Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Don't like scary movies? The toast of the Tribeca Film Festival is much more atmospheric drama than ghost story, though the few wraiths who appear momentarily do make you jump. Prolific Irish actor Ciaran Hinds shucks off his baddie typecasting to play withdrawn widower Michael. Struggling to cope with two kids and ghostly nightmares, he chaperones supernatural author Lena (Iben Hjejle) at the Cobh Literary Festival. But he won't get a word in if best-selling hack Nicholas (Aidan Quinn), an unlikeable narcissist, gets her back into bed. Though the pace is slow and the ending a little abrupt, The Eclipse is all about posing rather than answering questions. A slight, nuanced, beautifully-acted exploration of love, grief, fear and moving forward.
Rated M: 84 minutes.
