Yes, there are Hitchcockian themes here, particularly with the lighthouse being very re-mindful of "Vertigo". However, if the attempt was to make a Hitchcock-like film, it failed...although I'm having a difficult time figuring why. For me, the film had most of the ingredients needed, but I had a hard time staying focused on the movie; I hate to think how many times I stopped action and went and did other things for a while.
The one negative thing I am sure of is that Uma Thurman is a zombie. One of the walking dead. In this film I felt like we oughta check her pulse to make sure she's still alive.
Even Richard Gere here seems less than totally involved. This is not up to his usual performer, and he is an actor I usually enjoy.
Even Kim Basinger seems...I don't know...fuzzy.
You know, in writing this I just came to a conclusion -- it must be the fault of the director -- Phil Joanou. This is a guy who may be adept at music videos, but check out his filmography...maybe okay for B pictures...if that. And here he had a lot of key ingredients -- a good cast, a decent story, and the lighthouse.
In terms of supporting actors, Eric Roberts plays his standard bully routine; been there, done that. Keith David is interesting here as the police detective. Paul Guilfoyle is passable as a lawyer. Robert Harper is mildly interesting as an expert witness. Agustin Rodriguez brought a little life to part of the story as a Latino who works for Gere's character.
The plot here showed promise. Gere is a psychologist who has Una Thurman as his patient, a young lady haunted by childhood memories. Gere decides to consult Thurman's sister -- Kim Basinger -- who is crazy as batshite. It's obviously a set up, but at first we're not clear what Gere is being set up for. To kill Basinger's husband? To get blamed for the death of Basinger's husband? Or is it just a kinky sex liaison? Or is Basinger's thug husband going to go after Gere? So many possibilities. Any one of them could have worked well.
In different directorial hands, this could have been an exciting film. Instead, it's just passable...like that D you got in chemistry. You passed, but no praise was due.
The one negative thing I am sure of is that Uma Thurman is a zombie. One of the walking dead. In this film I felt like we oughta check her pulse to make sure she's still alive.
Even Richard Gere here seems less than totally involved. This is not up to his usual performer, and he is an actor I usually enjoy.
Even Kim Basinger seems...I don't know...fuzzy.
You know, in writing this I just came to a conclusion -- it must be the fault of the director -- Phil Joanou. This is a guy who may be adept at music videos, but check out his filmography...maybe okay for B pictures...if that. And here he had a lot of key ingredients -- a good cast, a decent story, and the lighthouse.
In terms of supporting actors, Eric Roberts plays his standard bully routine; been there, done that. Keith David is interesting here as the police detective. Paul Guilfoyle is passable as a lawyer. Robert Harper is mildly interesting as an expert witness. Agustin Rodriguez brought a little life to part of the story as a Latino who works for Gere's character.
The plot here showed promise. Gere is a psychologist who has Una Thurman as his patient, a young lady haunted by childhood memories. Gere decides to consult Thurman's sister -- Kim Basinger -- who is crazy as batshite. It's obviously a set up, but at first we're not clear what Gere is being set up for. To kill Basinger's husband? To get blamed for the death of Basinger's husband? Or is it just a kinky sex liaison? Or is Basinger's thug husband going to go after Gere? So many possibilities. Any one of them could have worked well.
In different directorial hands, this could have been an exciting film. Instead, it's just passable...like that D you got in chemistry. You passed, but no praise was due.