Like Minds

A friend of mine in France suggested I watch this movie seeing as I enjoyed Sturridge's (Nigel) performance in "A Waste of Shame" and was pleasantly surprised considering all the duds I've seen lately.

What I thought started out to be one of those moody, atmospheric boarding-school inter-relationship art-house melodramas turned into a well-done, well-photographed and well-written and for sure well-acted engrossing movie -- far from being dull as some others have commented -- with just enough little plot twists without going over the top and leaving the audience totally confused. Sometimes these told-in-flashback movies don't turn out too well because there's oftentimes not enough information supplied during the rest of the movie to support the big surprise at the end: you feel cheated and tricked because you didn't see it coming. Not so here. If you pay attention and watch closely, you're not at all surprised by the closing scene on the train, and think it was inevitable.

The chemistry between the two leads, Alex and Nigel, is a treat in itself to witness, more so because the developing relationship builds slowly instead of Nigel winning Alex over to his train of thought right off the bat: you're never sure if Nigel won.

Watch this movie, you'll enjoy it. Believe me, it's far from dull.

I passed this film up on several trips to Blockbuster because I disliked the title and didn't care much for the photo on the DVD box. But, Blockbuster showcases so much crap, and I had basically exhausted all of my viewing choices when I finally settled on this DVD. To my great surprise, this is a fascinating movie, with just enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. Toni Colette is wonderful and believable in the role of a forensic psychologist tasked with interviewing a murder suspect. Her job: to weave together the fragments of his harrowing narrative in order to ascertain his culpability, which the impetuous arresting officer (he has testosterone seeping out of his pores) is eager to have confirmed. The film is brilliant because it pitches together a smart forensic psychologist who eventually has to pull her dusty textbooks off the shelf to read up on Gestalt, with a young man of remarkable, quiet brilliance and the cunning of a fox at the chicken coop. Well worth viewing.

For some strange reason the very fine Australian/British film LIKE MINDS underwent a name change and hit the US market as MURDEROUS INTENT. The original title is so much more apropos of the story: the alternate title tends to make the audience pass over 'just another death film' category that prevents this excellent little film from appealing to a wide audience. Writer/Director Gregory J. Reed and his talented cast and production staff deserve better as this is a stunning psychological drama well worth seeing.

The setting is an all boys' prep school and among the students is Alex (a very fine young Eddie Redmayne) who happens to be the son of the headmaster (Patrick Malahide) and is a brilliant scholar - if somewhat of a troublemaker at the same time. Into this setting arrives a new student Nigel (an equally fine young Tom Sturridge) who is a darkly quiet, malevolent, bright lad preoccupied with history and necrophilia. The two boys are placed together as roommates, much to Alex's objections, and gradually secrets are unraveled that show how the two boys become, via gestalt, a sum of evil greater than its parts. Alex is horrified and yet fascinated with the ritual-influenced deaths that begin to occur and when Nigel himself is murdered, Alex is the blamed.

Enter the police: McKenzie (Richard Roxburgh) arrests and charges Alex with murder, but requires substantiation from a forensic psychologist Sally (the always superb Toni Collette). Sally interviews Alex, observes his behavior and manages to get inside his mind, learn about the historical data that has directed the evil from her astute questioning sessions with Alex, and begins to follow her own intuition about the case. There are twists and turns, flashbacks to incidents, investigation details, and discoveries bordering on the occult that spin this dark yarn like a helix of fear. The ending will surprise the viewer.

The script is superb, the acting is top notch, the production design is accomplished and the musical score by Carlo Giacco is simply brilliant. This is a fine art film, graced by the quality of superior acting set by Collette, and is a tense drama that will keep an audience thinking and involved to the final credits. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

Watched this because Eddie Redmayne seemed interesting in 'Savage Grace' but the film was perfectly dreadful. This again, actually his first feature film, isn't in a genre I'm at all crazy about, but, far-fetched and derivative from various sources though it is,it's still quite good for what it is. The directing has some merit, the cast is fine, the tech package (to use the Variety jargon) is first rate, and it's clever of them to adopt a cold, pale look instead of the usual chiaroscuro for spooky horror stories and also to avoid an excess of gore. This is a supernatural murder conspiracy mystery for people who don't like such stuff.

I am not of the opinion that Tom Sturridge is vastly inferior to Redmayne as some have said. The whole film would be a washout if that were true, since it's the unwilling symbiosis of the two youths that's the heart of the piece.

An excellent "making of" with the US DVD package shows Tom and Eddie are friends in real life and points out that the chemistry was evident from the first moments of a screen test. Good use is made of the spooky waxen perfection of Sturfridge's face. Tony Collette is a very good actress but often appears in overwrought roles; here, she is admirably toned down and also helps keep the movie from getting too genre or too pumped-up. Roxburgh and all the others do very creditable work and one can appreciate newcomer writer-director Read's alertness and enthusiasm. The "making of" introduces us to the main crew members and cast in interviews that are brief but feel natural. It also does an interesting job of explaining how remarkably the filmmakers fulfilled the requirements of shooting half in Australia and half in England in two opposite seasons and totally unlike landscapes and making them blend seamlessly together.

The final twist may seem just one more absurdity, but in the film's own terms it felt quite neat and right. The thing about Redmayne is, he has a chilly self-possession that is fascinating to watch in action. (In person he seems quite normal and pleasant.) It's quite worthwhile also to see somebody starring in a film about a public school who actually went to the preppiest English prep school of all, Eton. (Sturridge went to Winchester, which isn't far off.) I hope Redmayne's special talents and looks don't always lead him into films that are as campy or over-the-top as this and 'Savage Grace.' He seems to be "hot" now so he's going to have a chance to try different stuff. I'm curious to see how he does in two US productions,'The Yellow Handkerchief' and "Powder Blue.' Only time will tell if he gets good opportunities and makes good choices, but there's no doubt that he has something.

History is the study of man's past. To some it's merely a collection of events, to others it's a series of memories, but to a certain segment of people, it's the sum collection of heritage and honor. In this incredible black and dark movie originally called 'Murderous Intent', but retitled "Like Minds" it's the tale of two boys. Alex (Eddie Redmayne, incredible acting) and Nigel Colbie (Tom Sturridge, intriguing performance) attending the same private school. Although they seem at odds with other, they are in fact much closer than meets the eye. When a series of murders catch the attention of the local constabulary it falls to Inspector McKenzie (Richard Roxburgh) to solve them. His conclusions are quick and to the point, but he needs a psychological profile of one student to close the case. A Psychologist (Toni Collette) is called in and soon is embroiled in a battle of wits with an extremely manipulative young man, who relates the story of his evil school friend. One, she is certain is the mastermind, the other is a conniving and controlling con-artist, who believes in his family history and blood line to up hold tradition and any measures necessary to achieve a holy means. Not since Alfred Hitchcock has such dark drama been offered to an audience. Writer/Director Gregory Read has indeed surpassed that goal. Excellent suspense and shadowy mayhem for those interested in a twisted plot with an equally twisted conclusion. ****