Tag: suspense

The Woman in the Window (2021)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

I don’t know how director Joe Wright did it, but “The Woman in the Window” managed to grab my attention and get me on its side, as well as piss me right the hell off almost simultaneously. Maybe it’s that the source material is one of those low-commitment beach books that’s pure pulp trash from beginning to end while the movie adaptation is filled with A-list talent, giving it a veneer of respectability that it doesn’t earn (to say the least). It’s like jamming a Hitchcock movie (specifically “Rear Window”), the severely underrated serial-killer thriller “Copycat” and the little-seen-but-awesomely-campy Juliette Lewis vehicle “The 4th Floor” all together, and hoping something worth watching comes out. The answer? Both a resounding ‘yes’ and a staggering ‘no,’ sometimes happening simultaneously on the screen, like the movie’s pieces are patch-worked together into something approximating a coherent movie, while it aggressively unleashes numerous twists that force us to constantly re-assess the plot and take us out of the experience. The amount of twists actually gets to be rather ludicrous, like one of M. Night Shyamalan’s amateurish, creatively bankrupt exercises in audience manipulation that serve no purpose other than to flummox their audience, and by the time the climax rolls around I had completely stopped caring… yet the more I thought about it once it was over, the dumber it got. But I won’t lie, it’s a compellingly stupid movie: It’s so patchy, so dishonest with its audience, and so wasteful of its mega-talented cast that you actually kind of have to respect how ballsy it is to try to pass itself off as prestige cinema when its plot is about as ludicrous and laughable as 1994’s monumentally stupid “Color of Night.” So, come for the cast but stay for their embarrassing slumming, if you’re into that.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Body Double (1984)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Watching “Body Double,” I finally understood why so many cinephiles see Brian de Palma as a sleazy, exploitative Hitchcock copycat. Me, I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time, and while I’ll confess I often get tired of the never-ending Hitchcock references, I’ve always found his work so distinct and striking, so technically precise and emotionally intense that it’s unmistakably inspired, but here… wow. This is pure trash from beginning to end, and the only parts that work are some of those aforementioned, predictable Hitchcockian references. The problem begins with the casting of Craig Wasson in the lead: The dude is just not leading man material. He’s fine in a supporting cast but as a protagonist, he’s a bore. Once the movie is over, his casting and performance make more sense, but it’s a bitch to sit through an entire movie to find out why the lead is well-cast, you know? Then there’s the aggressive, boring sexuality, which is so persistent that it gets repetitive and you can’t help but groan whenever someone’s top drops (and if you’re not into very thin white women, then you’re out of luck) – you almost can’t help but wonder what kind of set this must have been for the female performers… and that’s not really something you want to be wondering about when you’re watching something meant to be sexy. Then, there’s the slow-as-molasses pace, which mistakes plodding, languishing shots for mounting suspense when all they manage to do is elicit frustrated groans and intermittent mind-wandering. But ultimately, it’s the ending that just kills the whole thing: It’s the worst kind of deus ex machina because it undermines every single thing you’ve seen before and wraps up things with a pat, dismissive wave of the hand, like you’re an idiot for expecting a resolution and a conclusion. This is… not good.

Rating: ★★ (out of 5)

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

“Jacob’s Ladder” is one of those acclaimed movies that I somehow managed to avoid for some reason. Maybe it’s the portentous trailer, or the unclear nature of the storyline that never caught my attention, but I decided to casually watch it over the weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. Viewed through a modern lens, it often recalls the structure of “The Sixth Sense” or “Carnival of Souls” in order to heighten its core mystery, which leads to a series of genuinely frightening, striking images throughout the narrative (like the underground subway apparitions, and some downright Cronenberg-esque creature-effects that are just as disorienting and grotesque as “Videodrome” and “Naked Lunch”). Tim Robbins is well-cast as Jacob, a hyper-intelligent military veteran who has consciously settled into an unchallenging profession following wartime trauma suddenly finding himself followed by apparitions and haunted by dreams and hallucinations, and Elizabeth Peña is totally believable as his hot-headed, dedicated girlfriend who may not be all that she appears. Adrian Lyne’s directorial style approaches an MTV-level music-video aesthetic that’s surprisingly compelling, because it gives the narrative a fluidity that’s occasionally interrupted by the aforementioned glimpses of apparitions, which heightens the emotional impact that Jacob is experiencing. Ultimately I would say “Jacob’s Ladder” is a tad overrated, perhaps having to do with the passage of time, but it’s still a solid, worthwhile thriller with plenty to say about the American government’s disdainful, cruel hostility towards its own military.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Blow Out (1981)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

