Auggie Rose

I just watched this movie, which I had gotten on sale somewhere. The title on the DVD I picked up was "Beyond Suspicion" and I got it "on spec", more on the strength of the two headlining performers and the label "thriller." I guess it was a thriller, at least in some sense, but another comment that places it more in the Twilight Zone category seems more accurate to me. Yet not quite that either: this to me is a strangely charming movie, with good strong acting, fine cinematography, and above all, a great script with plenty of psychological twists and turns ... and a satisfying denouement that is appealing at several levels.

I hadn't really intended to comment ... I was just looking this up to see what else there might be about this movie on IMDb ... and then realized that I simply had to offer my humble and grateful homage to this exquisite film.

Jeff Goldblum is known for his quirky characters and his off kilter delivery. Once again his quirkiness works in this small gem of a movie. Having no expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by this tale of mistaken identity and rebirth. Jeff Goldblum plays John Nolan, an insurance executive in Armani suits and a rather nice car. His life seems to be idyllic, if not a bit stalled, when a bottle of wine and a bullet change everything. Nolan finds himself drawn to the life and death of a store clerk until he slowly begins to assume the man's life. Why would a successful business man want to step into the shoes of an ex-con? Goldblum's performance makes this life change subltly understandable. Anne Heche, craziness aside, has always been a fine actress and she is great here as the ex-con's pen pal. Sweet and naive she believes in this man and her capriciousness is contagious. She leaves her small town life to live with a man she's never met, but he's not the man she thinks he is. Check this one out for yourself.

Really enjoyed this movie:the slow pace and the very "comfy" feeling the story radiates gives the whole a heart-warming glow.Goldblum is excellent: no overtones in his acting and Anne Heche is outstanding as the cute, rather unsophisticated girl.The deeper meaning? Well, as in "American Beauty", it's about that sudden flash of insight into the dreary everyday routine that prompts a daring individual to start all over again. In the case of "Auggie", there is a happy ending however and although the viewer tends to believe that the final scene will be a repetition of the opening one, he/she is in for a pleasant surprise. This movie is a credit to producers and directors who aim at giving motion pictures a human content and who still believe in moral values.

I just viewed this film last night on Cinemax and I kept telling myself "This is not supposed to be this good". I loved this film. ...And whoever recommended that if you like this film, you'd like "American Beauty" were right on the mark. The two films are totally different, but they both deal with what happens when certain events serve as a pivotal point for major changes in the lives of two men who need to be jump started. I'm not a big Jeff Goldblum fan, but I really believe this is one of the best things he's ever done and I admire him for taking a role in a film that probably won't get very much attention. Great story and I really loved Anne Heche also. Wonderful experience. Like "American Beauty" as you watch this and the plots gets more and more complex you actually marvel in where you're being taken.

"Augie Rose" tells of a life insurance salesman (Goldblum) who assists a dying deli clerk (Augie Rose) after a stickup gone bad. Caught in the shootout, the near death experience for the Goldblum character awakens something in him which sets in motion some very peculiar events. This drama-lite production is obviously staged and too theatrical to taken for realism. However, the story is sufficiently intriguing and quirky to hold interest as it wends it way to a conclusion well worth waiting for. A fun little movie with good chemistry between Goldblum and Heche. Kudos to Kabak for this gem.