Death Became Her

thesar-2

(Though this doesn't contain all surprises or, ah hem, spoilers, it does borderline it. #1 just watch the movie – it is a near-masterpiece, a near perfect suspense thriller/mystery everyone (of age) should see. #2 then read my review. It's very hard to write about it without giving away too much.)

It was more of a crime that Weaver was neither nominated nor won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1994 than the crimes committed against her in the movie, Death and the Maiden.

Okay, that's taking it a bit far; what happened to her character was unmistakably HORRIBLE, but she still should've won something for her fantastic post-victim performance.

And it was a further crime hardly anyone saw this near-masterpiece of a small/indie film that screams stage play. In fact, when I first saw this many years ago, aside from being immediately enthralled in the story and acting of Weaver, my first reaction was this was meant for the stage – and this was before I did find out, in fact, it was previously a theatre production.

What we have here, in one of my all-time favorite movies, is paranoid Paulina (Weaver) living in isolation with her lawyer-husband, Gerardo (Wilson) in a South American now-"supposedly" free country. Gerardo had a flat, was late for dinner and Paulina's p|ssed..but it's not clear up front on why.

Slowly, but absolutely surely…the pieces fall into place, ever so deliberately on why she's both paranoid and p|ssed. But as bad of a life she makes you believe she has…the past is about to make things a little worst.

Gerardo had a Good Samaritan for his flat tire in the form of Dr. Miranda (Kingsley) and upon the doctor's admiration for the lawyer who's about to work for the President on anti-torture criminals – and a few drinks – Paulina's senses go into overdrive. She is absolutely sure the voice and even smell from the other room where she's "pretending to be sleeping" that the good ole doc was her captive from awhile back.

I really don't want to give too much away, but suffice to say, she was kidnapped prior to the movie started and Pauline believes this stranger was (one of) her torturer(s). Eventually, she's going to make him prove he did it, or his innocence. One way or another.

Literally, I am going to stop here. I've given away only 5% of the movie, and I feel that's too much.

This movie, with literally only three actors, plays out in deep mystery and suspense and you will feel every bit of the pain Weaver wants you to. She is an astonishing actress and proves it here. You would need to be in a 3-person movie.

The other two, Kingsley and Wilson, were also good, but this is Weaver's show. Her and her character's redemption or potential healing.

It won't take too much of your time – it's relatively short, but it will be worth seeing this wonderful movie and you will see past Ripley (Alien). (Actually, a little too much, at times. Boy, Weaver wanted to get naked for this movie…)

score 10/10

thesar-2 26 December 2010

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2358942/