Mortelle protection

Standard B-movie fare. But strangely watchable. Caroline Goodall is kinda babe-like.....and the plot has a decent enough twist. Gotta wonder, is Goodall the sister of Jane Goodall of chimpanzee research fame? Looks similar. But her sister picked chimps better than Caroline picks men. 5/10. Just barely worth renting on video if you have seen everything else.

I like the settings and the characters. Its quite the complex part writing a thriller to give it a good "picture". But I can't take if they start punching loopholes into the story to accommodate the writing; I can't stand characters that seem to be three dimensional beings starting to act strangely to "fit" into schematic story development. But when you start to lower the expectations and give "into the flow", the result is quite entertaining. Harmon and the other cast deliver good performances for the "setting" and I have to admit, that the the showdown teared me more than I hoped. If you catch it on TV in the night and like to watch some easy schematic thrill with a little end surprise, you won't be disappointed - I have seen *much* worser. But I wouldn't take this out of a DVD-rental store... 5-6 Stars.

Casualties is about a woman (Caroline Goodall) who is abused by her alcoholic husband (Jon Gries), and comes across a man (Mark Harmon) who, turns out, is just as sadistic as her husband. Sounds good, but it's mediocre. The plus side is Gries delivering a great dramatic performance.

It appals me (having worked as a rewrite man at MGM back in the 60's) how some of today's films ever get produced. Poor scripts seem to be the rule, plus in the case of this disaster, poor direction, an unattractive and inept cast, and pacing that rivals a snail's pace. Dear Gussie, is it any wonder that many of us over-50's are staying home and reading a book instead of wasting time watching trashy contemporary attempts at film. There's only one blessing in this film: there are no special effects.

After seeing this movie a second time (caught it a few years back on cable) I realize Tom Cruise totally ripped off his characterization of the psycho in "Collateral" from Mark Harmon in this movie. Wayyyy too eerily similar to be a coincidence. Right down to the odd demeanor, hidden rage and creepy buzz-cut hairdo.

The only real complaint I have about this movie was the woman's character. Honestly, she gave a performance worthy of a mediocre Lifetime Channel film, while Mark Harmon actually surprised me with what he brought to this role. His part, although a bit outlandish, was actually believable. To the contrary Ms. Goodall's portrayal of an abused wife and terrified captive was grossly inconsistent. Either she didn't do her homework or she just went on set everyday, cashed her check and didn't give it much effort. The best thing about this movie was the ambiance and style for the second half, which was mostly dominated by Mr. Harmon. I'd like to see him in more after seeing this.