Compulsion

'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.

An enjoyable little film full of the kind of intense and intimate relationships that you normally only find on a stage. Hopefully that will be enough to set the scene as Compulsion is not really a film, its a theater production put on to film.

Compulsion is two stories that unravel and then combine to become one as you really only get the second story after being fully immersed in the fervor and passion of Amy (Heather Graham). Heather Graham appears to have added more a little Nigella Lawson (Youtube her) to her depiction of a voluptuous gastronome desperately seeking acknowledgement and love.

So too does the other leading character Saffron bring a fine set of hang ups and issues played by Carrie Anne Moss.

Both lead actresses set the movie apart from ennui with excellent portrayals of their characters and through their selling of the story. They also looks fantastic (which can't be bad!).

If you take the movie for the play that it is, rather than the blockbuster you might be hoping for, then you should get on fine.

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

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.