dr. Harding (Jeffrey DeMunn) has a new challenge for her.

Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) was found on the street and admitted to the hospital due to possible multiple personality disorder.  He turns into a man named David, but not only by voice, but his whole body undergoes a change, confining him to a wheelchair.  Cara feels this is just another hoax, and goes out to investigate the real David.  She discovers he was murdered in the 80s after being confined to a wheelchair, and brings his mother (Frances Conroy) in to talk to Adam, who turns to David, and talks about things that only David would know.

Cara still feels Adam is faking it, even when he takes on another persona, that of Wes, a rocker who supposedly committed suicide in the early 90s.  Meanwhile, a strange sickness is infecting Cara's family, which causes her to abandon her doubt and search for a real answer, before it consumes her family completely.

I really enjoyed this film, mostly because of Julianne Moore, who I feel is one of the best actresses out there.  She even made me enjoy "The Forgotten," which, if done by pretty much anyone else, I would've hated.  She has a presence on screen that's really hard to deny, especially since she's been nominated for an Oscar an impressive four times.

The story is compelling as well.  Is Adam faking his multiple personalities?  Are they really personalities, or, as it may seem, souls of dead people trapped in his body?  The answers lead to a holler in the middle of the mountains, a history of mountain voodoo and the battle between faith and science. 

This is a great film because it's multi-layered, tackling several issues and, at a time of almost two hours, I wasn't bored for a moment.  That, in itself, is a feat.

My Rating: A-