Presence

Callina Liang

Steven Soderberg's Presence is an effective, if minor key ghost story. A family of four moves into a gorgeous Craftsman home, but are soon beset by a supernatural events. The film is told from the point of view of the benevolent specter. This gambit by screenwriter David Koepp synchs up nicely with Soderbergh who almost always employs an objective POV. I suppose ghosts could have a subjective reality, if they existed, but the one in Presence does not present one. Regardless of the ghost, Koepp presents a rather melancholic view of the American bourgeoisie which Soderberg amplifies by stressing the distance between his players. Each four of the family members has something gnawing at them that prevents them from enjoying what most people on the planet would consider an enviable lifestyle. They register as types, but the excellent performances by the foursome elevate them into flesh and blood. The villain of the piece has a rather overwrought monologue in which Koepp over explains his motivations, but this is, fortunately, not dwelled on. Instead, the film segues into a fitting climax than combines time present, time past, and time future.