Jeu mortel

....and that in most part is due to Jennifer Tilly's wildly exaggerated performance - but then she's so hot anyway, check out "Bullets Over Broadway" - she rules. She does what she can (and much more) with a clumsily written character, and so does Gallo. The presence of Bruce Greenwood adds a cheap telemovie feel to this, while Hannah does reasonably well. The story is basically a new go at "Rosemary's Baby" without witchcraft but with syringes, and there's a more than a passing industrial nod to "Misery" and many other better flicks. The film bleeds to its expected end with no particular surprises or excitement. Still, watch it for Jenny....and root for her, she deserves the goddamn baby.

my god! i caught about half of this movie on sunday afternoon tv, and it is awful. jennifer tilly is just nuts. and not in the good way. way over acted. terrible plot. not creepy or scary at all, which a story about kidnapped pregnant lady should be. even vincent gallo who can be so creepy is just boring in this film. the ONLY way i can think of making this movie interesting would be to gather a bunch of friends and take a shot every time jennifer tilly screams in a supossed psycho fit. you'll be wasted by half time and can yell back to the screen.

in other words: it's too bad to sit through.

Anne White is sleeping peacefully in a large and fabulous modern house (not my taste, but obviously expensive) while her husband Jack is apparently away on business. Her sleep is disturbed by intruders. The next day, she finds herself chained to a bed in a farmhouse, still wearing the tiny red nightie which looks more appropriate for Valentine's Day with her husband than for a night alone. I should mention that even though she changes nightgowns several times, Anne always manages to show off her legs, except in several outdoor scenes in winter.

Frank and Helen want to have a baby, but for some reason they can't. It turns out that Anne is having their baby.

Frank works in a clinic where a woman is told she is not pregnant, even though she is vomiting and has had several positive pregnancy tests. Back at the farmhouse, he calmly explains the situation to Anne, and even seems to show her concern, though he will discipline her if she misbehaves, and he often tortures her for the good of the baby (force-feeding her the right foods, for example). Sometimes he and Helen threaten her life, but then how would they have they baby?

Helen is all excited, and she is enjoying pretending to be pregnant. She even goes so far as to wear a pillow under maternity clothes, just for appearances.

Jack returns home to the horrifying news that his wife's car has gone off a cliff and burned, and the body inside cannot be identified. Without absolute proof, he refuses to believe Anne is dead. There are clues that he may be right.

The real reason to watch here is Jennifer Tilly. Her often humorous portrayal of the perky but neurotic Helen reminded me of Kitty on "That 70s Show" and Rose on "Two and a Half Men" (which I watch), and Karen on "Will and Grace" (which I don't). Sometimes Helen was calm, if not completely all there, and sometimes she went completely over the edge. She was a real delight to watch.

Vincent Gallo gave a careful portrayal of the ethically challenged medical professional, often trying to remain pleasant and concerned except when something really exasperated him.

Daryl Hannah did a capable job, moving from depressed to genuinely frightened to fighting like a demon. She did have at least one scene where she showed concern for her captors, though Anne could have been faking.

Bruce Greenwood also did a good job in the scenes where he was grieving.

I also need to single out Vanessa MaCrae, the Diaper Technician from Happy Bottoms. She reminded me of Frances McDormand's Marge in "Fargo", though I didn't like that particular character.

I wouldn't really call this movie scary, though it did have the obligatory creepy music at times.

The ending was exciting with lots of unexpected twists.

I never wanted to see "Misery", by the way, because it seemed too scary. I think I enjoyed this version more than I would that movie.

Its a weird, weird day when im thinking vincent gallo was the actor holding the movie together. jennifer tilly is at 5x oddball here, disturbingly uneven but occasionally brilliant. daryl hannah is a non-factor, a "name" actor who is just a vehicle for the terror. definitely not up to "splash" form. all in all, its an interesting story concept that wasnt executed as well as it couldve been, and a somewhat rare standout performance by post-"buffalo 66" gallo. no regrets on this watch

I thought this movie was called "Hide and Seek". I saw this at a party with all my friends and it freaked me out! I had no idea what it was about before we watched it, but I understood it completely. I couldn't sleep that night (luckily it was a sleepover). All the actors do a great job; especially Jennifer Tilly's character Helen; you just want her to die by the time the movie nears an end. This is a must see movie for people who love suspense. There are a few gory spots, but if you are an anti blood person, you can probably handle this. I am not a scary movie person, but even for me this was super good! You will never get bored during the film because you want to see the end!