Rage

Well-crafted cable drama is troubling as an entertainment per se, but is still skillfully-made and worth-seeing for the leading performance by Dennis Hopper. Adapted from Pete Dexter's prize-winning book about racist businessman in 1949 Georgia who is tried for the murder of a black child, this atmospheric movie captures a particular time and place with style, and Hopper's acting is award-worthy (he doesn't accentuate the Southern bigotry bit with camp fervor--instead he's menacing and quite creepy). As directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, the film is well-mounted and provocative, but with a story and characters so despicable, it does run the risk of turning off many viewers before it even gets to the second-act. **1/2 from ****

A very literate drama, filled with characters who can speak like poets. Ed Harris is a Southern gentleman lawyer caught up in a set of circumstances that soon escalate beyond his control. His frustration is palpable, and his quiet desperation makes him a man to be pitied. Barbara Hershey is an angry victim of demoralizing abuse in a stultifying environment of prejudice and psychosis. Dennis Hopper is the embodiment of this psychosis. And these three characters are tied together in a tortuous Devil's knot. A fascinating portrayal of good and evil. Put the kids to bed before you watch.

Dennis always amazes me and I think this is probably his best film. If you think he was bad in Blue Velvet, just watch this film. There is no other actor who could have played this role better. It was like someone wrote the part just for him. He is so chilling that you want to turn away. It made me sick the way he brutalized his wife and killed that little girl in cold blood. Paris Trout is a demon in human form. He has no remorse, no conscience and is probably the worst villian in the history of the movies.

Dennis Hopper, Barbara Hershey and Ed Harris: now there's three last names- beginning with H-in their prime in the 1980s actors for you. Here's a bigger oddity: nary a profane word spoken by either Hopper or Harris in this movie!

There also is very little violence. However, when it occurs, it is shocking. Hopper plays his normal evil person and is convincing, as always. The film is fascinating for the first half but then bogs down with the romance between Hershey and Harris. It picks up again at the end.

The scenery here of the rural South of the 1940s is very pretty. This is an odd film; almost hard to classify, but certainly worth a look. As you can tell by the number of reviews, it's not a well-known film. I saw it twice and enjoyed it both times.

"Paris Trout" translates to the screen better than any work by John Grisham. The 1949 southern small town atmosphere is flawless, but it is the tremendous character development, lacking in Grisham's films, that drives "Paris Trout". Barbara Hershey as the suffering wife, and Ed Harris as the disillusioned lawyer are terrific. Dennis Hopper was born to play the evil character Paris Trout, and he delivers an "Oscar" worthy performance. Living in a fool's paradise, Paris makes his own rules, and attempts to control everyone else. This behavior leads to murder, and eventually insanity. A true product of his environment, Paris cannot deal with losing control. The consequences of his loss are both sad and fascinating. - MERK