Striking Poses

Well, as far as TV movie thrillers go (and that's not very far), this is as good as they come.

Shannen Doherty plays a photographer on the wrong side of the lens as she is stalked everywhere she goes and is caught up in a web of lies, deceit and murders.

Not bad at all - fast paced and action-packed - just what I like!

The FIRST time you watch it. The second time is just boooring..

Shannen Doherty I must say, is a good actress with great skills, that's why I think that she deserves better then this.

The movie is is not a ripoff, but it just hasn't got the spark. It's definatelly NOT a movie of Shannen's, NOT her style of movies, even she does make good thrills.

Nope I see Shannen in comedies, where you can laugh out loud when showing her boobs and wearing a tight, short skirt which shows her incredible nice legs. Ok well she can do that in a thriller too, but still she's a "Jay and Silent Bob" -kinda girl, who screams to the director to shut up.

But the movie was really good, actually. More then what I expected from the actors.

7 out of 10 stars.

Doherty plays a woman who when the movie begins, tries to hide some bloody garments under some snow at the roadside. She's caught and questioned, and we learn what led up to that scene.

She's a paparazzi photographer, and on some of her jobs and in her home she's being stalked by a photographer who leaves behind gum. It becomes clear he means to do more than just take photos, and she hires a security consultant, and when things worsen, a hit-man.

The movie takes an unexpected but welcome twist. The events also go well past the opening scene once it comers around again. There's another twist that is expected, and it's gratifying that one of the characters saw it coming too.

Celebrity paparazzo and photographer Gage Sullivan (Shannen Doherty) becomes a victim of what she practices when she finds herself being stalked by a man who likes to take photographs of her and leaves bubble gum as his calling card. In order to try and protect herself Gage employs the services of security consultant Nick Angel (Joseph Griffin) who helps Gage improve security around her home. However, when Gage's assistant Casey is kidnapped by her stalker Gage soon learns that all is not what it seems and a deeper conspiracy slowly begins to unravel...

Striking Poses opens wonderfully and the intrigue and mystery surrounding Gage's stalker provide a good foundation to build the story on. However, after about the first 15 minutes or so I found my interest waning somewhat as the momentum gradually started to become more and more depleted until eventually the wheels more or less completely fell off. Not a great deal happens in the middle section of the film; security consultants visit Gage's house, the stalker takes some pictures, a suggested romance looks as though it maybe developing between Gage and Nick - it was just so boring and it pretty much carries on in this fashion for about 45 minutes.

However, it does sort of spring back into life in the last 30 minutes when Gage starts to learn that all is not quite as it seems and the film then suddenly starts to find another gear. Gage's plans to turn the tables on her stalker have a certain degree of ingenuity and there are also plenty of clever twists and turns that are revealed in the final act. Whilst it never provides edge of your seat thrills at any point it is a reasonable film that is let down by its dull middle section (the film seems to be in idle at this point).

The acting isn't the best either (the worst offender by far is Joseph Griffin who showed no range whatsoever). Also when watching this film it does have a very TVM feel about it - it looks and feels as though it was made on the cheap (which it probably was to be fair).

So overall it's not bad - good start, decent finale but boring middle section. If it's on and you're at a loose end then you could do worse, but I can't help but feel that One Hour Photo explored similar themes to a far greater effect and if you haven't seen that film then I would definitely check it out as it is a much better offering than Striking Poses.

An obviously cheap Canadian production but not too bad for what it is. The plot moves along convincingly but the worst things here are the "acting" of Shannen Doherty and Joseph Griffin who both show as much emotion as a pair of zombies. David Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner" is a much better variation on this theme.