No one is a bigger fan of Sam Neill than I am. I almost went berserk when I saw "My Brilliant Career" and the "Reilly: The Ace of Spies" series within weeks of each other -- the first time I had ever seen him. And I have been an avid, one would almost say "possessed," fan ever since. That said, I can't help but ponder some of his career choices, although 1981 was at the beginning of his career, so that probably accounts for his taking this role. This stands -- beside the execrable "Night Train to Venice" -- as the worst movie of all time, Sam Neill or no Sam Neill. I actually bought this sight unseen on eBay for not much money because I try to collect everything Neill, and I WILL keep it, but I will never watch it again in an unaltered state. Neill is, as always, very good and, God love him, I give him all the credit in the world for sticking to the old adage: A job worth doing is worth doing well. And he does look good: young, handsome, and lean. But no amount of cutting or editing could have saved this exercise in mediocrity. Isabel Adjani doesn't help matters. She is SO convincing as a certified nut case that I have to wonder if she isn't really nuts. There is such a thing as good acting, but she's so over-the-top that it only makes a bad situation worse. The whole thing stinks to high heaven. Sam Neill, if he has the right material, is all a body could hope for in a leading man. But no one could sit through this, not even Boopsie.
Review of Possession
