The storyline of this movie unfolded more like an episode of a TV cop drama than a serious film. Quite a disappointment to me, as I've heard so much about it over the years.
I can't fault any of the performances, they are all excellent actors and they made the most of what could have been so much better if it hadn't descended to almost melodrama in places. The ending in particular was painful to me - why oh why did they have to tick all the boxes and tie up all the relationship ends? I hate it when movies (particularly this one that appeared to take itself seriously)attempt to give us a warm feeling by showing how well everything turned out for most of the characters.
LaPaglia was good, he doesn't know how to be otherwise - although his Aussie accent slipped in a couple of places. in the end I wasn't sure whether to think of his character as a cop who oversteps the mark way too often and hopefully now he has made up with his wife won't do it any more? And why the heart attack symptoms? Were we supposed to be expecting him to keel over at any point?
So, why all the suspense - it really came to nothing much - there was no murder - everyone we suspected proved to be innocent. The poor lady psychiatrist was in dire need of one herself - her husband, who already had enough to be upset about was left to blame himself forever - and the rest of them (mainly) lived happily ever after.
In effect it was just a fairytale with spooky music.
I can't fault any of the performances, they are all excellent actors and they made the most of what could have been so much better if it hadn't descended to almost melodrama in places. The ending in particular was painful to me - why oh why did they have to tick all the boxes and tie up all the relationship ends? I hate it when movies (particularly this one that appeared to take itself seriously)attempt to give us a warm feeling by showing how well everything turned out for most of the characters.
LaPaglia was good, he doesn't know how to be otherwise - although his Aussie accent slipped in a couple of places. in the end I wasn't sure whether to think of his character as a cop who oversteps the mark way too often and hopefully now he has made up with his wife won't do it any more? And why the heart attack symptoms? Were we supposed to be expecting him to keel over at any point?
So, why all the suspense - it really came to nothing much - there was no murder - everyone we suspected proved to be innocent. The poor lady psychiatrist was in dire need of one herself - her husband, who already had enough to be upset about was left to blame himself forever - and the rest of them (mainly) lived happily ever after.
In effect it was just a fairytale with spooky music.