Demi Moore,(Cynthia Kellogg),"G. I. Jane", played an exceptionally difficult role, where she gets involved with a very abusive lover played by Bruce Willis,(James Urbanski) who has mood changes like the weather, hot, cold and goes completely nuts. I was beginning to lose my patience with Cynthia because she never reported these incidents to the police in order to prevent this horrible human abuse. This is a good film to show innocent women in this world, if you experience this type of behavior, run to the nearest police station and turn this guy in immediately. However, I must say that Bruce Willis did such a great acting job, you actually grew to hate him and the role he played. Good Film, Enjoy.
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whpratt16 September 2005
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slightlymad2220 August 2014I caught this on TV last night, and decided to give it a go because it started Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.
Cynthia (Moore) comes forward to talk to detective John (Harvey Keitel) about the murder of her best friend's husband. The story is told as a series of flashbacks... James (Willis) was a bullying, physically abusive husband. His wife Joyce has, on a number of occasions, expressed her intention to kill him.
All the cast do a fine job, Glenne Headly slightly over does it with her accent, but it's only a minor gripe. Willis is solid as the sleazy violent husband, Keitel does what is required of him and then, there is Moore. This was the second of three Box Office disappointments she made inbetween the success of Ghost and A Few Good Men.
It's a shame this never found an audience as Moore puts in a really good performance
For me, Demi Moore remains one of the most talented and beautiful women in movies, and her sexiness is in rare supply. Any movie becomes promising just by having her name in it's cast. -
paul2001sw-128 March 2005Bryan Singer's 'The Usual Suspects' was itself a rather unusual thriller: almost the entire plot consisted of a criminal suspect telling the police a lie. By literally representing the character's words in images, the film exploited the trust that any movie-watcher has to put in what they see; the very concept of cinema only works if the audience can believe their own eyes, so it's a somewhat underhand trick to take advantage of this. But 'The Usual Suspects' nonetheless worked as a film, for three reasons. Firstly, the lie was extraordinarily entertaining in itself. Secondly, it's essentially falsity was brilliantly revealed. And thirdly, this revelation forced the viewer to reconsider everything they had seen in the film. If all movies were like this, cinema would die, but as an isolated film, it definitely made the grade.
Alan Rudolph's curiously named 'Mortal Thoughts' (surely "morbid thoughts" are actually what feature in this film) is a kind of precursor to 'The Usual Susepcts', but less acclaimed, and with good reason. The basic tale is less interesting than in the later film; there's no cleverness in the revelation, and the actual truth does not anyway fundamentally change one's opinion of the characters. The film doesn't even try and fool the audience: Harvey Keitel's policeman tells the witness throughout that he doesn't believe what she is saying, and once you accept that the woman may be lying, then the possibilities are limitless (something Singer dealt with deftly by only uncovering the lie at the very end, before it truly sinks into the audience that if the story was a pack of lies, then the truth could be anything). The result is a film that is reasonably watchable, but hardly distinguished. Yet in the true story, revealed at the end, there's actually a tale of human drama that might have driven a pretty strong film. The secondary tale of someone merely lying about such a story, however, is comparatively dull. -
cookiela200129 September 2004When I first rented this film (I don't remember it being in movie theaters) I was excited to see what Alan Rudolph, who I associate with looser style character studies, would do with the taut, slick format of a thriller. Indeed, the whole presentation of the film is very different from the funky CHOOSE ME, one of my favorite films. The music, the pacing, the INTENT of the film-making are markedly different from this director's other works.
MORTAL THOUGHTS is not a wholly satisfying film, but I am humbled to say that I was amazed by Demi Moore's performance. I have never sought out a film starring this husky voiced pinup, and have found her off-screen persona to be arrogant and grating. In the big films of hers that I'd seen, I considered her adequate...striking to look at, but slightly mechanical and hollow. Here, playing a working class beautician from New Jersey, her emotions are very real and she has a human warmth and vulnerability. Plus, with the tricky lighting and creamy lenses of big budget cinematography taken away, one can see what a natural, diminutive beauty she really is.
