Style: Suspense Drama
Director: Kikuo Kawasaki
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Marley Shelton, Talia Shire, Devon Gummersall
Operating Time: 99 minutes
Synopsis: In Phoenix, newspaper reporter Elden (Devon Gummersall) is assigned to cowl the trial of Elsie (Marley Shelton), who’s accused of homicide. Flashbacks to Elden’s highschool days reveal his crush on the alluring Elsie. However she is extra excited by Rick Chambers (Dennis Hopper), an older businessman married to the rich Martha (Talia Shire), who suffers from a weak coronary heart. Rick and Martha would each prefer to eliminate one another, inspiring Elsie to hatch a self-serving plan.
What Works Effectively: The primary half generates some small-town intrigue as diner server Elsie (in search of a ticket out of city), businessman Rick (in search of wealth), and his spouse Martha (in search of respect) reveal self-serving agendas and plot in opposition to one another.
What Does Not Work As Effectively: This can be a low-budget tried neo-noir with rudimentary manufacturing values, however spiced with a couple of steamy intercourse scenes. The narration is cringey, the appearing wood, plot ambitions are undermined by shortcuts, and key pivot factors like Martha’s coronary heart situation and Elden’ weird affliction (arousal + alcohol = fainting) are loudly pre-announced. All in a matter of a sentence, one key character will get married to a hitherto unintroduced associate, one other character is imprisoned, and a homicide accusation makes its option to trial besides that it is debatable whether or not a homicide ever really occurred.
Key Quote:
Rick (to Elsie): You simply wish to get away from all of it.
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