Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 6, 1990 TAG: 9006050271
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The best of the bunch is "Kill Me Again." It was scheduled for theatrical release last fall but, for any number of reasons, got pushed out of the line-up. That's a shame. This one is a handsomely produced thriller in the James M. Cain mold.
As soon as the credits start to roll, William Olvis' simple music sets a strong "Body Heat" mood. The key elements are sketched in quickly as we're introduced to Faye Forester (Joanne Whalley-Kilmer), an impetuous, greedy young woman; Vince (Michael Madsen), her unstable lover and Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer), a Reno private detective who's no smarter than he absolutely has to be. At the center of this triangle is a stolen briefcase full of money.
The script by John Dahl and David W. Warfield is properly complicated and filled with unexpected turns, though fans of this sort of story will probably see the conclusion coming. That's a minor quibble, though. Director Dahl has a strong visual sense. The film looks great, whether it's focused on the seedier side of Reno or the stark beauty of the high mountains.
The leads are well cast. This is some of the best work tha the Kilmers have done to date. She proves that the performance she gave in "Scandal" was no fluke and he shows that he's more than just another pretty hunk. In the end, "Kill Me Again" isn't going to make anyone forget "Double Indemnity" but it's well worth your time.
\ "Paint It Black" is another deliberate throwback, though director Tim Hunter takes Alfred Hitchcock as his model. This one begins with music by Jurgen Kneiper that deliberately recalls Bernard Herrmann's wonderful scores.
The story revolves around an artist (Rick Rossovich) on the verge of major success and a disturbed young art collector (Jason Bernard) who lets nothing stand in the way of his passion. A gallery owner of dubious honesty (Sally Kirkland) and an important art dealer (Martin Landau) are also involved.
The entire production has a highly polished look. The acting is good and the characters have some depth. But the contrived script by A.H. Zacharias and Michael Drexler borrows freely from "Strangers on a Train," and though the film has some strong moments, it's never quite as suspenseful as it's trying to be. And the ending, blatantly lifted from "North by Northwest," is too silly for words.
\ "Mindfield" isn't put together quite as slickly as the first two movies. It's a Canadian conspiracy thriller about illegal government psychiatric experiments. Though the pace is slow and the action is oddly quiet, the film still works well.
Director Jean-Claude Lord effectively captures the city of Montreal in winter. He gets the details right; the grittiness of city snow, the crunching sound of footsteps. The performances are unusually effective, too.
Michael Ironside, usually seen as a villain (most recently in "Total Recall"), is a fine protagonist and Christopher Plummer, one of the best character actors in the business, adds his usual fine touch.
\ "Night Eyes" is billed as an "erotic thriller" and as such comes in R-rated and unrated versions. The unrated edition contains lots of heavy breathing and artfully shadowed nudity, probably provided by stunt people.
The plot has to do with a security guard (Andrew Stevens) who is watching a woman (Tanya Roberts) who is in the middle of a nasty divorce from a rock star. He agrees to help the husband's lawyer dig up some dirt, but then he falls for her. Before it's over, the story has become wildly complicated and illogical, and the telling of it is filled with visual cliches.
Admittedly though, it is strange to watch a video of a guy watching a video and fast-forwarding to the good parts.
\ "Burndown" is the bozo of this bunch. The story has something to do with a serial murderer and an inactive nuclear power plant, but I must admit that I hit the fast-forward button about halfway through.
The pace is leaden; the script is filled with amateurish dialogue and even though the action is supposed to be set in Florida, the actors speak with unplaceable accents. Heroine Cathy Moriarty (from "Raging Bull" and "Neighbors") sounds like she phoned in her performance. THE ESSENTIALS:
\ `Kill Me Again' MGM/UA. 94 min. Rated R for violence, profanity, sexual material.
\ `Paint It Black' 1/2 Vestron. Time not listed, about 90 min. Rated R for violence, profanity, sexual material.
\ `Mindfield' 1/2 Magnum. 91 min. Rated R for violence, profanity, sexual material.
\ `Night Eyes' 95 min. Unrated and R-rated for sexual material, nudity, violence, profanity.
\ `Burndown' DUD 87 min. Rated R for violence, profanity, suggestive material.
This week's major release
Old Gringo: Gregory Peck, Jimmy Smits, Jane Fonda. Directed by Luis Puenzo. 120 min. Columbia. Rated R for violence, nudity and sexual content. This Jane Fonda project is a passable adventure that tends to get lost in its aphoristic script, Hollywood romanticism and overall sense of self-importance.
Handsomely filmed, the production gets a commanding presence from Gregory Peck as Ambrose Bierce, the cantankerous and cynical writer who has come to Mexico to end his days in the revolution. Fonda is the female star and major mover behind the production. She's also the weakest member of the cast.
Fonda plays Harriet Winslow, an American spinster schoolteacher who heads for Mexico for a job as a governess and a taste of real life. When she gets there, she finds out a revolution is going on. On the way Harriet meets Arroyo, a handsome young Mexican who turns out to be a revolutionary general. Played with a brooding intensity by Jimmy Smits, the general is a volatile revolutionary grappling with his pedigree.
The movie, rich with blood and thunder, might have been stronger had director and co-writer Luis Puenzo concentrated more on Bierce. But the movie is less about him than the steamy love affair between Arroyo and Harriet. Despite its proletarian politics, it is at heart an old-fashioned Hollywood melodrama designed to showcase Fonda.
What the ratings mean:
Wonderful; one of the best of its kind. See it right away.
Very good; definitely worth renting.
Average. You've seen better; you've seen worse.
Poor. Make sure the fast-forward button on your VCR is in good working order.
Dud An insult to intelligence and taste. This category is as much a warning as a rating.
by CNB