This movie didn't win any awards at film festivals, or hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, over and above The New York Times called it "one of the season's biggest disappointments". However, I beg to differ!
First of all, I'm crazy about such a plot which can make the whole world collapse on the head of its hero in only one or two days, whatever the genre is (Die Hard, 1941, Hello Dolly.. etc). Here, it's the perfect thriller: How to find the one who killed YOU, in just less than 48 hours! I said a genuine WAW when I knew that it had been done firstly in 1949. It's a great formula for a strong noir, sharp thrill, and a substance too.
Speaking of which, it seemed as an elegy of our modern life, where materialism is a sly dominant, and idealism is a naive victim. So when you're living in a world of unfaithful people, to discover eventually that your closest friend is the one who planned to kill you--then definitely you're dying. And the message was unmistakable, especially with the main character living his death literally at the end: Try to find the ones who really love you, try to do the right thing by facing evil early enough before it destroys you or others, and to be that cautious not that blind all the time.. Or should I say all the time you've got!
(Meg Ryan) was fabulous. She was at the top of her loveliness and tenderness. (Dennis Quaid) was at his best also. He did some unforgettable efforts, to the extent that I believed how he was that grieved sarcastic professor. The 2 directors, (Annabel Jankal) & (Rocky Morton), made a very good job to sense the oddity of the moment through solidly suspenseful atmosphere.
I'm in love with some scenes where everything was quite perfect: (Quaid) knows that he's going to die, so he runs in the streets like a shadow with a screamer electronic guitar; it was how to define "helpless" cinematically. The song at the bar, (Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection) by (Timbuk. J), which refers to the absorption in materialism, plus this whole scene and the smile of (Ryan) at its end too. And the moment when the wealthy wife finds out about the suicide of the student. It has interesting image and sound, which made it a worth watching experience. However, this movie wasn't all top-notch.
Yes, it's technically glaring, but maybe the script cared of making hot chases, more than strengthening the deep concept about the end of a guiltless guy in such a horrific dark world where perfidy rules, or the poisoning of the intellectual in this savagely violent community where money owns souls. Actually, the types of people which the movie presented didn't express that important motif, and were just cards in a fun card game.
All in all, it's about being alive indeed, not to be dead and alive in the same time. And that was said in a movie which was so alive suspensefully more than intellectually, but close to dead when it comes to appreciate its real amusing time.
First of all, I'm crazy about such a plot which can make the whole world collapse on the head of its hero in only one or two days, whatever the genre is (Die Hard, 1941, Hello Dolly.. etc). Here, it's the perfect thriller: How to find the one who killed YOU, in just less than 48 hours! I said a genuine WAW when I knew that it had been done firstly in 1949. It's a great formula for a strong noir, sharp thrill, and a substance too.
Speaking of which, it seemed as an elegy of our modern life, where materialism is a sly dominant, and idealism is a naive victim. So when you're living in a world of unfaithful people, to discover eventually that your closest friend is the one who planned to kill you--then definitely you're dying. And the message was unmistakable, especially with the main character living his death literally at the end: Try to find the ones who really love you, try to do the right thing by facing evil early enough before it destroys you or others, and to be that cautious not that blind all the time.. Or should I say all the time you've got!
(Meg Ryan) was fabulous. She was at the top of her loveliness and tenderness. (Dennis Quaid) was at his best also. He did some unforgettable efforts, to the extent that I believed how he was that grieved sarcastic professor. The 2 directors, (Annabel Jankal) & (Rocky Morton), made a very good job to sense the oddity of the moment through solidly suspenseful atmosphere.
I'm in love with some scenes where everything was quite perfect: (Quaid) knows that he's going to die, so he runs in the streets like a shadow with a screamer electronic guitar; it was how to define "helpless" cinematically. The song at the bar, (Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection) by (Timbuk. J), which refers to the absorption in materialism, plus this whole scene and the smile of (Ryan) at its end too. And the moment when the wealthy wife finds out about the suicide of the student. It has interesting image and sound, which made it a worth watching experience. However, this movie wasn't all top-notch.
Yes, it's technically glaring, but maybe the script cared of making hot chases, more than strengthening the deep concept about the end of a guiltless guy in such a horrific dark world where perfidy rules, or the poisoning of the intellectual in this savagely violent community where money owns souls. Actually, the types of people which the movie presented didn't express that important motif, and were just cards in a fun card game.
All in all, it's about being alive indeed, not to be dead and alive in the same time. And that was said in a movie which was so alive suspensefully more than intellectually, but close to dead when it comes to appreciate its real amusing time.