Moore's interaction with the rest of the cast is never false. This is understandable with Bruce Willis (as he was her husband at the time) but she plays equally well with respected "serious" actors Glenne Headley and Harvey Keitel. In fact, in one midpoint interrogation scene in which he's slow coming in on a few cues, Keitel actually seems to be holding Moore BACK! Who would have thought?
Maybe the surprise of seeing Moore be so convincing makes the performance seem stronger than it actually is, but I truly was deeply impressed with her work here. Perhaps playing a woman close to her own roots (Moore was raised in a series of trailer parks) unleashed something in the actress and let her relate to the role on a more personal level. Maybe having Rudolph, who is famous for drawing tender, intimate performances from his actors (see AFTERGLOW!), at the helm is the explanation. Whatever the reason, Moore is a knockout here, and the film gave me new respect for her. She is very affecting, and unforgettable. -
DennisLittrell24 April 2005First of all I have no idea why this was named "Mortal Thoughts." More appropriate would be, "Fatal Lies" or "An Inadvertent Confession," or maybe "Desperate Friends." Be that as it may, this is a superior thriller mainly because the story is compelling and the acting is first rate. Demi Moore who plays Cynthia is just outstanding. She commands the screen with her beautiful and expressive features and her great natural skill. If you don't like her, I guarantee you will not like this movie because she dominates the film. She is as vivid and unforgettable as an Al Pacino or a Betty Davis.
As an aside on the career of Demi Moore, I want to say that it's a shame for her that her off-screen personality is not well liked, which in large part accounts for the fact that she is one of the most underrated, although one of the most often seen and hardest-working stars of the last fifteen years or so. This movie is an example of how she is ignored. The plain fact is her performance here is better than many who have won Oscars, and she wasn't even nominated. Another problem for her is that this movie (and others she has made) are not the sort of films that the Academy pays much attention to. Mortal Thoughts (which she co-produced, by the way) is too low-budget, too "common" one might say, for any part in it to be taken seriously in an artistic sense. Too bad.
Glenne Headly (Joyce) is also outstanding while Bruce Willis is excellent as Joyce's drug-addled, boozing, wife-beating loser of a husband. The dialogue is right on, realistically depicting the lives of New Jersey beauty shop people while the plot told in ersatz flashbacks unfolds nicely with a fine tension.
The story is that of two friends, Joyce and Cynthia who find they have to cover up a killing (NOT a murder, but at worst a manslaughter, or better yet, a case of self-defense), but fall apart as the investigation closes in on them. In a sense they are both like Lady Macbeth with blood on their hands and no effective way to wash it off. They are both appropriately naive as young working-class women, and both act foolishly, as many of us might in their predicament.
Here's a nice bit of ironic dialogue. Joyce is questioning her ability to convince people about what happened. She tells Cynthia that she isn't a very good liar. But Cynthia reassures her: "Joyce, you're a terrific liar. You just lost confidence in yourself." This is all to the good as far as film-making goes. It is the ending that is the problem.
One might ask, what happened to the ending? Maybe I need to watch this again to be sure I didn't miss anything. But better yet, YOU watch it and you be the judge. What I think happened is director Alan Rudolph truncated it. Either that or he decided to try something artistic, which I don't recommend in a commercial thriller flick. Maybe they just ran out of money and had to wrap it up. At any rate, we are left wondering what is going to happen and who actually did what to whom. Presumably, the last flashback from Cynthia tells us how Bruce Willis's character met his end, but that doesn't solve the problem of how or why (somebody else) was shot full of holes. Maybe the producers thought they would wrap it all up in a sequel. Actually, there's enough there for one, easily.
