Tödliche Gedanken

An unfairly underestimated thriller , with a an ongoing suspense , and five efficient actors (Headley ,Moore,Willis ,Neal ,and particularly Keitel as the stubborn cop who feels that there's something which does not quite fit) There are similarities with the French classic ,"les diaboliques "(Henri-Georges Clouzot ,1954) remade several times in the US : two women ,a hateful husband who humiliates his wife before her clientele in her hairdressing salon (like the headmaster did in front of the students) , and a van which plays a prominent part in both movies.

There the comparison ends ; the unexpected final twist is pretty smart ,after long questionings in the police station ; this excellent psychological thriller deserved better than this poor rating.

The hairdresser, wife and mother Cynthia Kellogg (Demi Moore) is in police department being interrogated by the experienced detective John Woods (Harvey Keitel) and his partner, Detective Linda Nealon (Billie Neal). Through flashbacks, she reveals how her best friend and colleague Joyce Urbanski (Glenne Headly) married the scum and nasty James Urbanski (Bruce Willis); how hard Joyce's life with James was; and why Joyce became a criminal. The smart detective finds some contradictions in her statement and presses Cynthia, trying to disclose the truth of two murders.

"Mortal Thoughts" is an intriguing and underrated low budget thriller. The storyline is simple but the tight screenplay and outstanding performances of the cast are impressive. Demi Moore performs a mother living in the dilemma between disclosing a secret and hiding the truth. Harvey Keitel in the role of an astute detective is amazing, finding the controversies in the testimony of Cynthia. Glenne Headly is also great, in the role of an abused and unsecured low class woman. Bruce Willis has a different role, performing a disgusting drug addicted. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Pensamentos Mortais" ("Mortal Thoughts")

Note: On 15 May 2016, I saw this film again.

Note: On 29 December 2022, I saw this film again.

"Mortal Thoughts" manages to sustain your interest throughout: it is a well-structured murder mystery with good performances by the entire cast, particularly from Bruce Willis (in one of his most unconventional roles) and Harvey Keitel who, despite his limited screen time, steals the show. But the film still falls short, maybe because it never really takes off. The final twist probably influenced the screenwriter of a very popular mid-90's cop film; those who have seen both films will understand which one I'm talking about.

I can't say the movie was awful, just that it was awfully slow. It seemed to have been filmed in slo-mo, if you know what I mean. The acting was decent, and there was a twist at the end, but by the time I got there, I was just glad for it to be over.

The Carnival Scene in Mortal Thoughts was actually filmed in a small-time amusement park in Scotch Plains, New Jersey called Bowcraft. The park is still in operation today and is better than ever. Ironically the Ferris Wheel that appears on the cover of the movie has since been removed due to the death of a child a few years back.