Pensamentos Mortais

The Carnival Scene in Mortal Thoughts was actually filmed in a small-time amusement park in Scotch Plains, New Jersey called Bowcraft. The park is still in operation today and is better than ever. Ironically the Ferris Wheel that appears on the cover of the movie has since been removed due to the death of a child a few years back.

An unfairly underestimated thriller , with a an ongoing suspense , and five efficient actors (Headley ,Moore,Willis ,Neal ,and particularly Keitel as the stubborn cop who feels that there's something which does not quite fit) There are similarities with the French classic ,"les diaboliques "(Henri-Georges Clouzot ,1954) remade several times in the US : two women ,a hateful husband who humiliates his wife before her clientele in her hairdressing salon (like the headmaster did in front of the students) , and a van which plays a prominent part in both movies.

There the comparison ends ; the unexpected final twist is pretty smart ,after long questionings in the police station ; this excellent psychological thriller deserved better than this poor rating.

I'm not a big fan of the genre but this one is very well done. The flashback technique works beautifully. The acting is good by Headly, an awesome actress who should be A-list by now. Willis, who is a bit underrated because of the action blockbusters but does comedy well, is pretty believable here in a stereotypical type character that he manages to get something more out of than your average actor. Keitel is marvelous and you have to appreciate the nuances he brings out as the pro that he is. John Pankow is good and should be working more than he is. Moore has the largest role and as usual, she's the weakest actor, but decent enough to carry off the role. The story is riveting; you always can't wait to see what happens next. The touches of humor are really funny and come naturally from the characters and situations rather than being jokes. The plot has plenty of twists. The ending, while a little unsatisfying to me, does leave it up to the viewer to make the moral decisions. If you like suspense movies and great acting, you'll love this and even if you don't, you'll enjoy it anyway.

I can't say the movie was awful, just that it was awfully slow. It seemed to have been filmed in slo-mo, if you know what I mean. The acting was decent, and there was a twist at the end, but by the time I got there, I was just glad for it to be over.

This movie is worth seeing once.

The suspense is well crafted. The story unfolds in flashbacks which work effectively. The score is stylish, eerie and possibly the best feature of the film. A number of optical effects greatly enhance the movie. The script is reasonable.

Willis hams it up but shows some talent for acting; Keitel does OK (I usually think that he's supreme). Glenne Headly indeed, steals the show with a good performance.

Demi Moore? "Excellent"? "Awesome"? My God - she's barely mediocre. It's a crime that someone with such a basic talent is paid such fortunes.