Save Me

'Save Me' is a well-made psycho-sexual drama typical of the erotic thrillers made in the 90s. The film stars Harry Hamlin as Jim Stevens, a stockbroker whose life is falling apart when his wife's (Olivia Hussey) infidelity drives him into a marital separation he does not want. Stevens' life is also being made miserable by an inept and power-driven boss (Steven Railsback) whose illegal dealings threaten his job.

When by chance he meets Ellie (Lysette Anthony) his whole life changes, but as you will see, not necessarily for the better. He becomes obsessed with her, and she with him, but soon their sexual rendezvous become known to the other man in her life, Oliver (Michael Ironside), a psychiatrist with whom she is living.

The plot thickens when Oliver threatens Stevens and he becomes the target of assaults and attempts on his life by an unknown assailant. The plot twists and turns into a suspenseful surprise ending, and Stevens learns the bitter truth: an English rose of such unequaled beauty and charm has many thorns.

This film is characteristic of many 'B-titles' that have made the rounds on the cable circuit, only this one is also available in a unrated version that you won't likely see unless you rent it. There are some casting shortfalls not unlike 'B-titles' but the story itself is plausible and a good showcase for stunning Lysette Anthony, who easily mesmerizes the viewer into noticing little else in every scene she's in.

One of the curses of the night owl life is that movies like this surface on the cables at 3am, and for whatever reason I must watch the whole bleepin' thing sunrise be-darned.

I saw this on, what else, the Showtime Women's channel. I hate to admit it but I agree with the IMDb reviewer from 1999: the only reason to watch this nonsense from start to finish is to see Lysette Anthony naked. Everything in between is the bonehead self-absorbed stuff that burns through the Gross Domestic Product of whole countries in a Hollywood week. I can not believe people get paid to do this stuff.

Whatever else there is to say about this, it is always good to see Steve Railsback on screen, even when his dialogue is worthy of a 7th grade playwright. This is a really stupid movie, full of zero- quality acting.

In the wake of "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" came a bunch of bad to average movies that followed the same basic formula. This is one of those such films. On the surface, this film should have been better. Lysette Anthony, Harry Hamlin, and Michael Ironsides are all great actors, but it's obvious that they weren't giving 100% in this one, and the writing and dialogue didn't give them much to work with. A viewer will easily figure out what's going on long before the main character does.

I've had a crush on Lysette Anthony since seeing her in "Krull" as a child, so, as other reviewers have said, the only redeeming feature of this movie for many people will be seeing her nude for much of it.

Incidentally, if you want to see a better but similar film, try "Dream Lover".

Wow, that was a terrific cast. Steve Railsback and Michael Ironside are just two of my favorites. Harry Hamlin also had a solid performance. But something was just missing, I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a decent story, the script was adequate. I did not find Lysette Anthony's very good, but not enough to drag it down.

But there was something just missing. Maybe it was just the lack of humanity in the characters. I never got the sense anyone cared, and when it's billed as an Erotic Thriller, it didn't seem erotic or thrilling. The scenery was terrific and Santa Monica looked beautiful, the cinematography was slick and professional.

With so much going for it, it should have been better. It just wasn't good enough.

At the start of the movie, Jim Stevens has to explain to his young son Kenny that parents sometimes have to spend time apart. It's not that he and Kenny's mother hate each other, but he and Kenny both wish things could be different.

And if you were looking for a family movie, that is all you should watch.

Jim goes to a mall to buy a present for Kenny, and he sees this beautiful woman walk into a lingerie store. Ellie tries on a sexy teddy, and she actually walks out into the store still wearing it. Jim desperately tries not to appear to be a pervert.

Outside the store, Oliver shows up angry, and his behavior suggests that he abuses Ellie. Ellie writes a note with her phone number and the words "Save Me". Jim calls the number and Ellie suggests meeting at Santa Monica Pier. There, she explains that Oliver is the psychiatrist in charge of her mother's care, that she wants to break up with him, and that he will do anything to stop her from leaving.

Jim sells bonds for Barton and Robbins, and while he has made lots of money for them in the past, the company has been carrying him for a year and this has to stop. And on that day he had the talk with Kenny, Jim did show up late and dressed like a construction worker while everyone else was wearing nice suits. Barton seems to be on his side, but Jim's new boss Michael wishes he were in charge so he could just fire Jim. Jim refuses to go against his values, which Michael doesn't have. On what may be a related note, someone with Michael's values handles Oliver's money.

Jim's values are quite different where personal relationships are concerned. He doesn't seem to be formally separated from his wife, and yet what happens with Ellie makes this a forbidden romance/women in jep movie typical of Lifetime. Actually, we don't really see Ellie in jeopardy nearly as much as we see Jim running for his life.

Jim's friend Matthew offers help in solving the Oliver problem, and he has a cabin with a hot tub to which he invites Jim and Ellie.

The second half almost redeems the movie. There are some unexpected plot twists. Or, if you're the type who can see these things coming a mile away, lame plot twists. But I enjoyed them. Also a pretty good car chase.

Even if this wasn't any better than a typical TV-movie, Michael Ironside and Lysette Anthony give superior performances (well, for this material, anyway). I wasn't sure if it was just the accent in Anthony's case, but later I realized she was talented. Bill Nunn did a good job as the detective. Only one acting performance was truly bad: Steve Railsback as the evil boss Michael.

If you enjoy watching a woman just get undressed, there's a scene in the lingerie store that should make you feel cheap and dirty. Since the credits say "nude model", I have to wonder if the scene was redone for TV. I didn't see much of Ellie either, which I understand is a shame.

I wouldn't say good, only "good enough".