I would also like to complain about a movie that acts out a false story told by one of the characters as though the story were true. That can be done, but it must be done in such a way that there is some kind of hint or "coloring" of the story that allows the viewer to suspect that something is amiss. True, Det. John Woods (Harvey Keitel) makes some compelling arguments along the way to suggest that Cynthia is not telling the truth, but we are mislead by the actions that our eyes see and the sounds that our ears hear. In movies, since anything can be contrived, it is the usual rule to have the camera show the truth while letting the characters do the lying.
What might have saved this (and what I was expecting all the way through) is Joyce's side of the story acted out on screen so that we could compare the stories and make our choice about who was telling the truth.
Bottom line: better than one might expect with a realistic edge clearly a notch or two above the usual thriller fare.
(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!) -
Two best friends who work together in a beauty salon are involved in the death of one's abusive husband; police investigate and question the girls, but get conflicting stories. Anytime talk gets around to the career of Demi Moore, inevitably someone else will ask, "What was the name of that movie where Bruce Willis got killed and she played the beautician?" This picture got seen, but not by many, and that's a shame because it's effectively stylish, creepy and perceptive. Moore and Glenne Headly (in her best performance yet) are amazing, and Willis is excellent too in support. Lots of quiet tension and unease that brings about a palpable feeling of menace and suspense. I found it quite impressive. *** from ****
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minorth17 July 2010I will confess that my personal life and upbringing played a big part in how I reacted to this film. I'm a West Coast boy top to bottom. I just could not relate to the Jersey culture or the Jersey people in this film. In all their personal relationships they were at war with one another. The characters, boys and girls, were overwhelmingly stupid in that they bought into the culture of personal violence and consuming vanity. So all in all I could not relate to any of the characters and really didn't give a rat's a** what came down. They all brought whatever happened to them upon themselves. Yes Bruce Willis was believable as a total reprobate of a human being, and Demi Moore and Glenne Headley were almost believable as two Thoroughly Beaten Beauty Shop Chicks without the sense to get out of their caustic relationships. That's enough of my rant. Good-By for Now, Minorth.
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gridoon5 November 1999"Mortal Thoughts" manages to sustain your interest throughout: it is a well-structured murder mystery with good performances by the entire cast, particularly from Bruce Willis (in one of his most unconventional roles) and Harvey Keitel who, despite his limited screen time, steals the show. But the film still falls short, maybe because it never really takes off. The final twist probably influenced the screenwriter of a very popular mid-90's cop film; those who have seen both films will understand which one I'm talking about.
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psychprofessor1 January 2004I can't say the movie was awful, just that it was awfully slow. It seemed to have been filmed in slo-mo, if you know what I mean. The acting was decent, and there was a twist at the end, but by the time I got there, I was just glad for it to be over.
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BaronBl00d27 June 2008I was pleasantly surprised by this film for its guts to take a story and almost present it all through Demi Moore talking to two police detectives(Harvey Keitel and Bille Neal) in a room - everything we see is via her character's thoughts and perceptions and ideas of truth and untruth and is entirely in flashback form. The story centers around Moore and her friend Headly recently married to a brute of a guy played by Bruce Willis - and goes from there to murder, mystery, and the eventual uncovering of what is the truth behind everything. Director Alan Rudolph does a good job creating a story convincingly told throughout by flashback and from the first person whilst coming back to present time repeatedly. This is not as easy as it sounds and has been messed up in other films, but it does work here because of Rudolph's sure directorial talents and the acting of Moore, Willis, Headly and Keitel. Demi Moore gives perhaps one her best performances(looking lovely I might add as well) as a New York woman torn between several things. Headly is as strong as is Willis. All of the actors give serviceable performances and the whole movie looks and sounds like a spin off from The Sopranos or something the way all of the actors walk, talk, and act. You will have no doubts where the film takes place to be sure. The story is inventive and delivers at the end. I didn't see it coming but others could believably so - but even if that is the case the film works on other levels as well. There are some nice psychological examinations made in the film as well as challenges made to perceptions. I must agree the title is really quite horrible and has virtually nothing to do with this film, but all in all this is quite a good thriller that needs another look.
