Leighton Meester, left, and Minka Kelly star in The Roommate.
Leighton Meester, left, and Minka Kelly star in The Roommate.
Leighton Meester, left, and Minka Kelly star in The Roommate.
Leighton Meester, left, and Minka Kelly star in The Roommate.

The Roommate

This horror-thriller has a turgid and preposterous plot and it deals with serious issues in an uncomfortable way.

James Luxford

March 31, 2011

  • English
  • Arabic

The Roommate
Director: Christian E Christiansen
Starring: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester
*

Set in the party-driven societies of American academia, the horror-thriller The Roommate is the story of Sara (Kelly), a freshman arriving at her new college. She becomes close with roommate Rebecca (Meester) but begins to see all the people causing her sadness in her life (an amorous professor, her ex-boyfriend) suddenly coming to harm, and it soon becomes clear that Rebecca is obsessed with her new friend. The Roommate is a poorly made film that never piques your interest enough to be concerned about the characters' welfare. Kelly and Meester do their best with what they have, but a turgid, preposterous plot holds them back. In particular, playing with serious issues such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (to explain Rebecca's obsessions) feels uncomfortable, and the various ways in which Rebecca attempts to keep Sara from leaving are at times laughable. The older members of the cast are also a let down, particularly Billy Zane in a horrific turn as Sara's sleazy professor. The director Christiansen is found wanting when given a bigger canvas to work with, as the direction of the film is fraught with problems, and one feels that the promising young cast deserved better than this.

Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis
The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

On Women's Day
While you're here
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Transgender report
Tomorrow 2021
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
While you're here
While you're here
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Towering concerns
Whiile you're here
Zayed Sustainability Prize
While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
On Women's Day
While you're here
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Last 10 NBA champions

2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

More from Firas Maksad
On Women's Day
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
Plastic tipping points
While you're here
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

More on this story
Tomorrow 2021
Film reviewsArtFilm