"The Presence" was somewhat of an uneventful and uninspiring movie. It had potential, and I was expecting more of a horror movie. But it turned out to be some kind of sappy story with some apparitions thrown into the storyline.

Now, had the movie left out the ghosts and just dealt with the "demons" that were tormenting the woman (played by Mira Sorvino) it would have come off as a much better movie. Just sticking to dealing with the theme of a woman tormented by her father's abuse and trying to escape the past by going into solitude would have made for a much nicer story. I, personally, didn't get the whole idea with the ghosts. Why were the "good" ghost and the "bad" ghosts there? It was serving no major purpose. And then suddenly there was this "redeeming" ghost appearing (Deobai Oparei) like some savior or saint? No, no, no... I just didn't work.

However, what was working for the movie was the scenery and sets. Being set in an isolated area with lots of great nature is always nice. And the touch with no electricity in the place worked nicely as well.

The movie was slow in getting to the point, and it was slowly building up suspense, but it never really climaxed. And when the movie was over, I was left with a "was that really it?" feeling. The movie had potential to be much more than it turned out to be. But hey, I am not the one who wrote it, I just watched it. And having sat through it till the very end, I can honestly say that "The Presence" is a ghost movie that will fade into oblivion without leaving any lasting impression.

Despite having a relatively small list of actors and actresses, the people in the movie were doing a good enough job. It was nice to see Sorvino in a movie like this, but at times it felt like she wasn't giving the performance all 100% of her focus. And Shane West, as the ghost, was doing a good job, especially because he wasn't saying anything, so it was all just body-acting and mimicking.

If you are looking for a horror movie, then you are going to be disappointed with "The Presence". If you are looking for something in a drama/supernatural category, then you might like this movie. I was disappointed with the outcome of the movie, and I can honestly say that this is a movie that I will never be returning to again.

I am rating the movie a low 4 because it failed to impress me and failed to really entertain me. What is keeping the rating 'up' on my behalf is the tormented past-theme that is in the movie, just a shame that it wasn't the focus part of the storyline.

A woman goes to the remote cabin she knew as a child, The cabin has a 'Presence' who just stands around with an expression on his face that suggests he has severe constipation. The woman's boyfriend turns up. An evil "Presence" turns up and tries to be threatening but fails. Later on an angelic 'Presence' turns up. It is basically a slow and rather dull ghost story that doesn't make much sense. Nothing is ever explained. (the suicidal birds for one thing) and it is sad to see the movie relying on the hackneyed use of doors banging to try and give a scare. The music score is over emphatic to a ridiculous degree.

Slightly redeeming the film are the pretty cinematography and Mira Sorvino, though even a gifted actor like her can't overcome the poor scripting.

Truthfully, I was not sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this. Opinion about the story appears diverse, love or hate, not middle ground. I think that in itself is a mark of a great movie, no tepid feelings, just love it or hate it.

And this is a great movie. I loved it. Breath-takingly beautiful, the stunning scenery is a character itself. Calm, serene, yet curiously menacing.

The ghost story is genuinely unnerving. His silent presence at first seems benign, harmless, as though he were part of the furniture. I love the opening scenes as we examine his world, moving through every room in the tiny cottage. You get a sense of the smallness and lack of space. The appearance of the woman into this inner desert suddenly feels like over-crowding. She displaces him, he watches her… Tiny clues to his nature and her nature, the emotions subtly begin to shift. His silent anger as she communicates with the outside world. The arrival of the boyfriend, and the ghost is displaced again, the tension slowly escalates.

Tom Provost has written and directed a truly unnerving tale, dark, slightly sinister. Be clear on this, if you like your ghost stories high octane, with an unfeasible body count and everything spelled out for you in blood-stained black and white, this film is not for you. If on the other hand you like your ghost tales to be achingly beautiful and vaguely reminiscent of Japanese cinema, while embracing the spirit that is truly American, you could do a great deal worse than to give this a try.