saw this film today, and though i thoroughly enjoyed it, if you're at all familiar with the film noirs of the 1940s and '50s, this movie won't surprise you in the least - the plot is lifted straight from that mode (or genre, or whatever it is we're calling it these days :).
the acting is quite good, especially by william hurt, who plays the role of the dumb as a doornail ned racine to a tee. kathleen turner (and, if the other comment i read on this page is correct, in her first role) is also quite good, as the updated femme fatale, but we never really believe that she loves ned, do we?
derivative it might be, but it's certainly a quite enjoyable film, even for those noir fans like me, who could pick the film's ending about three minutes in. the symbolism (harking back to the '40's noirs again) is often amusing, and even borders on parody at times - hurt *literally* throws himself through a window to get to turner...having seen her body though, who wouldn't :)
all in all, this is an enjoyable flick, and if you're not noir-knowledgable, probably quite thought provoking too.
six out of ten.
the acting is quite good, especially by william hurt, who plays the role of the dumb as a doornail ned racine to a tee. kathleen turner (and, if the other comment i read on this page is correct, in her first role) is also quite good, as the updated femme fatale, but we never really believe that she loves ned, do we?
derivative it might be, but it's certainly a quite enjoyable film, even for those noir fans like me, who could pick the film's ending about three minutes in. the symbolism (harking back to the '40's noirs again) is often amusing, and even borders on parody at times - hurt *literally* throws himself through a window to get to turner...having seen her body though, who wouldn't :)
all in all, this is an enjoyable flick, and if you're not noir-knowledgable, probably quite thought provoking too.
six out of ten.