Category Archives: Suspense

1989, Detective, Drama, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Mystery Film, Nudity, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

Sea of Love (1989)

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From NetFlix:

Lonely, burnt-out NYPD detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino, in a Golden Globe-nominated performance) is on the hunt for a serial killer who uses personal ads to attract potential victims in director Harold Becker’s taut, suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, Frank falls hard for Helen (Ellen Barkin), the alluring top suspect in the case. Now, their white-hot attraction could save him — or kill him.

In every Al Pacino film I have seen, his personality is more or less the same: wisecracking tough guy. Although this film is no exception to that comment, the younger Al Pacino here is slightly softer, slightly more vulnerable. His paring with John Goodman works well. Catching the serial killer, while the central theme, is really secondary to Al Pacino’s dealing with his sad personal life. “Sea of Love” is as representative of any Pacino fiilm that I have seen, although he was excellent in Angels In America (2003).

2008, Could be boring, Crime, Detective, Drama, Explicit sex, Mediocre, Suspense, Violent

Righteous Kill (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Al Pacino drive this taut thriller as New York City detectives tasked with investigating a rash of vigilante killings that are linked to an old case, suggesting they might have put an innocent man behind bars. John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Brian Dennehy, Donnie Wahlberg and rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent also star in director Jon Avnet’s crime drama, penned by Russel Gerwitz (Inside Man).

Give this one a B (for sometimes “boring”). Some of the details seemed confusing. However, the film adds up to a plot twist that caught me unprepared. Not a total waste. Instead try In the Cut (2003), Edge of Darkness (1986), Desperate Measures (1998) , or Before The Frost (2002).

2001, Drama, Love Story, Suspense, Violent, War

Enemy At The Gates (2001)

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From NetFlix:

Set during the infamous World War II siege of Stalingrad, this potent thriller follows a battle of wits and wills between renowned Russian sharpshooter Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) and top German sniper Maj. König (Ed Harris). When propaganda from a Red Army apparatchik (Joseph Fiennes) turns Zaitsev into a living legend, it draws the attention of König, who comes gunning for his enemy counterpart. Rachel Weisz and Bob Hoskins also star

Based on a true story (the final credits discuss the existing memorial to Vassili Zaitsev in Russia), you are constantly immersed in the ugliness of a besieged Stalingrad. Possibly the story is a bit predictable (how else could it end ?), but the story is also interesting and its suspense and character interactions work. All the acting is good but Ed Harris as a very self-assured German sharpshooter stands out in my mind.

Comrade Stalin’s spirit seems to hang over the film. I found it difficult to accept him as the motivating leader of the Russian soldiers. But that’s how it was in those times. Moreover, the failure of the Germans to take Stalingrad was an important part of their eventual defeat.

And wasn’t it striking to see Bob Hoskins as a somewhat young Nikita Krushchev ?

1984, Coen Brothers, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Drama, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Blood Simple (1984)

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From NetFlix:

In a jealous rage, Texas tavern owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) hires unscrupulous private detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh) to not only tail Marty’s two-timing spouse (Frances McDormand, in her big-screen debut) but also murder her and her paramour (John Getz). But events take a surprising turn when the gumshoe double-crosses his client. Joel Coen directs this stylish shocker co-written with brother Ethan Coen.

This is the first film that the Coen Brothers did together. For a recap of their career see the Wikipedia article which makes a table of 17 of their films including Barton Fink (1991), No Country For Old Men (2007), and Romance & Cigarettes (2005).

Violence seems to be their trademark. However, for me the attraction of the film was its firm foundation in gritty, believable reality. Special effects need not apply! The slow acting is pace-perfect. Part of that slow pace owes to an awful lot of actors just staring without saying anything. But in this film that style seems to work. When was the last time you saw a film in which the possible failure of a car to start was especially nerve-wracking ?

25 years ago, a very young Fances McDormand got by with a minimum of acting. John Getz seems to have spent most of his career in TV. Ditto for Dan Hedaya. M. Emmet Walsh is a face you have seen everywhere probably without knowing his name. For me Walsh had the most memorable part: evil with an ironic sense of humor. His part at the end is unforgettable.

If you want to watch Coen brother films, this is the place to start.

2010, Car Chase, Complicated, Conspiracy, Drama, Nudity, Suspense, Violent

The Ghost Writer (2010)

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From NetFlix:

A writer (Ewan McGregor) stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician’s assistant drowns in a mysterious accident. In director Roman Polanski’s tense drama, the author realizes that his discovery threatens some very powerful people who will do anything to ensure that certain episodes from Lang’s past remain buried.

First of all notice the “The” in the title. Do not confuse this film with a disaster entitled “Ghost Writer” with Alan Cumming and David Boreanaz.

Three of us went to see “The Ghost Writer” in a theater. The plot is complicated enough that afterwards we tried for hours to untangle the details. I am sorry to say that this time the Wikipedia article does not give a detailed plot summary. So we can go on arguing forever.

