Tom Conti is Sir Paul, a curmudgeon lord, blinded in a horrific accident who decided to live alone in a huge mansion. Strange choice and quite unlikely, even for a grating, misanthropic character who could nevertheless afford to have some live-in staff for safety and practical reasons.
Instead eccentric Paul employees only a not-live-in cook and one cannot but wonder who's doing the cleaning and laundry in the immense house.
Among all that remote loneliness Sir Paul starts to get bored and three years after his accident he decides to hire an amanuensis to write his last book. How and where does he put the "amanuensis wanted" notice it's a mystery, since Paul hates technology. However, several candidates go through an uncomfortable interview process, only for the job to be given to Jane, the only female candidate, a surgically refreshed Daryl Hannah.
Jane lies through her teeth from the beginning, stating her age as 38 when at the time of shooting she was 49 and goes downhill from there. Paul may be unpleasant, but a woman who deceives a blind person with stupid lies and tricks is certainly not admirable. Whatever her reasons, they're probably not good enough and Jane comes across as a petty liar bent on some stupid revenge.
There is a minimum tension, compulsory in an old, gothic, creepy house with plenty of creaking floorboards. Dark corridors and sinister armours but with no side to take it's difficult to feel for either main character put into a totally unrealistic situation.
Instead eccentric Paul employees only a not-live-in cook and one cannot but wonder who's doing the cleaning and laundry in the immense house.
Among all that remote loneliness Sir Paul starts to get bored and three years after his accident he decides to hire an amanuensis to write his last book. How and where does he put the "amanuensis wanted" notice it's a mystery, since Paul hates technology. However, several candidates go through an uncomfortable interview process, only for the job to be given to Jane, the only female candidate, a surgically refreshed Daryl Hannah.
Jane lies through her teeth from the beginning, stating her age as 38 when at the time of shooting she was 49 and goes downhill from there. Paul may be unpleasant, but a woman who deceives a blind person with stupid lies and tricks is certainly not admirable. Whatever her reasons, they're probably not good enough and Jane comes across as a petty liar bent on some stupid revenge.
There is a minimum tension, compulsory in an old, gothic, creepy house with plenty of creaking floorboards. Dark corridors and sinister armours but with no side to take it's difficult to feel for either main character put into a totally unrealistic situation.