“Blow Out” is equal parts a compelling, distinctly Hitchockian thriller, as well as a regrettably dated artifact of its more naïve era. Its central story is downright fascinating, following John Travolta’s sound engineer, who, specializing in horror movies, accidentally records a political assassination one night while capturing nighttime sounds for his current project. For the first hour or so, it’s almost a perfect thriller: Travolta is at the peak of his movie-star charisma, while director Brian De Palma’s unmistakable style is one display throughout, from the striking score to operatic, over-the-top violence that makes art out of suffering, not to mention a general anything-could-happen vibe that makes it a gripping watch. However, in the second half it starts to spin its wheels and falls apart: The storyline is gradually revealed to be rather simplistic in nature, and unfortunately everything becomes predictable to the point that I felt my interest dip dramatically. So, maybe if I were still more idealistic I may have been rocked by the implications of the movie’s plot, but after the last years of flagrant political corruption around the world it’s hard to be particularly surprised by the movie’s resolution. So that’s when an extraordinarily well-made movie like this ends up suffering from the passing of time, because modern audiences are jaded, so the “!!!” momentum that the movie strives for ends up diluted and toothless. So, this one of those movies that I appreciate from a moviemaking perspective but its resolution is too predictable and underwhelming to allow for an immersive experience.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Shutter Island (2010)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

When “Shutter Island” was first released, I found it off-putting and phony through and through. I’m not really sure what other movie I may have watched that time, because this time, I found myself completely immersed and fascinated by it. Maybe it helps to know the ending beforehand, and perhaps “Shutter Island” is one of those movies that actually needs a second watch in order to truly land and register, not unlike “The Usual Suspects” or “Fight Club,” for example. As a matter of fact, while going over the movie’s events in my head this time and assembling them in a complete puzzle, realizing that it pretty much all comes together in the end was a genuine thrill. There’s also the movie’s look and feel: Martin Scorsese manages to make the island itself feel like a menacing presence the minute the movie begins, which is exacerbated by poor weather and an ominous score, and the whole movie just looks absolutely amazing, like something out of a ’40s Jacques Tourneur horror movie. But what seals the deal and makes the movie work as well as it does is the acting: This is really a showcase for top-tier talent all around with knockout performances by everyone, in particular Patricia Clarkson *who shines in a one-scene appearance) and leading man Leonardo DiCaprio; in my opinion this is some of his best work ever, and he’s instrumental in making the movie click.

Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)

Hideaway (1995)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

It’s hard to understand how a studio movie with so much going for it could end up being such an incompetent mess. It has the benefit of a strong source novel by the reliable Dean Koontz, the cast includes Jeff Goldblum, Christine Lahti and a-then red hot Alicia Silverstone in crucial roles, along with a fascinating storyline involving nightmares, shared identities and the ultimate battle between good and evil at its heart. But somehow, it all boils down to an overlong, poorly shot climax set in a budget set straight out of YTV’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark,” with the same caliber of special effects to boot. Goldblum spends the movie sleepwalking in a hyperkinetic, mumbling performance that’s bottom-shelf Goldblum at best, while poor Lahti is forced to play the always-hysterical shrew… even though she’s, you know, always right, and the whole movie would be over if her husband would just listen to her. Silverstone doesn’t fare much better in a nothing-burger of a role that requires nothing of her other than pouting, while Jeremy Sisto plays the main villain like he’s auditioning to play Stephen King’s Gunslinger in a local theater production. It’s all just so pointless and not worth the film it was shot on.

