ZenVortex

This is a well-crafted "love triangle" movie in the visual style of film noir, but without the plot development typical of film noir. No murders, gangsters, or cops. The cinematography is excellent and Preminger shows his mastery as a director, eliciting stellar performances from Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.

Crawford in particular shows her star quality with superbly nuanced articulation and facial expressions. Her opening lines are amazing to listen to, her voice quavering nervously to show that she is under tremendous emotional pressure.

Dana Andrews gives probably the best performance of his career as the cheating husband who really wants to make things work, but is torn between his neurotic wife, his adorable kids, and his mistress.

Henry Fonda gives a brilliantly understated characterization of an eccentric war-torn hero hiding behind a veneer of gentleness and innocence, who cleverly but compassionately manipulates the situation in order to bring about a satisfactory resolution.

There a few plot twists and a happy ending. Highly recommended.

This movie is an effective remake of Fatal Attraction with competent direction, superior cinematography, and good performances by the entire cast.

Uber-hunk Idris Elba is convincing as a successful asset manager who becomes the target of a predatory psychopathic temp worker, well-played by the lovely Ali Larter. Songstress Beyonce Knowles demonstrates her acting chops as Idris's devoted wife, who gets a unpleasant surprise when she realizes her man has become entangled with another woman.

The plot generally follows Fatal Attraction, culminating in a glorious "cat-fight-to-the-death" scene with Beyonce and Ali viciously clawing at each others throats. There are some cool plot twists like when Ali spikes Idris's drink with a date-rape drug (yes, there really are predatory bitches who do that!). Although the movie has some minor flaws, the strong performances by the main characters are well worth watching. The cinematography is excellent with spectacular shots of downtown Los Angeles. The direction is well-paced and builds up tension reminiscent of a Hitchcock thriller.

Frankly, I'm surprised the movie hasn't gotten better reviews. Perhaps disappointed viewers were expecting a shoot-em-up action flick, or perhaps talented African-Americans in leading roles with a White woman villain are not yet acceptable to mainstream America. Whatever the reason, by all objective standards this is a well-crafted movie and I recommend it.

Stylistically, this is one the best films noir ever made. Beautiful classic noir cinematography from beginning to end. Taut direction and great performances from the entire cast make this a true classic.

In one of his best roles, Van Heflin convincingly portrays a WW2 veteran who has rebuilt his life as a civic leader in small town America. Janet Leigh is perfect as his naive, adoring wife, and together they are living the American dream when suddenly his past comes back to haunt him in the form of menacing, gun-toting Robert Ryan.

As the film unfolds, we learn about Van Heflin's tragic secret and the inner demons that torment his soul. Relentlessly pursued by Ryan, who is on a mission of vengeance, Van Heflin finds solace in the company of Mary Astor, who delivers an effective performance as an aging prostitute with useful connections. The tension builds relentlessly until Van Heflin finds redemption in a Western-style shootout beside the town's railroad tracks.

This beautifully crafted film epitomizes the noir style and is not to be missed.