In a Shallow Grave (1988) User Reviews

Could Have Been A Lot Better

[yawael · 5/10 · 17 November 2018]

To begin with this is probably one of the hardest film to find in the market so the best thing is to get it from Amazon or see it online .

Anyway the story talks about a soldier from WWII (Michael Biehn) who returned to his town after being burned in one of the battles and since then he live his life a lone served and befriended by his own servant (Michael Beach) and most of the time he ask him to write to his lover (Maureen Mueller) that he didn't see since the accident in order not to scare her or loosing her, after what happened to his face and body. He only goes at nights to take a look at her so he can see her without being seen. after a while an escaping young guy (Patrick Dempsey) come and live with him in one condition to help him writing and sending letters to his love. and after that a love triangle appears between these three characters.

To be honest i was expecting more from this film because of it's a great cast, but unfortunately that wasn't enough (Michael Biehn) was good in his role and tried hard in a lot to show us the feeling and the pain that he is dealing with everyday, but the problem was,which reminds me also of every film made about Anna Karenina: An hour and a half isn't enough to describe Anna character to the audience, because it's a complicated one (and that also goes for Garnet character).The running time of the film was very short which made the film goes so fast in a lot of scenes like the battle scene it was very very brief , the hospital scene, even the love triangle didn't developed very well not to mention the end of the story , i mean how can a guy return to his love who she dumped him for the other guy who also was starting to have feeling to him!. I don't think this is a bad film , but comparing it to the novel which is based on, make it a little bit weak.

Nevertheless i highly recommend it for both Biehn and Beach performances

final rate: 5 out of 10

Compelling Interaction on Socially Flawed Persons

[richard.fuller1 · 8 February 2002]

MIcheal Beihn is Garnet Montrose, a wounded soldier who returns from the war, horribly scarred, he now feels he is too hideous for his beloved, Ann. The only one who will see him is Quintus, played by Micheal Beach, the black worker who minds him and runs errands for him. For the early part of the twentieth century, Garnet has taken a risk and taught Quintus how to read. Enter Daventry, played by Patrick Dempsey. An aimless, wandering soul, Daventry becomes the third player in the Garnet-Ann relationship. As he tells Garnet what to write to Ann, the passionate emotion he feels within his heart, it becomes clear Daventry has fallen for Garnet. Now Daventry must deliver messages to the woman Garnet loves. This was an incredible Cyrano DeBergerac reversed story that while not having scene stealing performances, due to its subtlety, it is a compelling saga to watch unfold. Further enhancing the forbidden love is Quintus, who while at times the very amusing comedy relief, his humor is very realistic, he also makes astonishing stabs at how it is to be black in the white society. Quintus stands at the amusing moments, such as the fall from the window and the storm destroying the furniture and not the house, but he is also at one of the most poignant times as well, such as when he tells Garnet that Daventry is in love with him. Garnet refuses to believe him at first. The ending climax is a bit unclear as to what exactly happened, but the rest of the story, including the finale makes up for it. There just seemed to be nowhere else for the story to go.