Le crime défendu

We liked this film so much that we watched it again when it was shown a second time on television. We liked it because the perpetrator was truly a victim and our sympathies stayed with her throughout the grueling investigation. The actress (Arquette) was believable, necessary for our sympathy and understanding. The dialogue was "right on." It made sense, but was also well written. The camera views and angles were something we appreciated, as in most good films. Like a Greek drama, we knew who committed the crime right at the start but it is the unraveling, the whys, that make it so riveting. We wish there were more films like this - gripping yet understandable.

I guess I'll go back and watch the rest of this thing but I think I'll have to lower the bar to do it.

Here's this hot-shot lawyer specializing in rape cases -- Rosanna Arquette in a pretty good performance. After winning a case she is given a ride home by an admirer. As he stops the car in front of her house, she thanks him, but he touches his head, looks slightly pained, and claims he has a headache. Does she mind if he comes in for a cup of coffee? He just doesn't think he can drive like this.

Right off the bat, my heart kind of sank. The guy is a bruiser and here he is, whining like a preadolescent, he can't possibly drive with this headache, but a cup of coffee will cure it.

Arquette invites him in. I don't suppose it's easy to turn down someone who's just driven you home, even if his request is based on a patently false proposition.

When they are seated in the living room she grows a little uncomfortable when, without any tedious exposition, he begins to compliment her -- "You're stunning." (Who wrote this script? A Mystery 8 Ball?) It just goes from bad to worse. He throws her bodily around the room and rapes her. Then while she's pulling herself together over the kitchen sink, he hisses into her ear that any charges she might bring wouldn't work. They'd never believe her. Furthermore, she would ruin her life and her career, and on top of that he'd just come back and do it again. So she picks up a barbecue fork and does a laparotomy on him. He dies instantly -- from a fork wound.

Then what does she -- the rape specialist -- do? She rushes sobbing into the shower and washes away all the evidence. The film doesn't bother explaining exactly how this tiny woman got this line backer's body around, or how she managed to keep the accelerator permanently down so that the vehicle speeds off the cliff. If you're going to ignore motivation then why bother with mechanical details.

Okay. I notice that an oily blackmailer rapist wannabe has entered the picture. Enough is enough.

I Know What You Did is the story of a tough female lawyer who's specialty is proving obvious raper's innocence. That is until she is raped & when he thretens to rape her again she stabs & murders him. In a panic she gets rid of the body & tells no one. She then understands the absolute extremes of all emotions a rape victims entails. Further complications arise when a witness blackmails her. This rollercoaster ride of a thriller is a nonstop power trip with an excellent performance from Rosanna Arquette & an excellent script. It's hard to believe such a strong motion picture was made for TV but don't miss it.