Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by free.ranger (A) on December 23, 2014 at 20:48:08

An intense psycho-thriller hoodunnit filmed in 1997, directed by a couple named Pate, it stars non-stars.

Tim Roth plays a rich guy with subpar social skills supected of killing a hooker by 2 cops (Chris Penn and Michael Rooker) who are about as bad as any bad guys out there. If you are troubled by police images these days (as many are), then this film won't help you with that.

The cat-and-mouse head games between the suspect and the 2 cops gets multi-layered and twisted. Rene Zellweger plays the girl, Rosanna Arquette is the wife of one of the cops. In all, outstanding performances.

If you need Hollywood-style closures, then you won't like this because there isn't one. You'll still be scratching your head when the end credits are rolling. But you will stay involved start to finish.

The cinematography is outstanding. Colorful, dramatic, and exquisitely nuanced. The filming beautifully enhances the story. Some of the inner situations begged credibility, like the 2 cops playing with Roth and a lie-detector in a closed room for 3 days without anyone else getting involved. Don't let it bother you. Feel the palpable tension between the players.

Its a visual treat and a great mystery story. See this one.