Rating: ★ (out of 5)

Apartment Zero (1988)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Few movies are as close to perfection as “Apartment Zero.” From the first few frames, it’s clear we’re in for something special: The city of Buenos Aires is gorgeously captured by Martin Donovan’s love-ridden camera, which gives the city a surreal, dreamlike quality that positively envelops its audience and cajoles them into its enigmatic narrative. Ostensibly about the lethal friendship between Colin Firth’s curious, potentially unstable cinema owner and his mysterious new American roommate Hart Bochner, the movie’s first half really could pass for a romantic drama, with the two sharing an unmissable homoerotic spark that’s buoyed by the chemistry among the two performers. Then, the second half takes an ominous turn as the plot thickens, with the intermingling of political and social upheaval gradually encroaching on their intimacy just as a serial killer seems to be getting closer to them. The tone then trades the dreamy romanticism of “Cinema Paradiso” for the paranoia of “The Tenant” and “Psycho,” and the whole thing unfurls like a carefully constructed work of cinematic architecture. Bet you can’t just watch it just once!

Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)

Outbreak (1995)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

It’s hard to know what to make of Wolfgang Petersen’s “Outbreak.” If Petersen simply focused on telling a straightforward story about the outbreak of a pandemic and its impact on society’s infrastructure, he would have scored: He’s got a terrific cast, a striking and memorable score, and as he demonstrated in “Das Boot,” he can extract a great deal of suspense from these sort of narrow, urgent narratives and tighten the screws on his audience. But watching the movie, you get the impression that a terrific idea for a serious, sober movie somehow became a veritable parade of uber-Americana bullshit, and no one embodies that better than Dustin Hoffman: I guess he’s supposed to be the anti-authority Everyman fighting the good fight on behalf of the average American here, but Hoffman is completely miscast. Instead of noble, Hoffman’s performance hits all the wrong notes, coming off childish and narcissistic instead of heroic, while he goes around berating everyone around him. He’s tiresome to watch, which is a damn shame because co-star Rene Russo is way more interesting and likable, yet she’s relegated to playing second fiddle to Hoffman’s histrionics. By the time the movie reaches its climax, it’s got a cornucopia of American clichés co-existing on screen including a global pandemic, a love story, a helicopter chase, an evil military plot, bla bla bla you get the idea: There’s too much going on, like no one involved in the development of the movie could agree on what the narrative’s biggest threat could be. So while “Outbreak” has some structural strengths via Petersen’s technical prowess, it’s an unfocused mess of half-baked ideas growing out of a petri dish of lazy, workmanlike studio filmmaking-by-committee that’s adequate and passable at best.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

The Temp (1993)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

I don’t know if there’s much of an online fan community for 1993’s campy “The Temp,” but I’ll be the first to throw my hat in the ring as the leader of the cult reappropriation of this so-bad-it’s-good disaster of a thriller. Make no mistake: This is garbage, but it’s fun garbage. First off, Timothy Hutton is not exactly the most likable actor around so, putting him in a sympathetic lead role isn’t exactly a stroke of genius – he’s untrustworthy, sketchy and on the sleazy side (not to mention a neglectful father and psychologically abusive husband), so the audience is never on his side at any time. Lara Flynn Boyle is also woefully miscast as the kind of gorgeous woman who stops men dead in their tracks: It reflects poorly on Boyle that her character is discussed in terms that don’t really match up with what we’re seeing onscreen because, despite her tiny frame, she’s made to look frumpy by a costume designer who apparently had a score to settle with her, and she’s not helped by a laughably cheap wig. It’s also hilarious to watch the terrific supporting cast slumming it, like a cartoonishly over-the-top Faye Dunaway approaching her character like she’s in a sequel to “Mommie Dearest,” not to mention an unpleasantly viscous Oliver Platt, who plays his character like he’s a Disney villain instead of a minor corporate stooge. That’s a big part of the problem here: There are no likable characters so there’s no one to root for. As a matter of fact, in the end I found myself rooting for Boyle’s character to triumph mostly since everyone else just sucks, and it’s a bad sign when your audience starts rooting for the villain. But I have to be honest: The movie is so poorly designed, so misguided and inconsistent that you can’t help but stare in wonderment that someone even made it in the first place. The suspense scenes veer wildly from tame to hardcore but often don’t seem connected to the story or its characters (for instance, Hutton’s assistant Lance gets his hand mangled in a shredder… but it’s a straight up accident caused by his own incompetence, so why is this Boyle’s fault?), so it’s the kind of bad movie that’s fun to rip into with some smart-mouthed friends because it veers wildly off-course so often. So grab a few smart-mouthed friends, crack open a beer and you’re gonna have a great time ripping this one to shreds, trust me. It’s a gift from the bad movie gods.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

