`THE TEMP' SHOULD'VE BEEN A FULL-TIMER

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 13, 1993                   TAG: 9302130223
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
`THE TEMP' SHOULD'VE BEEN A FULL-TIMER
"The Temp" is yet another neo- femme fatale thriller, in the "Hand That Rocks the Cradle" school. Overall, it's fairly well made, with a refreshing sense of humor. Unfortunately, it falls apart completely in the last five minutes.
Peter Derns (Timothy Hutton) is a young executive who's been in therapy for the paranoid jealousy that broke up his marriage. His doctor thinks that he's "cured" and that it might be good for him to see his estranged wife again.
But pressures at work are building. His boss, Charleen Townes (Faye Dunaway), is about to introduce a new line of cookies, and his secretary, Lance, is taking time off for a new son. Lance's replacement, the temp, turns out to be Peter's salvation. Kris Bolin (Lara Flynn Boyle) is smarter, more ambitious and resourceful than anyone else who works for this cookie company.
And she's devoted to Peter. Is it any coincidence that people who oppose him are removed from the picture?
For a time, Kevin Falls' script moves in interesting, unexpected directions, with several creepy moments. Director Tom Holland is purposefully unclear about what's happening. Has Peter's paranoia come back? What are Kris' true motives? Or is someone else up to no good? The guessing games are brightened by a sly bitchy sense of humor, and the kind of full-bore overacting that Faye Dunaway is so good at. When she and Hutton really cut loose, they're a joy to watch.
Lara Flynn Boyle is remarkably effective, too. The fact that she and Hutton look like they were separated at birth is something of a distraction, but nothing is made of it. The cop-out ending is a much larger problem.
It leaves dozens of unanswered questions. In fact, it's so abrupt and arbitrary that you might suspect the producers had no respect for the material or the form or the audience's expectations.
If the conclusion had delivered on the promises that the first half of the film makes, "The Temp" could have been a sleeper hit. As it is, suspense fans will be disappointed when the final credits roll.

The Temp: A Paramount release playing at the Salem Valley 8, Valley View Mall 6. 97 min. Rated R for violence, sexual content, strong language.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB