Persons Unknown (1996)

A twisted thriller in which a security expert is scammed by a woman and her sister only to return the favor.System Requirements:Running Time: 99 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: NR UPC: 658769710632 Manufacturer No: VF7106 Product Description

One of Naomi Watts's best, well before her A-list days.

If you're a Naomi Watts fan, you will definitely enjoy this little noirish film, made during her pre-stardom days. She plays the part of paraplegic Molly, wheelchair-bound very young when her drunken sister (played by an excellent Kelly Lynch) crashed their car. The basic crime plot (the 2 sisters, with help, robbing a drug house of its cash) serves as a frame for a nice love story, as Joe Mantegna's character quickly falls in love with Molly. Much of the dialogue is stilted, and J. T. Walsh's sleazy police lieutenant is over the top, as is the drug cartel's hitman in the long black raincoat. But, through it all, Naomi excellently portrays a broken woman giving her all simply to hang on, and help her drug-addled sister. She tells her suitor, "I can't give you what you want." while her actions subtly show her growing attraction and trust in him. The ending, as in most noirs, is violent and tragic, but well worth sticking around for, and cemented Naomi Watts' creds, as far as I was concerned.

December 1, 2007

too formula to enjoy

Somewhat average film that wastes compelling and tragic interpersonal relationships (not enough attention was paid to this interesting angle to make it worth while) and instead focuses on cop turned P.I. on the trail of thieves who steal from drug lords. But all is not it seems as he ends up falling in love, going on the run from the bad guys (with all the prerequisite twists and betrayals) all leading to the showdown. We all know how this ends and I really didn't care one way or the other at that point. Give this one a miss. July 4, 2007

Underrated movie but poor DVD transfer

I give the actual movie 4 stars but the DVD 2 stars, hence the 3 star overall rating.

About the movie itself: I first watched this some years ago late night on HBO, apparently one of those straight to video movies. I was taken by it on first viewing, and since then, have seen it in part or whole numerous times as it also has aired on Showtime, Cinemax, TMC, back to HBO and so on, always on late nights and usually on weekends (these cable networks seem to pass this movie around like that girl who guys are only interested in when... well, you get the picture.)

OK, the plot is a standard crime movie with a botched heist, murders, betrayal, etc. Nothing you haven't seen before. And the villains, in this case Colombian drug dealers (that's new, eh?) are cliched. However, these plot elements are tangential to the main focus of the movie, which is on the relationship between Joe Mantegna and Naomi Watts' characters. Both have endured pain, loss and isolation from their respective tragedies, and find solace in each others' company and pain.

I found the dialogue and interaction between them to be very poignant and moving, especially in the way they reveal their past to each other. While Mantegna, a fine actor, probably has been better in other movies, he is still at the top of his game. And I've never seen Watts act better, either before or after this movie, even in her more lauded performances. She's never been more beautiful too.

Kelly Lynch also gives the performance of her career (granted, her career is not Meryl Streep's) as a very unstable heroin addict. J.T. Walsh and
Xander Berkeley also give solid performances. Jan Favreau, however, here very buffed out, is not very good. His performance, however, is kind of entertaining in an over the top way. The score is also evocative, poignant and memorable.

About the DVD: I was kind of looking forward to this on DVD, but the actual release is pretty disappointing. Few chapters, no extras or subtitles, average sound. However, the main problem I had was w/ the picture. Though in letterbox, the transfer was obviously not touched up at all, and is grainy and drained, especially in night scenes. This movie is photographed very well and there are some beautifully framed shots courtesy of Hickenlooper and the DP, but a lot of that is taken away from this inferior transfer.

The transfer on the premium movie channels version is far more vibrant and clean. This, however, looks like VHS or some 8 MM student video at times. Save your money unless you're a fan of this movie. Actually, strike that. If you're a fan of this movie, wait for it when it eventually turns up on late night cable in a couple of months. March 8, 2007

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