Jennifer 8: testigo clave

At times, this movie is mesmerizing and mysterious, a really good story about a serial killer who targets blind women. But at other times it is unbearably stupid and overdone.

Andy Garcia is OK part of the time and terrible when he portrays any strong emotion, like anger. He and Uma Thurman are good together at times, like when she is freaked out over the party and Andy comforts her.

This is a "B" movie but it aspires to be an "A" flick. John Malkovich is wonderful, at times, as he often is, when given almost nothing to work with.

Lots of the time the story just feel empty. Gets worse as it goes on.

With Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman and John Malkovich all playing intriguing characters, this should have been better than it was. It was okay, but nothing special. Had the main character, "Sgt. John Berlin," (Garcia) been more likable to me, perhaps I would have rated it higher. He was just too excitable and profane in parts, yet remarkably composed when grilled by Malkovich's character near the end. Malkovich played "Agent St. Anne," an annoying, nasty investigative cop who you hate. His acting is usually so good that you have no trouble believing his roles.

Overall, this thriller is fine for one look, meaning more of a rental than a purchase. Note: That is not Thurman nude in the bathtub, but a stand-in. That kind of sums up the film, too - okay, but not the real thing.

This is easily one of the most underrated Hollywood films of the nineties - it's got a compelling script, beautiful performances (particularly from Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman, and John Malkovitch in a short but unforgettable cameo.), some of the best cinematography ever set on film (director of photography Conrad Hall later went on to shoot 'American Beauty'.), and one of the greatest scores ever written by underrated composer Christopher Young. As it is, this film is heaven from a filmmaker's perspective and a pretty damn good drama to boot. Highly recommended.

Jennifer 8 is written and directed by Bruce Robinson. It stars Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman, John Malkovich, Lance Henriksen, Kathy Baker and Graham Beckel. Music is by Christopher Young and cinematography by Conrad Hall.

The small town of Eureka and John Berlin (Garcia) is the new cop in the precinct. When a severed hand is found at the local dump it leads Berlin to believe a serial killer is at work. One who has a penchant for blind girls.

The problems quickly mounted up for Jennifer 8, it flopped big in America and went straight to home format release in the UK. Problems back stage got so bad that Bruce Robinson quit Hollywood and never made another film for 19 years! In spite of these facts, it's not the monstrosity it was originally painted as back on its "limited" release.

It's a frustrating film in many ways because it promises so much. There's bags of moody atmospherics wrung out by Conrad Hall's superb photography, where he filters most things via minimal lighting. Much of the play unfolds in ominous surroundings, where dialogue exchanges are either hushed or laced with harried fervour, and the writing is actually quite smart as it blends psycho thriller staples with strong characterisations that are in turn boosted by committed acting performances. Yet these things can't compensate for the too long run time, a rushed ending and some awkward tonal shifts that often take you out of the required mood. The rushed ending is particularly galling, after asking the audience to stay with the pic for two hours, it's not unreasonable to expect a good long and dramatic finale, sadly that's not the case.

Fans of neo-noir type visuals have some interest here, as does anyone who likes the type of serial killer movies that dominated the late 80s and early 90s before Fincher's Seven raised the bar. 6/10

This is one of those movies that I still pull out every once in a while and just pop in. It's absolutely entertaining, with great performances from pretty much everybody, but especially Andy Garcia and Lance Henrikson.

It plays out like a good mystery/thriller should: Frustrating twists and turns, brooding atmosphere and music, and layer after layer of clues that you know are building to a big time climax. I really can't find anything to criticize about this film and I'm surprised it's IMDB rating isn't higher.

If you haven't seen it, you'll be doing yourself a favor by bypassing the new releases for just one night at blockbuster, and picking this one up.