Fausse piste

Have to admit this thriller movie with some twists was fun and nostalgic to watch on VHS. Best recommendation to watch like you're going back in time. Good thriller also.

a brilliant film, wonderfully directed by Jim McBride: it breaks all the cheesy corny conventions of the "TV movie", the story swerves and moves and lives just as vibrantly as the characters do, this is one of the better movies I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. The movie transcends genre, the acting is believable, the characters are neither good nor bad, moral nor immoral, human or inhuman, there's a clever combination of all these things which makes them complex and frustrating maybe but never boring.

The acting is amazing, the story has real depth: it might not hit you straight away but the characters show their personality traits, and as a result more and more of themselves as the film goes on.

A couple of points that haven't been mentioned: Setting aside the plot, this flic has very good Mexican mise-en-scene, at MANY different points. It's up there with "Bring me the head of Alfredo G." for capturing the feel of Mexico. For instance, the wonderful cloudy scenes at the start, of the port city. {Where is this? I think it's supposed to be Veracruz, but does not look at all like the V. city that I recalled, in terms of the geography...) Also, I very much liked that decaying motel in the jungle-- where things really get crazy between our jolly trio.

Second, the soundtrack is by Los Lobos so you have the enjoyable moody "wrong man theme" during these opening shots of the port city. Also a soulful ballad, as the credits roll up, at the end.

The biggest liability is Anderson, who is so insipid, has none of the appeal that one would hope from a lead "hero." This leaves a sorry hole at the center of the movie. (On the other hand, I rather liked Lithgow's nutty over-acting.) Definitely recommended for those who'd like a brief Mexican getaway.

Made for cable TV, "The Wrong Man" has the setup of a chase movie - Kevin Anderson has to go on the run after a murder he didn't commit - but writer Michael Thoma and director Jim McBride put the emphasis less on the pursuit than on the characters involved, turning it into a road movie with a bit of violence attached. (UK viewers note Anderson playing a character called Alexander Walker - also the name of one of Britain's leading [so I'm told] movie critics.)

The journey through Mexico isn't overflowing with action, but the interplay between Anderson and the couple he hooks up with - Ugly American John Lithgow and Sexy American wife Rosanna Arquette - keeps the attention; interlaced with wit and edge, the acting of all three principals and the refreshingly non-stereotyped Mexican police officers following the trail helps the movie seem like more than it is.

Leisurely paced without being boring, and pretty credible right up to its finale, "The Wrong Man" may not be up there with "Baby, It's You" or "The World According To Garp" in the CVs of Arquette and Lithgow, but it certainly is a long, long way from "Off The Wall" or "Raising Cain." And if all else fails, watch it for Rosanna's topless scenes (the scene in the hotel room makes it a must for Arquette fans, particularly the ones with penises).

In a south of the border setting, Lithgow is the quintessential Ugly American, Arguette his bimbo wife, and Anderson a bland non-entity on the run from the law. If you like seeing Arguette undraped (and it certainly beats being poked in the eye with a sharp stick) this third rate flick merits a look. Other than that, not much to recommend.