Der Mann, der zweimal starb

Paul Keller (Nicholas Walker) is a Reverend married to Martha (Ally Sheedy) with stepson Edgar. Nobody is happy and he's having an affair with Edgar's teacher Veronica Dow. Charlene Hunt (Sally Kirkland) runs the motel where he has his tryst. In order to escape his life, he plans to fake his own death and running away with Veronica. Instead, he hits his head and suffers amnesia. Disturbed Charlene finds him and keeps it a secret. Insurance investigator Tim Bishop (John Savage) examines Paul's large policy claim.

The story is full of holes. I don't see how any of it is supposed to work. There is no way that a death could be declared so soon without a body. The police is non-existent in the plot. I don't know how he's supposed to get his hands on his insurance money. I don't know why Veronica would work with Martha and vice versa. It seems to be trying for a black comedy but it doesn't work. It's trying to do a lot. Honestly, I was only interested to check out Ally Sheedy and she's fine. This movie is not so fine. It just doesn't work.

Paul Keller (Nicholas Walker) is a Father married with the widow with a son Martha Keller (Ally Sheedy) and lives in a small town. He has an affair with the local schoolteacher Veronica Dow (Dara Tomanovich) in a hotel managed by Charlene Hunt (Sally Kirkland), who has a crush for Paul. One day, he pretends to fake his death and leave town with Veronica, but he indeed suffers an accident and loses his memory. A crap investigator (John Savage) from the insurance company comes to the town, where very strange situations will happen. This movie blends `Misery' with `Fatal Attraction' and is not indicated for all the publics, but for the viewers who enjoy a very black humor flick. My vote is six.

Instead, go to the zoo, buy some peanuts and feed 'em to the monkeys. Monkeys are funny. People with amnesia who don't say much, just sit there with vacant eyes are not all that funny.

Black comedy? There isn't a black person in it, and there isn't one funny thing in it either.

Walmart buys these things up somehow and puts them on their dollar rack. It's labeled Unrated. I think they took out the topless scene. They may have taken out other stuff too, who knows? All we know is that whatever they took out, isn't there any more.

The acting seemed OK to me. There's a lot of unfathomables tho. It's supposed to be a city? It's supposed to be a big lake? If it's so hot in the church people are fanning themselves, why are they all wearing coats?

Towards the end of this thriller Ally Sheedy's gaunt latter-day image is used creatively to make up more than one hauntingly evil image. She convinces one that, if a nasty Bette Davis-type role were to come her way, she could carry it off brilliantly. Unfortunately, I can't find many other reasons for seeing this. If you've wondered what Sheedy looks like in a pair of old-fashioned glasses (but why should anyone?) then here's your answer. For the rest, Sally Kirkland's sex-starved crazy woman is really tiresome, and even if you like this sort of thing more than I do you'll have to admit that the tension sags badly during these scenes. Savage's drunken brute of an insurance agent is equally distasteful but at least it's a small role. Of the leading actors, Nicholas Walker inspires no sympathy at all for Paul Keller's plight and his acting is wooden. Dara Tomanovich is better and during her scenes with Sheedy the level rises a little. Sheedy's meticulous, understated performance (though she often seems to be on automatic pilot) is admirable in itself but out of context with the rest. The sets are drab, the camera-work undistinguished.

I liked the movie a real lot. Wanted to see it just for Dara Tomanovich, but the plot and story were ok too. A very cool change in plot when you least expect it.