Puffball: The Devil's Eyeball (2007)

Powerful supernatural forces are unleashed when a young architect (Kelly Reilly) becomes pregnant after moving to an isolated and mysterious valley to build a house. And when the ... See full summary »

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Dan Weldon, Fay Weldon (novel)

Stars:

Kelly Reilly, Miranda Richardson, Rita Tushingham

Cast

Credited cast:
Kelly Reilly	...	Liffey
Miranda Richardson	...	Mabs Tucker
Rita Tushingham	...	Molly
Oscar Pearce	...	Richard
William Houston	...	Tucker
Donald Sutherland	...	Lars
Leona Igoe	...	Audrey
Tina Kellegher	...	Carol
Pat Deery	...	Dr.Holmes
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Byatt	...	Polish Laborour
Caoimhe Gilsenan	...	Becky
Laoise Gilsenan	...	Juliet
Elaine Gormley	...	Nurse
Julie Kinsella	...	Radiologist
Suzanne McAuley	...	Radiologist

Storyline

Powerful supernatural forces are unleashed when a young architect (Kelly Reilly) becomes pregnant after moving to an isolated and mysterious valley to build a house. And when the neighbouring farmers take against the unborn child, it's her very survival that is threatened.

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Plot Keywords:

bare breasts | witchcraft | based on novel | infidelity | black magic | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some violent/bloody images

Details

Country:

UK Ireland Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 October 2007 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Puffball: The Devil's Eyeball

Filming Locations:

Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP2,600,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,844

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amérique Film, Dan Films, Grand Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicolas Roeg's last film.

User Reviews

Flawed, but intriguing

I wanted to write a review of "Puffball" when I saw the rather negative post that rated it 1/10. While I understand that some might see this film as a disappointment, I didn't want other moviegoers to dismiss Nic Roeg's latest right away.

Set in the Irish countryside, "Puffball" tells the story of Liffey (Kelly Reilly), a young architect who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant while renovating a rundown cottage. Her new neighbor Mabs (Miranda Richardson) has three daughters already, but is desperate for a son. Convinced that Liffey has "stolen" the baby, Mabs' mother Molly (Rita Tushingham) resorts to witchcraft to put Liffey and her fetus in peril. Though quite bizarre, "Puffball" still manages to teach the audience about relationships, motherhood and family.

Another user described "Puffball" as a mess. Though I clearly enjoyed the film more than they did, I understand, to a certain extent, what they meant. When watching the film, I got the distinct impression that beneath what I was seeing, a better film was struggling to get noticed. For this, I think the blame lies mostly the editor (who seems to have an unhealthy fondness for fade outs) and the numerous composers (who clearly weren't working together), because the images are lovely, the film is very well shot, the performances (particularly Reilly's as Liffey) are strong and the story is compelling. The script shows a few weaknesses (the point the other reviewer made about Odin's standing stone is a fair one), but all in all demonstrates a fascinating interpretation of Fay Weldon's novel. Of course, fans of Fay Weldon's "Puffball" may very well be confused by her son's adaptation (the novel and the script hardly resemble one another), but I think anyone with an open mind will find something to appreciate in this film.