The Crush (1993)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

It’s honestly, genuinely shocking that “The Crush” even exists. Sure, the story is fairly rote in a “Lolita”-inspired “Fatal Attraction” way, digging its heels into various misogynistic tropes of women as inherently untrustworthy and manipulative, which is fairly expected from a ’90s erotic thriller (like “Never Talk to Strangers” or “The Temp” or “Mother’s Boys,” etc). However, where this one goes totally awry is the age of Alicia Silverstone’s villainous character: She’s 14 years old, and director Alan Shapiro apparently couldn’t film even a minute’s worth of footage without sexualizing her in the most egregious, unpleasant and over-the-top ways. It’s downright shocking how casually Silverstone is presented as a sexual being when the character is so young, but what makes it all the more jarring is that the movie is firmly against her: You’re supposed to hate her but also want to [REDACTED] her so bad you can barely take it, and it’s all her fault. It’s icky as all hell, to the point where the movie really should just be called “Male Gaze: The Movie.” It’s obvious that Shapiro’s perspective is entirely sympathetic to protagonist Cary Elwes, who is presented as an innocent bystander in his ongoing flirtation with a malevolent, horny child. However, the movie is just so bonkers, so shockingly leery that it becomes unintentionally fascinating in a how-did-this-happen way. Add in a ludicrous, laugh-out-loud climax that’s at once both underwhelming and entirely absurd, and you’ve got a budding camp classic waiting to happen. So grab some smart-mouthed friends, down a few bevvies and you’ll have a great time hate-watching this.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

The Ambulance (1990)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, watching “The Ambulance” made me think ‘they just don’t make ’em like they used to’ a few times. Along with many of director Larry Cohen’s other efforts (like “Q” and “The Stuff”), “The Ambulance” has a compelling, poignant “do it yourself” aesthetic that makes even mundane scenes more loaded than what’s actually happening. It gives the movie a thrilling “anything can happen” vibe that survives throughout, and it’s only in retrospect that you realize that the narrative is actually fairly straightforward and conventional. But it doesn’t matter because this is pure Cohen-esque cinema at its best: It’s like an extended episode of a police procedural that happens to have the always-arresting Eric Roberts in the lead, which gives even our main protagonist a bit of a sleazy, untrustworthy edge that speaks more to the performer’s own charismatic-but-jerkish appeal. There’s also a series of arresting supporting performances that liven things up (in particular James Earl Jones, who up-ends his character’s stuffy lines with a downright demented energy), and it’s fascinating to see the early days of Marvel (given that much of the narrative occurs at Marvel headquarters, complete with a Stan Lee cameo), so all in all, this is a terrific, electrifying little B-movie thriller that positively glides through its 96 minute running time.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

And Then There Were None (Miniseries) (2015)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

This three-part BBC miniseries adaptation is both the most faithful and effective cinematic version of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit that I’ve seen. Some of the book’s elements are re-interpreted to fit the medium but otherwise, most things remain the same: Director Craig Viveiros manages to establish an oppressive atmosphere via a variety of deliberately selected elements (like its secluded island setting, the angry sea surrounding it, the constant cloudiness and threat of dangerous weather, etc) before the plot even gets under way, and by the time the bodies start dropping, the tone is already unbearably tense. Additionally, there’s a magnificent cast that captures each character’s essence remarkably well without needing unnecessary expository dialogue or forced interactions to establish dynamics: Among the many stand-outs are Noah Taylor, whose Mr. Rogers is strikingly intense here, and an agitated Toby Stephens, who injects his Doctor Armstrong with an unsettled energy constantly threatening to erupt. By the time the climax arrives and adheres closely to the literary output for the first time in a cinematic adaptation of Christie’s novel, it becomes clear that the miniseries works not only as an effective adaptation but as a well-developed, written and acted narrative unto itself as well.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)