The movie poster is illicit in that it features the piercing eyes of the nubile Elizabeth McGovern. What follows is a paint-by-numbers potboiler anchored by the perplexingly glib smug mug of...Steve Guttenberg?
Look, I want every actor to get out of his wheelhouse, but this is proof not everyone can do everything.
Steve is an every man, sure, but in this case, his every man ignores a few emotional beats. After his lover is murdered, the next scene is him going to McGovern's place and they have sex. Yep. Like nothing ever happened. These emotional beats are due to a poor script and a very poor decision by Curtis Hanson. This scene didn't need to be there. They could've survived without. These are the dumb things that derail the plausibility of the film. Also, the serial killer thing.
Though ahead of its time, there is no sense of dread or fear. After the assault, McGovern goes about her life as if it was just a simple thing. There is a brief moment where we hear that she hasn't been sleeping due to the trauma. This piece of dialogue is in the wrong place.
Things like this frustrate you to no end.
Re-casting...Steve Guttenberg...go with James Spader. I mean, (directot) Curtis Hanson works with him a few years later on "Bad Influence" Spader would seem more at home with this material.
Look, I want every actor to get out of his wheelhouse, but this is proof not everyone can do everything.
Steve is an every man, sure, but in this case, his every man ignores a few emotional beats. After his lover is murdered, the next scene is him going to McGovern's place and they have sex. Yep. Like nothing ever happened. These emotional beats are due to a poor script and a very poor decision by Curtis Hanson. This scene didn't need to be there. They could've survived without. These are the dumb things that derail the plausibility of the film. Also, the serial killer thing.
Though ahead of its time, there is no sense of dread or fear. After the assault, McGovern goes about her life as if it was just a simple thing. There is a brief moment where we hear that she hasn't been sleeping due to the trauma. This piece of dialogue is in the wrong place.
Things like this frustrate you to no end.
Re-casting...Steve Guttenberg...go with James Spader. I mean, (directot) Curtis Hanson works with him a few years later on "Bad Influence" Spader would seem more at home with this material.
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