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triple82 April 2004SPOILERS THROUGH:
For some reason, although I should have liked this, my thoughts about Mortal thoughts were all negative. This was an attempt at a thriller, a psychological thriller, a genre I happen to love. Only trouble is, it wasn't very interesting. Probably my least favorite Demi Moore movie. Here are some of the reasons I didn't care for this(in no special order.):
The whole plot was way to contrived and there was nothing frightening about it, though it was slightly creepy(But still didn't manage to fascinate.) The SECOND thing is the Bruce Willis character who really annoyed me. In fact almost all the characters annoyed me come to think of it. Very few were very likable.
The movie featured amusement park scenes that could have been mysterious and intriguing-great setting-but wound up unappealing and lacked any sense of intrigue.
The movie got to gory too(played almost like a horror movie then a psychological thriller at times)-and the "twist" was nothing to write home about AT ALL. And the way it unraveled wasn't that great. Also, the combo of Moore and Willis on film together wasn't very exciting.
This was a movie I thought I'd like a lot but wound up actually disliking. This rates about a 3 out of 10. -
ReelCheese11 June 2006Solid, underrated thriller about murder and the domino effect of lies. Demi Moore stars as Cynthia Kellogg, a woman caught in the middle when her best friend (played by Glenne Headly) murders her jerk of a husband -- or so it seems. Great performances and intriguing plot twists and turns help elevate this forgotten effort from director Alan Rudolph (Breakfast of Champions, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle). Moore and Willis (who went on to marry after reportedly meeting on this film) are particularly effective. Mortal Thoughts is made all the more memorable in that it constantly asks the viewer what he or she would do in the strenuous situations in which the characters find themselves.
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gcd704 December 2007Fairly routine mystery/drama about a young woman who comes forward voluntarily to tell of how she helped cover up the murder of a friend's husband.
Alan Rudolph's film works thanks to a reasonable plot (the very alert may pick this), simple yet sensible construction and solid performances from Demi Moore, Glenne Headley, Bruce Willis and that growing Hollywood talent, Harvey Keitel.
The narrative may never enthrall you, yet "Mortal Thoughts" remains interesting enough to keep you watching. Hardly fantastic, but over all this is not bad.
Tuesday, November 2, 1993 - Video -
Peter-13029 December 1998This movie starts off quite interesting. A young woman (Demi Moore) starts to confess to the police, that she was a witness to a murder, which was committed by her best friend (Glenn Headly). So far, so good. But then it takes her about 95 percent of the playing time of the movie to explain what happened. All that time you keep on thinking to yourself: 'Why the hell did she do all the things, she's telling us she did ?'. And finally, because the film had to have an ending I guess, they give us the solution to the 'mysterie'. Most of us probably knew it would end like this 90 minutes earlier, but hoped the script would be more surprising. No, also the cast isn't very believable, except maybe for the policewoman, who knew all along how it would end, and wisely didn't talk.
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khatcher-220 September 2003`Mortal Thoughts' is another of those films which I nearly did not see, not because of any forgetfulness on my part, nor from any other involuntary reason, but quite frankly I tend to avoid any film with people like Bruce Willis (you can put in the names of Lundgren/van Damme/Stallone/Bruce Lee and other assorted muscular brainless types at your leisure) playing the big macho he-man; I'd rather have a try at cards on the computer, even though the two of clubs always goes missing when I most need it. As well as that, the title did not seem very inspiring. I mean, just how many films are there with the word `mortal' in them? I will tell you: just over 200 including video films etc. according to IMDb's incredible search facility.
As luck would have it, firstly there was not anything else on to while away a couple of relaxing hours, and secondly a few well-written commentaries from other IMDb users (I do not take any notice of badly-written commentaries, though of course I do take into account those little mistakes that creep in to commentaries written by people whose mother-tongue is not English) suggested that I was about to see a perfectly acceptable film.
