Island Prey (2001)

A Night of Sin, a Season of Fear

Neglected rich wife Cathy (Olivia Hussey), stranded on an island overnight, gets involved with a widowed boat owner (Anthony John Denison), and tells him of her frustrations with her husband, and that "like Los Angeles, I'm still waiting for the big one." He seduces her with wine and romantic music, and along with giving in to temptation, Cathy gets much more than she bargained for. A one-night stand turns into an obsessive nightmare, as she tries to keep her secret from her husband (Don Murray), while getting advice from their attorney (Edward Asner). Though the script is awkward at times and the plot predictable, there is a certain amount of suspense in this thriller that is a "mature chick flick," as all the main actors are in the over forty and then some category.

Olivia Hussey will be always remembered as Franco Zeffirelli's Juliet in his 1968 "Romeo and Juliet," and Mary in his 1977 "Jesus of Nazareth." Hussey looks fragile and pale, but at 50 still beautiful with her aquiline profile, and her petite figure (though costumed in some ill-fitting blouses in this film). She does the best she can with her rather thankless part as the stalking victim, and Don Murray, a long way from starring with Marilyn Monroe in "Bus Stop" (1958), is good as the wronged husband. Edward Asner however stumbles a bit, and one gets the impression he got hold of the script an hour before his scenes took place. Written and directed by William Riead, it's shot on location in the Los Angeles area, and has a score by Sean Murray that is very effective, and helps give this film some dramatic tension. This is a low budget film that entertains if your expectations are not high, and good for rainy Saturday afternoon TV fare. Total running time is 86 minutes.
September 29, 2005

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