PAPERHOUSE

I was drawn to Paperhouse because of it's director, Bernard Rose. I've liked his work over the years (Candyman, Immortal Beloved, Mr Nice) and was keen to find some of his early stuff. Paperhouse was his third film and as soon as I read the synopsis I had to buy it. How this movie eluded me all these years is beyond me. It tells the story of an 11 year old girl, Anna, who is struck down with glandular fever and suffers frequent black-outs. In her boredom she takes to drawing... her first picture is a house. During her black-outs she finds herself inside her own drawing where she meets a lonely boy. She had drawn him in the top window and forgot to give him legs. She soon realises that she can control this world by adding to her picture in her waking hours. At first fun, her fantasy takes a sinister turn when her alcoholic father finds his way into the drawing... his eyes are removed and he wields a hammer and he's hellbent on bashing Anna. If I had discovered this film when I was a kid it would have scared the living shit out of me. The imagery is great and Bernard Rose establishes himself as a serious director. Its a film that needs to be scratched below the surface and I suspect repeat viewings will reveal less obvious subtexts and parallels. While suitable for children (10+) Paperhouse offers a twisted psychological horror that will frighten the pants off the young'uns. Comparable titles are Mirrormask and The Fall. I'm glad I stumbled upon this one... better late than never.

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