How right they were, I am glad to say. If on the one hand Bruce Willis' participation is somewhat limited and what he did was really quite decent, on the other, a very young-looking Demi Moore (29 when she made the film) played a stirring rôle, which helped to put this thriller drama a head above most of similar ilk.
Alan Rudolph's directing of a well-written script produced a more than acceptable result, aided by those timely flash-backs between the interrogation and previous events. The formula was intelligently employed, such that at no time did you feel you were getting lost anywhere along the line - as so often happens in other films trying to use the flash-back/flash-forward method.
Cynthia (Demi Moore) is `helping police enquiries', which means interrogated, into the death of her best friend's husband (Bruce Willis), and as she recounts events, the film flashes back, at times even synchronising with the dialogues in the interrogation. A handy device, which lent much to the coherence and continuity. Good work here by Demi Moore and Glenne Headly as her best friend, and it was real good to see Harvey Keitel as the detective (see him in `Shadrach' (1998) (qv), Ridley Scott's classic `Thelma and Louise' (1991) and in `The Piano' (1993), to name a few of his best rôles.
As in all films of this genre, there is that plot twist in the denouement, but in this case perhaps it misfires a little: it left me with a slight taste of incoherence after all that had happened. It left too many incognitos floating about. Perhaps the idea was not too well thought out, or perhaps I was left with the two of clubs and nowhere to put it...... Maybe I am being a little unjust, or pedantic, as the film is worth your while with some interesting interpretations from all concerned.
Just about 6 out of ten on my scale, or a couple of decimals higher. -
'Mortal Thoughts' believe it or not had the potential to be a decent thriller, if only the filmmakers knew what they hell direction they wanted things to go in beforehand (or if they did know, then they should've clued the rest of us in on it).
Demi Moore is Cynthia, a distraught woman who comes in to testify about the death of her friend Joyce's (Glenn Headley) husband, a sick sadistic moron named James (Bruce Willis). James is an abusive husband, and it makes you wonder what the hell Joyce was thinking getting married to this guy (and him too, since he obviously didn't care about her). She saw his true personality from the start, since they argued about pure nonsense even at the wedding. He's just a no good guy. The guy you love to hate.
Joyce always threatens to kill her husband, according to Cynthia. But, she never really goes through with it. Until one night at a carnival, when James's antics just get to be more than Joyce can take. Cynthia sure was wishing she didn't tag along, especially when Joyce shows her James bleeding to death in the back of the van, and hopeless Joyce admitting that she "accidentally" stabbed her husband.
In one agonizingly long sequence of flashback events leading all the way up to Cynthia's decision to testify, she tells the interrogating detectives (including one Harvey Keitel) how she helped cover up the murder to protect her best friend, Joyce. But, one lie after another about what really happened seem to be a mounting problem for Cynthia more than Joyce because she seems to be the one left doing all the dirty work. What looked like helping a friend suddenly turns into a game of revenge. Suddenly, going to the cops right away after James's death doesn't look so bad now, considering the consequences Cynthia, more than Joyce, faces if she were caught. I suppose, with her confession, she hopes the police will go easy on both her and Joyce.
All the while, we revert back to this interrogation, as the detectives are reviewing Cynthia's stories for loopholes, making her nervous as they point out her contradictions. And this is suppose to get our attention, not just push along the flashbacks because they never change even though her testimony may in order to accommodate the policeman's questions. But, sometimes it is just boring nitpicking rather than something that might make us consider that Cynthia's story is really just full of holes. Even Harvey Keitel doesn't make it seem interesting and neither does any of Demi Moore's forced reactions of confusion and guilt and sorrow. If the interrogation part had been much stronger, perhaps we would've been forced to take more interest in the general flashback. But the entire story is just too dull to muster that kind of support.
