Compulsion

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. I was exhausted from work and felt like watching a predictable horror movie. This is not at all a thriller or a horror movie. It is actually an interesting buddy film between two damaged women who crave what they can't have--love. One tries to find fulfillment through cooking and baking and serving gourmet meals, compulsively nurturing, and another who is desperate for a nurturer, a bulimic who is unable to eat. It is visually very interesting. Amy (Heather Graham, whom I thought was fantastic)and her TV dreams are reminiscent of Nicole Kidman and TO DIE FOR; the bright colors of her dress against the sterile white fake TV set contrast with dark, dreary tones of her idol and then friend Saffron (Moss). I really enjoyed the lush, gorgeous meals Amy created, at first trying to woo Saffron as a friend and then, sensing Saffron's despondency and loneliness much like her own, attempting to sustain her through food and create some kind of sensuous joy for her. The ending makes this a black comedy, if one needs to label it. The writing is clunky and personally I would have enjoyed seeing a couple more scenes showing development of this friendship but filling in the blanks is fun, too.

I see why it gets bad reviews as this aims to a very limited audience. If you thought this was going to be a fun and wacky chick flick with traditionally sympathetic characters, you were horribly, horribly wrong.

Everything but the script is damn near perfect, and the script is not terrible either. Not fantastic, but hand in hand with the good acting, fitting soundtrack and beautiful cinematography; it's a very enjoyable film.

IF you're the target audience.

If you're looking for something that dares be different from the rest of the lot, this movie is for you! Also, Joe Mantegna plays a detective in this. If you're a Criminal Minds fan you could watch it just to get a kick out of thinking of it as a crossover between this film and CM.

This movie will probably stay with me for a while. Heather Grahm was beautiful in the movie and really made me feel for her characters. I was dreading that the movie was going to turn into a predictable girl gone crazy movie because I really like the characters of Amy. Luckily this film had more depth. One of the most disturbing things about the film is the cards that Amy is dealt in her life. I may be a bit biased because I'm a huge foodie like the characters so I really enjoyed that aspect of it as well.. The one thing I will say is this movie may not be for everyone. Hardcore horror fans may not appreciate the slow paced drama but at the same time drama lovers may not appreciate the macabre aspect of the film. I won't say much more but if you like simple yet disturbing movies is recommend this one

'Compulsion' focuses on Heather Graham's character 'Amy', a woman obsessed with cooking, who gets by seducing wealthy men with her looks and her food. It could sound like a typical Heather Graham role, but it's not. This is a Graham we have not seen before, and she is altogether delightful. The plot is simple: a detective is investigating the disappearance of Amy's next door neighbor 'Saffron' played by Carrie-Anne Moss a reclusive former child star, and we see the relationship of Amy and Saffron develop in retrospect.

It is not a fast paced film, but like a fine meal the performances are there to be savored, in small bites, taken in slowly to relish each nuance.

Aren't you just sick of all those cooking shows on TV? I'm not, because I never watch 'em. "Compulsion" parodies these gourmet splurges. If you think overdone parody could be fun, then you might enjoy this movie - if you don't, then maybe you won't. Heather Graham can handle the heat in the kitchen. She works this role hard, a tour de force. In fact, rather too much of the movie depends on her performance. One of the most loving things you can do is feed someone. You're holding the spoon, and you're actually putting the food into the mouth of a baby, or a helpless old person, or someone severely disabled. But people who have tried to get an anorexic to eat know that this can be a heartbreaking exercise. And Amy's reclusive and depressed neighbour (whose careers are slipping away) is anorexic. So the "feeding" begins to look rather sinister. But is Amy living in a dream world? Is this TV cooking show she's planning ever going to happen? And her partner seems to be losing interest in her brilliant culinary achievements. Perhaps he's losing interest in her. He'll need to be taught a lesson. She is heterosexual, right? Viewers will need to have patience. There are flashbacks, so pay attention. You have to accept the conventions of the genre. I liked it.