From rec.arts.sf-reviews Thu Aug 29 22:01:15 1991 Xref: herkules.sssab.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:419 rec.arts.sf-reviews:70 Path: herkules.sssab.se!isy!liuida!sunic!mcsun!uunet!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnewsj!ecl From: leeper@mtgzy.att.com (Mark R. Leeper) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf-reviews Subject: REVIEW: DEAD AGAIN Summary: r.a.m.r. #01108 Keywords: author=Leeper Message-ID: <1991Aug27.134437.27195@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> Date: 27 Aug 91 13:44:37 GMT Sender: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Reply-To: leeper@mtgzy.att.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies Organization: AT&T, Middletown NJ Lines: 71 Approved: ecl@cbnewsj.att.com [Followups directed to rec.arts.movies.] DEAD AGAIN A film review by Mark R. Leeper Copyright 1991 Mark R. Leeper Capsule review: Two murder mysteries tied together by reincarnation. A great deal of tension is created, but the solution of the mystery is not too surprising and an action sequence toward the end is just not up to the style of the rest of the film. There is a great product placement, however. Rating: high +1 (-4 to +4). When a little-known filmmaker has a film that makes it really big, it is interesting to see what he or she does with that success. What is the next film like? When suddenly a filmmaker is respected and has a little more freedom, what does s/he do for an encore? A little-known George Lucas had a big hit with AMERICAN GRAFFITI; his next project was to bring comic- book space opera in a way that did not suffer in the transition. That was a success. Spike Lee's first post-success project was the disappointing SCHOOL DAZE. Kenneth Branagh, the director and star of the very successful HENRY V, has returned with a very stylish mystery and supernatural thriller with a dream cast. Branagh stars with his somewhat less well known wife, Emma Thompson. But also on hand in smaller roles are Derek Jacobi, Andy Garcia, Robin Williams, and European actress Hanna Schygulla (of THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN and BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ). This is an oddly matched collected of actors and the screenplay hardly gives them all a chance to make contributions commensurate with their talents. A nameless, voiceless woman (played by Thompson) shows up at a church school. She has been given sanctuary for a few days, but when she starts having screaming nightmares, the school asks a detective who is a former student (played by Branagh) to help find out who the woman really is. The search is heading nowhere when Franklyn Madson shows up. (Madson played by Jacobi) is a furniture dealer with a talent for hypnotism. He offers his services to put the mystery woman in a trance and help her to remember her previous life. And what she remembers is indeed a previous life, a life in which she was someone else. It was a life that concluded in a famous murder case of 1949. What is more, there are indications that her detective friend may be a reincarnation who was also involved in the same murder. In the past lives a composer and his wife (also played by Branagh and Thompson) have marriage problems that end in the wife murdered and the husband executed. At this point, the uncertainties start to pile up. The reincarnation may or may not be authentic. Roman Strauss, the composer, may or may not have been the murderer. And, most disturbing, the events may or may not be fated to happen again, or perhaps the murder will go in the other direction as a sort of karmic revenge. The film has a complex plot and leaves unanswered the biggest question: does the film really make sense or not? Does the ending really explain all we have seen? Like JACOB'S LADDER, most of what you can get out of this film you get thinking about it afterwards. The photography is stylishly done, particularly in the scenes set in 1949. They are done in monochrome, but the blacks and whites are just slightly tinted. At least that is the style element easy to identify. And the credits intercut with newspaper clippings about the murder opens the film with a feel almost like that of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Oh, one more thing. The best touch in this film is the product placement. This film *does* have a product placement. And as it happens it is the best product placement you will see in a film this year. It kind of makes up for all the bad product placements we have had this summer. Overall the production values and the acting talent are better than the story. And the story is better than it seems at the end of the film. I would still give DEAD AGAIN only a high +1 on the -4 to +4 scale. With this cast it should have been better. Mark R. Leeper att!mtgzy!leeper leeper@mtgzy.att.com From rec.arts.sf-reviews Thu Aug 29 22:01:44 1991 Xref: herkules.sssab.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:418 rec.arts.sf-reviews:69 Path: herkules.sssab.se!isy!liuida!sunic!mcsun!uunet!iggy.GW.Vitalink.COM!pacbell.com!att!cbnewsj!ecl From: dsy@psych.toronto.edu (Desiree Sy) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf-reviews Subject: REVIEW: DEAD AGAIN Summary: r.a.m.r. #01109 Keywords: author=Sy Message-ID: <1991Aug27.134505.27261@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> Date: 27 Aug 91 13:45:05 GMT Sender: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Reply-To: dsy@psych.toronto.edu (Desiree Sy) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies Organization: Psychology, U. of Toronto Lines: 50 Approved: ecl@cbnewsj.att.com [Followups directed to rec.arts.movies.] DEAD AGAIN A film review by Desiree Sy Copyright 1991 Desiree Sy (1991, directed by Kenneth Branagh) DEAD AGAIN is a stylishly executed thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously. The plot of the movie is a double mystery: who murdered the beautiful concert pianist Margaret Strauss in 1945, and what is the identity of the amnesiac woman who looks just like her in 1991? As the title implies, murder could occur more than once. Both roles are played by Emma Thompson, just as the double roles of Margaret's husband, conductor Roman Strauss -- who was convicted and executed for the murder -- and the investigator Mike Church are played by her husband, Kenneth Branagh. The interior plot of the Strausses is filmed in black and white, and pays homage to the large, lavish genre of black and white films of the 40s. Roman and Margaret live in a large, lavish mansion, wear beautiful clothes, attend large, lavish parties, and even have beautifully overblown arguments. The major plot of Mike Church and the amnesiac, though in colour and contemporary, also pays homage to various types of film. From the running chases down sidewalks and over fences to the rain-drenched dancing on a roof, DEAD AGAIN echoes faintly with the romance of other films. DEAD AGAIN manages to poke gentle fun at Hitchcock (the murder implement is a valuable antique pair of scissors), art (the decoration of the woman's apartment provides a very funny set of clues to her identity), and even I, CLAUDIUS and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Robin Williams and Derek Jacobi in supporting roles as the lunatic ex-psychiatrist who counsels Mike, and the slightly dishonest hypnotist-cum-antiquarian who regresses the woman hypnotically into her past life both steal scenes shamelessly. Branagh and Thompson give performances that are very enjoyable to watch -- and that they clearly enjoyed giving. (Branagh's American accent sounds surprisingly like Mandy Patinkin's voice) Although I found the ending slightly disappointing, the film is well-plotted, and has one deft twist mid-movie. To say more is give away plot details. If you're in the mood for a slick but gentle thriller (or if you're a Branagh fan -- as I am), I'd recommend DEAD AGAIN strongly. -desiree