Paura

I have titled this review 'Revisited' as I have seen this movie before, a long while ago, but I have still seen it before. It really is a little gem of a film. The storyline is good, the acting is good and even the 'thriller' aspect of the film makes you feel a bit freaked out. There is a romance aspect, but its not too mushy.

Excellent acting from both Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. Both so young in this film, and also still acting today. I could easily say that Fear features possibly one of the best performances from the pair of them. Wahlberg's ability to play a psychopath so easily, and convincingly is amazing. Witherspoon's naivety as a sixteen year old girl, was also incredibly outstanding. Both Wahlberg and Witherspoon are household names now, that almost everyone had heard of, yet in this film they were both new and unknown. Excellent way to pave a career guys.

This is a perfect movie for people who enjoy suspense, but don't mind if the film is not entirely intellectual or whatever. Mark Wahlberg is great to look at (so is Reese Witherspoon for the guys) and the story - though done before - is very engaging and watchable. The chemistry between David and Nicole before he goes wacko is great, too. I recommend this as a good film to rent for a "night with the girls" or if you are just in the mood for a thriller with real good looking people. Plus, Fox seems to put this movie on TV twice a year, as it was just on last night, and was on in August of '99. ENJOY!!

Nice, innocent teen Nicole (Reese Witherspoon) falls for handsome, muscular, soft spoken David (Mark Wahlberg) not knowing he's a psycho who wants her--forever. Good thing she's got a nice, muscular, protective father (William Petersen).

OK, it's no masterpiece and the plot is very familiar, but I was never bored. It's well-directed (especially a roller coaster ride), has beautiful scenery and architecture (look at the house where Witherspoon lives with her family) and a script that, if not always credible, never stops moving. The last 20 minutes really rock. A little unpleasant at times though. As for the acting--Witherspoon is OK. At times, she's totally believable--other times she's not. And she's obviously over 17. Petersen is very good playing the understanding, protective dad. A nice, understated performance. Mark Wahlberg is (surprisingly) very good as the psycho. He plays the nice guy and the evil guy very effectively. REALLY nice bod too--what a chest! But he needs some serious voice lessons--his Boston accent kept creeping in. So, a pretty good thriller. You could do worse.

I had very low hopes for FEAR . I'd read the synopsis in the TV guide and the plot sounded like one of those psycho killer stalker from hell thrillers that were being churned out without any thought in the mid 1990s . Considering it starred singer Marky Mark , Reese Witherspoon and William Petersen who's a rival to Eric Roberts in the straight to video / cable TV movie stakes I didn't think this was going to be up to much

While not being a classic thriller FEAR certainly did hold my attention , probably because much of the characterisation is credible . All too often in this genre the actor or actress playing the villain really goes to town showing the audience what a bad ass they are thereby parodying the role . Mark Wahlberg as David is very restrained for the most part which makes David and credible character and his on screen chemistry with Reese Witherspoon's Nicole is believable , you can believe these two characters are genuinely in love with one another something that is all too rare in this type of movie

I should also point out that much of the movie revolves around the interaction of Petersen's Mr Walker who is concerned about his daughter's relationship with David . You can't blame the guy for wanting what's best for his offspring and it enhances the credibility of the story . It's refreshing to have a more thoughtful approach to this type of genre because if people start turning up dead after 15 minutes then things start to get silly , so the violence is kept to a minimum until almost at the end of the movie which does suffer something of a plot hole because no one seems to have a mobile telephone at readily hand and don't tell me professional people didn't have mobile phones in 1996 . Also watch out for references to STRAW DOGS , THE SHINING and NOSFERATU at the climax

Even if you're burned out on those 90s stalker from hell thrillers you could do worse than watch this on a wet Friday evening

Reese Witherspoon appeared in two "guilty pleasure" flicks in 1996--Fear and Freeway. She's quite the commodity now but in the early to mid 90s, her choices were a little more interesting (The Man in the Moon is one of the few movies of the past fifteen years to make me choke up). Fear, on the other hand, is big budget exploitation, and it held my attention, even though I was too embarrassed to admit it at the time. Heck, even the tag line ("together forever...or else!") was cheap. The movie is basically Romeo and Juliet for the MTV crowd, but by the end it becomes a slick '90s version of "Straw Dogs." But the cast (including William Peterson, Amy Brenneman and, as one of the meanest characters in '90s film, Mark Wahlberg) does not act like this stuff is beneath them. And the finale, in Peterson's high tech house, was engrossing. No expectations going into this (which I recommend), but really not too bad, when all is said and done.