Malice - Eine Intrige

this is one very good movie.it's got suspense,a twisting plot,great intensity,and a good story.it may not be wholly original,but it think it works,thanks to its three main actors,Alec Baldwin(The Good Shepherd)Nicole Kidman(The Interpreter)and Bill Pullman.But Kidman really surprised me with the intensity she brought to her role.i'm generally not a fan,but she is effective in this movie.the supporting performances are also good.i also like the fact that the movie isn't completely predictable,like happens in so many movies.the movie is also very well paced.there are no lagging spots to slow things down to the point of boredom.anyway,i really enjoyed it. 8/10

Becker's 'Malice' is a little bit of a mixed bag. First of all, there are two stories that hardly have anything to do with each other, one being about a serial killer raping and murdering collegegirls and another about a married couple and a doctor. Sorkin is a gifted writer as is evident in his work for TV but somehow the plot of 'Malice' is a bit contrived, messy and the screenplay lacks depth. The story would have been far more effective if the characters were better developed. There are plenty of twists and suspense but the surprise turns are a little out of place and it is hard to understand the motivation behind the characters' actions. For instance, why would Kidman's character allow herself to get so severely ill and risk her own life in the hands of someone else? Yet, 'Malice' is an entertaining thriller. The plot might be confusing at times but the performances are good, the dialogues are solid and it is technically well executed. The soundtrack flows well and some of the visuals are brilliant. Nicole Kidman is wonderful in spite of a poorly written character. Bill Pullman is great as the naive, passive, boring, pushover husband. Alec Baldwin, who plays Andy's counterpart is equally good. The supporting cast includes talented names life Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bebe Neuarth but their screen time is limited. Bancroft stands out followed by Neuwarth and Gallagher. Overall, 'Malice' is a good enough fun watch if one is looking for something with a little but of suspense, clever dialogue and good acting but there's not much else to look forward to.

...see this first! The Operation (1990) (TV) (From the IMDB listing)

Duplicity reigns supreme as a doctor (Joe Penny) in a messy, emotional divorce from his wife (Kathleen Quinlan) who is also his partner in a medical clinic is suddenly slapped with a $7 million malpractice suit by a patient (Lisa Hartman).

Except for Bill Pullman being the Hartman character's husband instead of Quinlan as the Dr.'s wife the stories were identical! Kind of spoiled the suspense when I realized it. Was this originally from a book? How did Sorkin, McCord and Frank get writing credit for this, anyway?

MALICE is one of those movies that you simply MUST see more than once to believe. The first time through, MALICE is a great psychological thriller, with twists and turns through a plot that contains rape, murder, life-and-death trauma, and a fight to the death...all within the first 45 minutes. The second time through, though, provides a look at all the things you might have missed the first time around...and a chance to savor an outstanding performance from perhaps the most underrated actor in Hollywood, Alec Baldwin.

Bill Pullman plays Andy Safien, an associate dean at a small New England college outside of Boston that's currently under siege by a serial rapist who claims his latest victim as the film opens. Nicole Kidman plays his wife Tracy, a volunteer in the pediatrics ward of St. Agnes Hospital. They're renovating a Victorian house and need $14,000 for the plumbing. Enter Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jed Hill, a former high school classmate of Andy's, who's brand new in town and needs a place to stay. Andy needs the money, Jed needs a room, so the two hook up and soon Jed is sleeping upstairs in the Safiens' home...usually not alone, and his sexual escapades are grating on Tracy's nerves. The rapes continue, Andy is fingered as a suspect, and in the midst of it all, Tracy collapses with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Jed operates to save her life (after a night of drinking and wild partying), but renders her unable to bear children...leading to a malpractice suit from Tracy and an incredible soliloquy on surgeons with a God complex from Jed during the deposition.

But once the first half of the film is over, things really start to roll. Without revealing the rest of the plot, suffice it to say that as Andy, Tracy, and Jed all try to start their lives over again, their fates become inextricably entangled.

The movie is worth seeing once as a thriller. But the second time around, Baldwin's mesmerizing performance is what stands out. Jed is charismatic, seductive, and as charming as a cobra as he weaves his spell over the Safiens. Baldwin's ability to jump from utterly charming to incredibly chilling in the blink of an eye is on full display here; it is truly the performance of a lifetime.

See it once for the suspense, and again for the acting.

Malice is a very gripping mysterious thriller! The opening scene's haunting music will stay with you forever and draw you into a roller coaster ride of suspense, drama, and deceit.

The film revolves around a couple who's lives become interwoven by a mysterious and arrogant surgeon who manipulates and cons his way into their lives with little surprises around every turn. Harold Becker's directing is superb in setting the mood and pacing of the film. There are dramatic moments and secrets in the story that will keep you captivated until the very end. Watch for outstanding performances by Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, and Bill Pullman, as well as a powerful supporting role by Ann Bancroft.

Malice is very difficult to review without giving away parts of the movie, so I will not go into great detail. It's the uncertainties in the movie that make it one to remember. See it, you will not be disappointed! The background musical score is one of the most memorable that I have heard in any movie. Malice is a tale of arrogance, power, mystery, and deception, that must be seen and will be long remembered after the final credits roll.

This is a very fine film that does not get the credit that it deserves!