Obsesión fatal

I remember seeing this film in theaters in 1992 at the tender age of 12, and I can recall now how frightened I was. That just goes to show the professionalism involved in this first-rate thriller. When a cop is on your back, what are you gonna do? Call the cops? Hmmmm....Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe struggle to find that answer here. Ray Liotta has never been creepier. Kurt Russell shines yet again in a role balancing the everyman we can relate to and the hero we cheer for in the end. One of the best thrillers of the 1990s.

I've heard people who took in a viewing of this movie say it was slow. I didn't feel it was slow. There was scenes that didn't directly deal with the main plot, but I liked that because we get to know what kind of people these are and just not some vaguely sketched characters. It's here the movie works because it lines you up and scares you in real world fashion. The reality to the proceeding give it the urban horror feel and not something made up that we could never identify with or seeing happening in our real lives.

The cast carries this out efficiently while if I had any complaint about the movie it would be Kurt Russell in the smaller role as the husband. I really like Kurt Russell and unfortunately there isn't a lot for him to bite into as the real star of this movie is Ray Liotta. Who I feel bad for lately since he hasn't been able to escape this sort of psycho role, but there's no denying that he's good at it and he is largely what makes Unlawful Entry rank amongst the best of the urban psycho dramas. The story might be predictable in spots, but good performances and great atmosphere go a long way.

"Unlawful Entry" kept me on the edge of my seat, or should I say the edge of my bed. Ray Liotta proved with this performance that few actors can play the apparently shy guy with evil tendencies better than him. The movie also presents some good "What if" questions. In the pivotal scene, Liotta grabs the burglar who ran into Kurt Russell's house and put a knife to his wife's throat. In an earlier scene, he explains how he'd beat the living crap out of that burglar if he had the chance. Well, one night Liotta gives Russell the permission (him being a cop) to "beat the living crap out of him" and Russell totally panics and refuses. Meanwhile, I'm thinking to myself, "If Madeline Stowe were my wife and that moron put a knife to her throat, I would've taken that nightstick and beat him to death." But then again, I'm saying that while sitting comfortably on my bed, watching the movie. I'm not in his shoes. I'm sure many people would panic in that situation.

Though the movie kept my eyes glued to the screen, I could've done without certain plot conventions towards the end. I don't have to spoil it for you. You've seen thrillers in the past, you know what I'm talking about. And the writer could've trimmed the use of lines like "Get the f**k out of here," "Stay the f**k out of my house" and "Stay the f**k away from my wife" or "If you touch her, I'll kill you." I think those lines have popped up in every movie thriller I've seen. But the best reason to see this movie is Liotta's flawless performance. On those grounds alone, this movie is well worth seeing.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

When I first watched this film, I could not help but marvel at how brilliant Ray Liotta was at his role. Even though Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe both gave very good performances, it is Ray Liotta that stands out the most. I found that the transition that Liotta made between playing a nice guy to an obsessed and jealous psycho was absolutely outstanding.I believe he deserved an award for his exceptional performance. Not many actors could pull off a performance like Liotta did. Overall I felt that this film was a well thought out thriller, and was well cast. It definitely deserves the credit it gets. I would thoroughly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

I consider myself a big film buff, but before I'd seen it recently, I'd never even heard of Unlawful Entry. The story is pretty simple: a couple in love (Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe) make friends with a cop (Ray Liotta) who turns out to be possessive and to make their lives a living hell (see also: The Cable Guy, which follows the same lines). But, with a simple story, this low-key film deserves recognition for being a clever and original thriller. Throughout the film, you feel all the emotions that Kurt Russell is feeling as his life is slowly taken away from him by the ever-menacing Ray Liotta. In brief, this is a fabulous film, which was under-appreciated and a missed hit.