Autopsia di un sogno

This intriguing psychodrama bites off more than it can chew but presents a terrific alternative to the spate of "erotic" psychothrillers that the B-movie market usually has to offer. Parillaud plays twin doppelgangers that exist in parallel realities and could actually be the figment of each others' imaginations. Sounds promising? It is, and while I was waiting to be utterly confused at any moment, the plot lines held together pretty well. Director Raul Ruiz has had some practice at this, as anyone who has seen the utterly absorbing "Three lives and only one death" can attest. This movie is not of the same caliber in that the pacing of the denouement seems a bit off and involvement with the characters winds up seeming a bit distant. Others might argue that this was Ruiz' intent; in any case, the acting is proficient in a necessarily cold, unaffected way. (Baldwins seem to be better suited to this style of acting and I'm not really being snide in that I happen to think Alec is a terrific actor and Stephen an underrated one). If I gave more away it would be a disservice- rent this movie and figure it all out for yourself. Corkymeter says four stars out of five.

This is an enigmatic film with an interesting premise. Jessie (Anne Parillaud) has just married, and arrives in Jamaica on her honeymoon with her husband Brian (William Baldwin). She is troubled by dreams of herself in another life as an assassin, with her next target being antiques dealer Conrad, also played by William Baldwin. Most of the characters in one side of the confused lady's life are in the other side as different characters. Which is the dream and which is the reality? That's for us to decide. The film constantly switches between both characters, and it is puzzling at times. It is interesting at first, but ultimately the film fails because the acting isn't convincing. It's worth a look though if you like mysterious and surreal films.

Even with great set design and cinematography, this muddle of a mystery will leave many questions and confusion, long after it's over. Good, dual character arcs for both William Baldwin and Annie Parrilaud; however, neither seem to connect with the final denouement.I kept hoping I would understand the final outcome, but still remain unsure of what it all meant.It has a Hitchcock/De Palma/Shayamalan director's twist, but it doesn't seem to tie up all the loose ends.It is recommended, however, for anyone interested in post-traumatic stress syndrome, abnormal psychology, or readers of 19th century author,William James.

In New York, Jessie Markham (Anne Parillaud) is raped by a man with mask and now she is recovering from the rape and an attempted suicide. However her mind is confused and she lives two realities. In one life, she is a newly wed with Brian (William Baldwin) spending honeymoon in Jamaica with the guest Paula (Lisanne Falk) snooping around the couple. In the other life, she is a hit woman that executes men and Laura (Lisanne Falk) is her client that wants Brian killed. Which life is real?

"Shattered Image" is a film about a raped woman that has become paranoid with a confused mind and she lives two women with opposite personalities. The promising storyline is wasted by a messy screenplay and the viewer ends the film without solving the mystery and knowing who Jessie is. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Imagem de um Pesadelo" ("The Image of a Nightmare")

Did see Shattered Image tonight with Billy Baldwin and Anne Parillaud. Terrible. Audience tittered and laughed openly the first half hour, then even that entertainment value waned as the jerking back and forth between supposed reality and supposed nightmare simply became fatiguing. Some glaring imperfections, such as unconvincing Jamaican accents and an outdoor scene where it's raining only on the lead characters' car. Badly researched too. Many loose details are left banging about randomly in this film, without fulfilling the implied promise that their presence will be explained by the end. It's a lot like the later works of director Joseph Losey--Dark Ceremony; The Go-Between--films that tease the audience by not telling us everything but ultimately don't have that much to say.