Castor-11

...at least I found it so, and since the only "review" of it appearing in IMDB turns out to be of a different film entirely, I thought that I would assure kindred souls that they won't switch to another channel after ten minutes, disgusted at the cliches and mindlessness of so many of the movies on t.v. today

This is a thinking person's movie despite its many flaws - I awarded it but a "seven"...I thought that the writing did not serve some of the actors well, the interesting Ms Watson was given lines (when her character spoke at all!), that made her seem more like a zombie rather than a woman who has been brought back to life, and Mr Lipinski, I'm sure, could portray the loving, if baffled husband, more satisfactorily, if his part were better written: on the other hand, kudos for creating a fine role for one of my favourite sexpots, Helen Shaver...here, she IS a sympathetic sister.

What kept me glued to the screen was the mystery of the story...this woman who died, clinically on the operating table, and had life returned to her, just WHOSE life, is the question.

One, aided by flashbacks, "visions", and real-time encounters,starts to suspect, but it is only in the very last line spoken, that all falls into place

Ostensibly, it's a run-of-the-mill ""Who'll get the money?" movie about $3,000,000 that goes astray, after a bungled drug sting, but it's got some unique twists, including the ending

Some I particularly liked in this absorbing story of double -crossing 'twixt police/bad guys/civilians, were a villain who's a caring scoutmaster in his spare time, another crook has to take his illicit son to each illegal meeting, fearful that(a)his wife will find out about the boy(b) that the lad could be a witness against him (c) That unscrupulous criminal colleagues could blackmail him over a and b.

Too, I must confess that I have a weakness for female cops as the leads in films...they've deliberately deglamourised Lesley Hope for this role, but she still comes over as an attractive woman, and a competent cop.

All in all, a serious effort is made to give these characters depth and dimension

There's also lots of mild wry humour in this film, which I voted just short of ten for its reliance on a cliche or two e.g."You're under arrest, bad person!", "Okay, but mind if I turn the t.v. on till my accomplice arrives, so's you can then nab the two of us?" The arresting officers look at each other, then nod agreement. By such devices are filmdon's "bad persons" forever making their escape.

Stop me if you've seen this one before: hubby-missing-believed-dead,wifey-then-finds-out- doubtful-things-about-him...ah, but this movie goes beyond the usual formula, throwing in some political, and criminal factors...one is never sure how things are going to turn out.

Most of the characters are entertainingly devious, playing various parts to achieve each different end.., can one even count on the "heroine" wife, and her daughter ?

The dialogue is brief, and to the point, the characters ring true (even the false ones!), and I was absorbed for almost two hours...I didn't understand the ending, which is perhaps a failing of my intelligence, rather than the film's intent, whatever, that cost the film a point, I deducted another, because it was, after all, a formula film, and a third because it wasn't "Love With The Proper Stranger" - my benchmark for romantic/suspense films.

As (nearly)always, the actors are good, but I must make especial mention of Christine Lahti...when she first appears, she's just awakened, she looks drab, and her age...but, to me, she was still an attractive woman...that's charisma!