Alone With Her [2007] [DVD]

`Alone with her' is a low budget thriller, however you never really notice the low budget as the money has been used well. The plot surrounds a guy obsessed with a girl with whom he randomly picks out at the local park, forging a relationship that is doomed from the start.

Played by Colin Hanks, the role of `Doug' is the awkward geeky guy with low self-esteem. Mr Hanks is very good at playing this type of character, and whilst he is still overshadowed by his father (Tom), I can see him slowly playing bigger and better roles in the future. The object of his obsession is Amy (played by Ana Claudia Talancon), and as the extras on the DVD admit, director Eric Nicholas originally wanted an All-American Girl, and this would have made the movie more clichéd. Having the Latino Ana gave the character a little more substance.

The film is played out through camcorders and spy cameras set up by voyeur Doug, and this will be something that may put a lot of people off, however whilst other movies have that jittering and jerky camcorder feel, this one for the most part doesn't. Also the quality of the picture is great too, even in the black and white, and night-vision modes. Because of the number of `well positioned' hidden cameras, the views are not much different from a `regular' movie.

The movie as a whole moves along at a moderate pace, and there are few high tension parts that Hitchcock would've insisted on, however I still felt entertained and enjoyed the movie. The story is plausible for the whole part, and any tension or scary parts lie in the reality of it all as opposed to the lack of blood and guts. This is not a teen slasher movie. I can only assume that the folks that gave this one star prefer high-octane action, blood and guts or a more clichéd approach to film making.

This is definitely worth watching.

The film starts a little slowly but gathers momentum fairly quickly. It is actually very good. Seems like quite a realistic chain of events for such an obsessed stalker. Highly recommended!

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS:I think too many reviewers were expecting too much from Mr.Hanks Jr. and maybe were a little disappointed with what they got although I personally thought this wasn't a bad little film that grew on you the further you went? Doug (Hanks)a young student is a sociopath, awkward with the female sex and undoubtedly sexually frustrated sees other guys of his age talking to girls and charming them and generally getting on with them OK but he is unfortunately seemingly untried, untested in the ways of women and finds it "difficult" to make even the most innocent conversation with them.
He does however see one young student who he feels rather attached to using the local coffee shop and decides to make some effort to get to know a bit more about her so at the first opportunity he breaks into her small flat and sets-up several cameras in different places with microphones so he can listen in to her conversations and watch her every move and most intimate moments.When he next sees her in the coffee shop he has an opening gambit to spin her about liking a certain type of music or film or group or book and things go from there.
It all leads onto more serious stuff with Hanks quickly becoming obsessed with the girl, Amy but SHE doesn't feel THAT way about HIM so now what CAN or WILL he do?
Ana Claudia Talancon stars as Amy.