the cliche-resistant screenplay by Luke Davies and David Regal and the understated direction by Kim Farrant lead you into elements of surprise you do not anticipate as the film detours into a shock ending that will leave you wide-eyed with awe
the Australian adaptation is not quite a success, nor fully a failure. Some of its weaknesses come from the original; it's a tense, handsomely mounted, somewhat creepy film about maternal instincts and "a woman's intuition"
good performances can't rescue this plodding suspenser; it mainly comes across with a numbing predictability that extends even to its attemptedly shocking late-act plot revelation
a terrific cast and a rich sense of atmosphere do a lot to keep the Australian drama "Angel of Mine" suspenseful, even when the plot's barely developing; from moment to moment, the filmmakers do generate some effective tension
a standout performance from Noomi Rapace as a mother looking for her dead daughter lifts a psychological thriller that otherwise strains credulity; As her acting gets more intense, Rapace seems to lift everybody's game
by Rex Reed [The Observer ]
