Busca Mortal

Petersen's skillful direction and a cleverly constructed script combine to make this a thoroughly entertaining and absorbing thriller. On the first viewing, you're likely to dismiss the shocking and unpredictable ending as "far-fetched" and "unbelievable" (at least that's what I did), but see it again and you'll realize that the story DOES stand up to scrutiny; there are no scenes that cheat the viewer here. Bob Hoskins steals the show as the likable private detective. And overall, this a movie worth seeing. (**1/2)

This movie has got to be the best surprise I've ever gotten from a last second pick at the video store. The first time I saw this movie was in college, we watched it one night and it continued to be shown in our apartment almost non-stop for the next 4 days. People could not get enough of it.

I won't go into the plot, etc. but will tell you it offers many twists and turns and will keep you interested and surprised at the end.

You cannot go wrong renting this movie!

Pretty clever mystery that will leave you gasping when the shocking twist is revealed. Tightly woven together, Wolfgang Peterson delivers a smart story about Dan Merrick, a San Francisco businessman who can't remember his past after surviving a horrific car crash. While recovering at his lovely secluded home, Dan discovers his adoring wife Judith, played by Greta Scacchi, is cheating with another man. Dan sets forth to discover that all is not what is seems to be. Bob Hoskins as Gus, the pet shop owner / part time private eye, gives a wonderful performance as well as Joanne Whalley, who knows much more than she ever wanted to know about Dan. Slick scoring by Alan Silvestri, knock out sets, and direction make this mystery / thriller a winner!

Wolfgang Petersen (Poseidon & the Neverending Story)'s Neo Noir starring Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, and Greta Scacchi about a West Coast developer who has amnesia after a car accident and begins to suspect his wife of treachery.

This begins in a pretty mundane way. It runs like any one of thousands of films of the early 1990's, and there doesn't appear to be anything special about it until you get a little bit of the way into it. Roughly one third through, you begin to see the subtle idiosyncrasies of this work, and soon, you are wholly absorbed.

This features some great intrigues, a nice well paced plot, and a really twisty ending. Dialog delivery isn't as bad as you might expect, and the story itself steals the show. Camera angles are a bit odd at times, but nothing like some of those 1970's flicks!

All in all, though it was done as recently as 1991, it is horribly dated but I was still completely entertained by this film, and while it's not Friday-Saturday night quality, it makes for a great Saturday or Sunday afternoon diversion.

It rates a 7.6/10 from...

the Fiend :.

With a maze of plot twists and surprises, "Shattered" is one heck of a guesser.

The plot follows Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger) after a horrifying car accident. He suffers from amnesia, and must piece his life together post-accident. As he learns more and more about his past, his life spins out of control, leaving the most horrifying revelation for the end.

"Shattered" is carefully constructed and directed by Wolfgang Peterson. His cast really brings this one together, with great performances by Berenger and Bob Hoskins. It is simply impossible to guess the events in this film as you are watching it, and it is best to go into it knowing as little as possible.

"Shattered" is an excellent effort and film that has been wrongly ignored over the years since its release. This is a great rental for a cold and rainy Saturday night.

Grade: A