This remake of the 1950 classic film noir of the same name cleverly utilises a combination of old and new elements to create an entertaining thriller which, although designed for 1980s moviegoers, still has a strong appeal to contemporary audiences.
Fans of the original will particularly appreciate the fact that the basic premise of the story has been retained and will also enjoy the black and white sequences at the beginning and end of the movie which provide a stylish homage to Rudolph Mate's film. Those not familiar with the original will also find it an enjoyable mystery which involves murder, jealousy, campus politics and a very unusual motive for murder.
University professor Dexter (Dex) Cornell (Dennis Quaid) goes into a police station to report his own murder and as his story is recorded on video tape, it becomes clear that he's been poisoned with a slow acting substance which left him with less than 48 hours to track down his killer and to find out why anyone would want to murder him.
Dex had written some successful novels but when writer's block set in, he'd become disillusioned and progressively lost interest in what he was doing. His despair became even greater when one of his most talented students, Nick Lang (Robert Knepper) died after falling from a high building and his wife Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) pressed him to go ahead with action to speed up their divorce. Dexter then reacted by seeking consolation in the local bars where he met Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan) who was one of his students who had a crush on him. The couple then got drunk together and went back to Sydney's place.
Next morning when Dex woke up feeling ill, he knew he was suffering from something more serious than a hangover and checks at a local clinic confirmed that he'd been poisoned. There was no antidote which could help his condition and so, knowing that he didn't have long to live, he decided to visit Gail who had been involved in an affair with Nick. When Dex found her dead body, the police immediately suspected him of murdering both her and Nick. Dex took an opportunity to escape from the police and then decided to force Sydney to go with him to the places they'd visited the previous night, to try to discover who'd murdered him.
During Dex's frantic race against time he learned more about Nick's complicated family background and together with Sydney escaped the attentions of a vicious assailant who pursued them with a nail gun. The identity of the murderer surprises Dex but the motive proves to be even more shocking.
Directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel employ an interesting combination of stylistic influences which work together very effectively. The use of high and low angle shots, close-ups and tilted camera angles are also especially successful as they reflect the sense of chaos and confusion which prevails through certain passages of the action.
This is a film which features good performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Charlotte Rampling and has a premise which gives its story a natural sense of pace and urgency. Add to this a number of twists and numerous moments of suspense and humour and the final result is an intriguing mystery which is great fun to watch.
Fans of the original will particularly appreciate the fact that the basic premise of the story has been retained and will also enjoy the black and white sequences at the beginning and end of the movie which provide a stylish homage to Rudolph Mate's film. Those not familiar with the original will also find it an enjoyable mystery which involves murder, jealousy, campus politics and a very unusual motive for murder.
University professor Dexter (Dex) Cornell (Dennis Quaid) goes into a police station to report his own murder and as his story is recorded on video tape, it becomes clear that he's been poisoned with a slow acting substance which left him with less than 48 hours to track down his killer and to find out why anyone would want to murder him.
Dex had written some successful novels but when writer's block set in, he'd become disillusioned and progressively lost interest in what he was doing. His despair became even greater when one of his most talented students, Nick Lang (Robert Knepper) died after falling from a high building and his wife Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) pressed him to go ahead with action to speed up their divorce. Dexter then reacted by seeking consolation in the local bars where he met Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan) who was one of his students who had a crush on him. The couple then got drunk together and went back to Sydney's place.
Next morning when Dex woke up feeling ill, he knew he was suffering from something more serious than a hangover and checks at a local clinic confirmed that he'd been poisoned. There was no antidote which could help his condition and so, knowing that he didn't have long to live, he decided to visit Gail who had been involved in an affair with Nick. When Dex found her dead body, the police immediately suspected him of murdering both her and Nick. Dex took an opportunity to escape from the police and then decided to force Sydney to go with him to the places they'd visited the previous night, to try to discover who'd murdered him.
During Dex's frantic race against time he learned more about Nick's complicated family background and together with Sydney escaped the attentions of a vicious assailant who pursued them with a nail gun. The identity of the murderer surprises Dex but the motive proves to be even more shocking.
Directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel employ an interesting combination of stylistic influences which work together very effectively. The use of high and low angle shots, close-ups and tilted camera angles are also especially successful as they reflect the sense of chaos and confusion which prevails through certain passages of the action.
This is a film which features good performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Charlotte Rampling and has a premise which gives its story a natural sense of pace and urgency. Add to this a number of twists and numerous moments of suspense and humour and the final result is an intriguing mystery which is great fun to watch.