All the right elements are here for your enjoyment: scenery, good acting, challenging plot, incredible ending. I would enjoy hearing your reaction to the last scene.

For the star gazers among us, note that Ewan McGregor has played in so many films (listed in IMDB) that we mention only Brassed Off (1996), Deception (2008), Miss Potter (2006), Moulin Rouge (2001) , and many parts of “Star Wars”.

See Pierce Brosnan in Shattered (2007) as well as many James Bond films.

You can read Rolling Stone’s review for some interesting details.

2007, Crime, Kidnapping, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Shattered (2007)

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From NetFlix:

Neil (Gerard Butler) and Abby’s (Maria Bello) perfect life in Chicago is instantly turned upside down when their little girl (Emma Karwandy) is abducted by a kidnapper (Pierce Brosnan) with an elaborate scheme. With the clock ticking on their daughter’s life, the couple is totally forced to comply with the wishes of a true madman. Mike Barker directs this thriller; Desiree Zurowski and Claudette Mink co-star.

In this film Gerard Butler is passable. What this film is good for is plain old suspense and clever plot twists. It held my interest throughout.

2009, Car Chase, Crime, Drama, Suspense, Violent

Armored (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Armored truck guards Mike (Matt Dillon), Baines (Laurence Fishburne) and Quinn (Jean Reno) turn against one another after their plan to steal $10 million from their own company goes seriously haywire. A witness throws a wrench into their seemingly flawless strategy, so each man scrambles to save his own skin — whatever the cost to the other conspirators. Nimród Antal directs and Columbus Short co-stars

In the beginning “Armored” seems ordinary. It establishes the tight bonds between the guards who drive the armored trucks (“Rescue Me” anyone ?). But once again stay with the film. Basically the film is much about moral character and how humans react in times of great stress. In fact some of the characters are not just black and white (no pun intended), rather they change as the film progresses. Of course, it IS a car chase film with its usual macho roughness. Matt Dillon is a great changeling. Laurence Fishburne is an overweight disappointment.

One of the more original films in the car chase category that I have seen.

2009, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Lawyers, Suspense, Violent

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Michael Douglas stars as corrupt district attorney Mark Hunter in this remake of Fritz Lang’s noir classic about a reporter, C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe), who sets himself up as the prime suspect in a murder he didn’t commit in order to expose Hunter’s misdeeds. Nicholas’s plans go awry, however, when Hunter discovers the trap and destroys the evidence that would exonerate the cub reporter. Amber Tamblyn and Orlando Jones co-star.

In this film the suspense is so overwhelming that I stayed glued to my seat the entire time. If at one point the story seems to have too easy a solution, stay with the film to the very last second. More I will not say, but there are plot twists.

Although I marked the film as violent, you do not see any personal attacks, just some threatening scenes and one amazing scene in an underground parking lot.

Jesse Metcalf is John Rowland in “Desperate Hosewives”. Amber Tamblyn is Tibby in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.

If you like suspense, this is a must see!.

2001, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Detective, Drama, Religious Theme, Suspense, Violent

Frailty (2001)

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From NetFlix:

Director Bill Paxton’s gripping thriller has evil at its core — and a family in the crossfire. FBI agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) is trying to track down “God’s Hand,” a notorious murderer who’s resurfaced years after terrorizing a Texas town. The Meeks family — Fenton, Adam and their dad — gets involved when past and present converge and a long-tormented conscience is assuaged. Levi Kreis and Matthew McConaughey co-star.

Because I couldn’t stop watching, I knew I had stumbled on an excellent, suspenseful, psychological thriller and mystery with wonderful plot turns. More I will not say. But if you get confused, you can always read the Wikipedia article. The marvel in the film is that most of the film action takes place at a natural easily explained level of understanding. That, in part, is what makes watching this film so difficult. Indeed there is violence and killing. But the film is too intelligent to engage in explicit gore.

Matthew McConaughey, for once, is not a glamour boy. He, and all the actors, play their parts to perfection.

Toward the end of the film the film offers a new perspective. If anyone watches this film, please let me know how you reacted to this change.

2001, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Detective, Drama, Drugs, Horror, Imperfect, Medical Theme, Mystery Film, Occasional gore, Suspense, Violent

From Hell (2001)

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From NetFlix:

Johnny Depp stars as an opium-huffing inspector from Scotland Yard who falls for one of Jack the Ripper’s prostitute targets (Heather Graham) in this Hughes brothers adaption of a graphic novel that posits the Ripper’s true identity. Ian Holm and Robbie Coltrane co-star in this genre-bending drama that marked Albert and Allen Hughes’s laudable attempt to break out of their pigeonhole as “black directors.”

Dark, gory, not Depp’s best. In a sense this is a mystery story: who is Jack the Ripper ? It’s almost as this film goes out of its way to discredit the Victorian power structure and especially the royal family. Give this film a shaky B and find something else.