On the other hand, the movie doesn't totally leave you hanging. The story does start to get good once Cynthia and Joyce get involved in this mess and then try one stupid thing after another to keep it quiet. But it just didn't seem like enough (and the story by itself was just too long), especially considering that the interrogation and pointing out Cynthia's contradictions are meant to make this mere drama a real thriller. It just fails to do so, and so you're left with about a half-good thriller which had the potential to be much better. And, when the final twist arrives, it just seemed like a tragic let down, rather than a real shocker. Nothing seemed to properly build up to it. -
Isau18 March 2003Most films that rely heavily on flashbacks feel contrived, but this film is redeemed by strong pacing and a tactile sense of desperation. The 'revelations' that occur throughout, if not necessarily original or surprising, are consistently entertaining, focusing more on the character's motivations for murder and betrayal than on the actual mechanics of the crime.
This is not a perfect movie, but it is oddly striking. I would give it a 6.5 out of 10, but the IMDB doesn't allow decimals. I rounded up to 7 because the film's current score of 5.5 is more fitting of a stodgy film like 2002's Unfaithful.
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SnoopyStyle30 December 2016Cynthia Kellogg (Demi Moore) voluntarily comes in to give evidence about the case of James Urbanski (Bruce Willis) to police detectives John Woods (Harvey Keitel) and Linda Nealon. She describes the relationship between the brash James and his combative wife Joyce (Glenne Headly). Cynthia and Joyce are best friends working as hairdressers. The trio goes to a carnival and James ends up dead. Cynthia wants to call the cops but Joyce insists on covering it up. Cynthia tells her husband Artie (John Pankow).
The main problem for me is that I don't believe Cynthia from the first moment she opens her mouth. With Bruce Willis playing James so broadly and the detectives challenging her story constantly, it adds up to an unreliable story teller. That happens a lot in good narratives if it's handled right. By the thirty minutes mark, James is already dead and I'm ready for the next version of the story. That's how this movie should have gone. The detectives can interview someone else and the characters within the story become different while adding to the story. Instead, the story keeps following Cynthia and I don't believe anything on the screen. -
rmax30482313 February 2013"Thelma and Louise" was an entertaining movie about two women who shed their men and take off on a vacation in their convertible, during which they kill one man and humiliate and rob innumerable others. It's all okay, though, because all men are brutes anyway and deserve what they get. The climax has Thelma and Louise sailing off into the cerulean sky above the Grand Canyon, laughing gaily all the way.
Demi Moore and Glenne Headly are pals too, and it has its comic moments, but it's not a cartoon but rather a reasonably well thought-out narrative of friendship, love, hypocrisy, marriage, betrayal, morality, and community. I don't mean to make it sound more complicated and pretentious than it is. It really boils down to a murder mystery.
Moore is being questioned by the police and she tells the story in a series of flashbacks. Her girlhood friend, Headly, is married to the most abusive and obnoxious man you could ever hope to meet (Willis) and one night apparently cuts his throat and kills him. Moore helps Headly out, dumping Willis's body, getting rid of evidence, lying to the cops, and so forth. The murder is blamed on car jackers.
Here's an example of what I meant before when I referred to comic moments. At Willis's wake, Moore's father, an old-fashioned, working-class, urban type, blames the killing on black kids, going into this extravagantly angry, hand-waving rant about how they should take all of them, line them up against a wall, and shoot them. Then immediately he asks about Willis, "Did he rent or own?" All the writing, comic or otherwise, is pretty clever and convincing. And the dialog coach should get a medal. Bayonne, New Jersey, is an ugly little industrial town but it's just across the Hudson from Manhattan and has a grand view of the city's majestic skyline.
I don't think I'll reveal the ending because it comes as something of a surprise. Maybe a little too much of a surprise, like an Alfred Hitchcock television episode with a twist at the end. The director, Alan Rudolph, sometimes lapses into self indulgence with split-second flashbacks, mirror shots, and that sort of thing, but not often enough to distract the viewer. It may be Demi Moore's best performance in an adult movie; Glenne Headly has the most curious epicanthic folds; fascinating to see Bruce Willis as a thoroughly rotten villain; Harvey Keitel (who also tried to reason with Thelma and Louise) pronounces the name of "Joyce" as "Jerse." -
Perm galore, slow-motion galore. Star cast does not movie make. Everybody turns it out apart from "Die Hard/act not" guy before going baldie. Essentially a straightforward story with predictable ending and a question left unanswered. Convoluted, contrived, atrociously scored and boring. Dimly lit for dim-witted? Noir stands for something else. Not worth a watch even half-way with one eye ajar.
