Angle mort

Doug and Lynn Kaines (Ron Silver and Rebecca De Mornay), furniture tycoon-wannabes, are in Mexico scouting out a new location for their business. Driving back home, they seemingly strike and kill a man standing in the middle of the road. Frightened, they drive on home. Shortly after they get there, however, Shell (Rutger Hauer) shows up on their doorstep, claiming to have been in Mexico and to be looking for employment.

The Kaines, presented to us as everyday people (albeit with money), instantly sense that Shell knows something about the hit-and-run - or does he? They don't know for sure - not at first - but even the possibility of the hulking Hauer being able to hold something over this affluent couple is enough to spook them. Complicating matters is the fact that Lynn's pregnant.

So what would YOU do? Charming, handsome ("in an outdoorsy way," Lynn says), eager to please, Shell seems like he wants to fit in - yet he drops hints that he might have been a witness to the accident. Screenwriting being what it is today, we have a pretty good idea things will wind up in the open before too long, but not before the lives of the Kaines are completely ruined. If the lead characters were in their twenties, we'd see Shell try to do something to their parents, but since they're all grown up, Mom and Dad are out of the picture. (Which is not to say that Shell doesn't find someone close to them to harass, of course!) The story gets sillier and sillier as it goes on, but somehow the performances by all three leads keep it afloat. Hauer's doing a role he can pretty much do in his sleep, but he hasn't lost any edge off it. All in all, a fine HBO movie.

Blind side is a copy off of 1992's unlawful entry. But is still worth viewing. Rutger Hauer gives his best performance since the Hitcher. It's a story about a guy who stalks a couple who just can't get rid of the stranger. Same story as the movie unlawful entry. Except the stranger in that movie was a cop. Blind side is worth viewing.

The hit and run scheme is not new at all, but it may open to many things, many developments, and many surprises. Excellent cast, excellent choice here, maybe too much, because after HITCHER seven years earlier, Ruther Hauer is nearly a cliché, who else than him, regarding of his character in Robert Harmon's feature; the nasty, disgusting, disturbing intruder, the man who is supposed to harrass the good couple, and who actually does with great talent. WHO ELSE than him? But it remains an effective thriller that Geoff Murphy has certainly made to pay his phone bills, without any conviction. You already know the end but it's not important, just enjoy.

This is a "sleeper," an intense and involving thriller that grabs you from the start....but a film not people know about. Hey, only 10 people have even reviewed it here and the film is 13 years old.

To be fair, I did think the finish was unrealistic which the typical killer-talks- instead-of shoots mentality, a familiar flaw in flimmaking. Too bad, because the rest of the movie is very good with Rutger Hauer a convincing evil blackmailer. Few actors play a psycho better than Hauer (see "The Hitcher" and "Nighthawks").

Rebecca DeMornay is a sexy woman in this film while her husband is the sleazy Ron Silver, but the latter's character is better than most the villains he usually portrays. This movie also has the unusual distinction of being a modern-day crime film with very little profanity.

I commend anyone that was involved with the making of this movie, I am a big fan of thriller movies and this one tops the lot, Also go to see one of my favourit actors (Rutger Hauer) play one of his nastiest roles ever, And there has been alot of those roles for him. I dident even blink an eye while watching this movie. Well done to all involved in this film.

10 out of 10.