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hilma425 January 2020Clanging metal doors and a wailing saxophone jolt the viewer to attention. Twists and turns in the tricky plot keep your mind guessing. What's true? What's a lie? Two performances stand out. Willis is tantalizingly despicable as the obnoxious, wife abusing lowlife who spends his day doing drugs, hanging out at the playground, and feeding his sweet tooth. Headly is excellent as a tough, brazen, street-smart hairdresser who plays his wife. In one of her best scenes, she plays chicken with a Mack truck. The director, Alan Rudolph and DP, Elliot Davis employ various cinematic techniques to express the portent of crime. They use scenes in slow motion to convey the burden of guilt and a blurred kaleidoscope of vibrating lights to depict a state of confusion. Their choices of a gunmetal gray for the precinct and the ooze of vapor filled streets produce a noir effect. Discordant sounds and Mark Isham's eerie music enhance the psychological thrills.
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CPT_Doom6 July 2003Not being a fan of either Demi Moore or Bruce Willis, I was not prepared to be blown away by both their performances in Mortal Thoughts. The two actors give nuanced and very real performances as regular Jersey folks, and Glenne Headly steals the movie. Demi (Cythia) and Glenne (Joyce) play lifelong friends, both beauticians at Joyce's shop. Joyce is married to the insufferable Jimmy (Willis), who alternately ignores, harasses, and hits her, when he's not out partying. Joyce is constantly talking about killing Jimmy, and since the movie begins during the investigation into his death, the movie raises your suspicion from the start.
The entire movie is told as a flashback during the police questioning of Cynthia, and Demi manages to bring to life a scared, distraught, exhausted and defensive woman whose life as a simple mother of two has been turned upside down. Harvey Keitel, as the lead investigator into the case, gives an amazing performance, supplying the audience with the right level of doubt about Cynthia's story to keep the suspense flying until the end - and all while sitting in the same chair for most of the film! Glenne Headly shows just how good she is as Joyce goes from kooky and fun to paranoid and potentially dangerous. The ending manages to tie all the ends of the mystery up while grabbing at your emotions. Truly a satisfying film for a dark and stormy night. -
mjneu599 December 2010Ignore the generic title: this tough and gritty murder investigation is one of the better commercial thrillers to fill a multiplex, and surprisingly cynical considering the otherwise glossy box office appeal of its co-stars. Glenne Headly and Demi Moore portray friends who become accomplices in the death of Headly's abusive husband (played convincingly by, of all people, Bruce Willis). Headly is the prime suspect, but the story is told by Moore, and there's plenty of evidence to suggest her view of the crime is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It's easy to guess the lie in her testimony, making the final surprise somewhat anti-climactic, but the facts at least are tightly plotted and smoothly presented. William Reilly's script maintains a high regard for suspense (even while taking a dim view of marital bliss), and the film shows much of the same distinctive, moody style as director Alan Rudolph's quirky romantic comedies. But the effect, in the service of such a downbeat scenario, is completely different, if no less compelling.
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imseeg2 December 2023Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were lovers back then and both were one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood in the eighties and early nineties, but time hasnt been kind to this movie...
The bad: I remember really digging this intricate storyline with lots of cunning schemes of murder and deceit, but rewatching it in 2023 made me loose interest quite quickly because of the sub par acting performances.
This is meant to be a serious crime drama, but there is a lack of true to life acting, which kinda deflates the whole thrill. Especially Bruce Willis is phoning his performance in, with too much mannerisms that work well in an action movie like Die Hard, but irritate when trying to make a true drama.
Not terrible, but certainly not memorable either.