Malice - Eine Intrige

...see this first! The Operation (1990) (TV) (From the IMDB listing)

Duplicity reigns supreme as a doctor (Joe Penny) in a messy, emotional divorce from his wife (Kathleen Quinlan) who is also his partner in a medical clinic is suddenly slapped with a $7 million malpractice suit by a patient (Lisa Hartman).

Except for Bill Pullman being the Hartman character's husband instead of Quinlan as the Dr.'s wife the stories were identical! Kind of spoiled the suspense when I realized it. Was this originally from a book? How did Sorkin, McCord and Frank get writing credit for this, anyway?

Becker's 'Malice' is a little bit of a mixed bag. First of all, there are two stories that hardly have anything to do with each other, one being about a serial killer raping and murdering collegegirls and another about a married couple and a doctor. Sorkin is a gifted writer as is evident in his work for TV but somehow the plot of 'Malice' is a bit contrived, messy and the screenplay lacks depth. The story would have been far more effective if the characters were better developed. There are plenty of twists and suspense but the surprise turns are a little out of place and it is hard to understand the motivation behind the characters' actions. For instance, why would Kidman's character allow herself to get so severely ill and risk her own life in the hands of someone else? Yet, 'Malice' is an entertaining thriller. The plot might be confusing at times but the performances are good, the dialogues are solid and it is technically well executed. The soundtrack flows well and some of the visuals are brilliant. Nicole Kidman is wonderful in spite of a poorly written character. Bill Pullman is great as the naive, passive, boring, pushover husband. Alec Baldwin, who plays Andy's counterpart is equally good. The supporting cast includes talented names life Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bebe Neuarth but their screen time is limited. Bancroft stands out followed by Neuwarth and Gallagher. Overall, 'Malice' is a good enough fun watch if one is looking for something with a little but of suspense, clever dialogue and good acting but there's not much else to look forward to.

MALICE is one of those movies that you simply MUST see more than once to believe. The first time through, MALICE is a great psychological thriller, with twists and turns through a plot that contains rape, murder, life-and-death trauma, and a fight to the death...all within the first 45 minutes. The second time through, though, provides a look at all the things you might have missed the first time around...and a chance to savor an outstanding performance from perhaps the most underrated actor in Hollywood, Alec Baldwin.

Bill Pullman plays Andy Safien, an associate dean at a small New England college outside of Boston that's currently under siege by a serial rapist who claims his latest victim as the film opens. Nicole Kidman plays his wife Tracy, a volunteer in the pediatrics ward of St. Agnes Hospital. They're renovating a Victorian house and need $14,000 for the plumbing. Enter Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jed Hill, a former high school classmate of Andy's, who's brand new in town and needs a place to stay. Andy needs the money, Jed needs a room, so the two hook up and soon Jed is sleeping upstairs in the Safiens' home...usually not alone, and his sexual escapades are grating on Tracy's nerves. The rapes continue, Andy is fingered as a suspect, and in the midst of it all, Tracy collapses with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Jed operates to save her life (after a night of drinking and wild partying), but renders her unable to bear children...leading to a malpractice suit from Tracy and an incredible soliloquy on surgeons with a God complex from Jed during the deposition.

But once the first half of the film is over, things really start to roll. Without revealing the rest of the plot, suffice it to say that as Andy, Tracy, and Jed all try to start their lives over again, their fates become inextricably entangled.

The movie is worth seeing once as a thriller. But the second time around, Baldwin's mesmerizing performance is what stands out. Jed is charismatic, seductive, and as charming as a cobra as he weaves his spell over the Safiens. Baldwin's ability to jump from utterly charming to incredibly chilling in the blink of an eye is on full display here; it is truly the performance of a lifetime.

See it once for the suspense, and again for the acting.

I loved Anne Bancroft in this.

She's good in anything

but she was wonderfully wicked in this. A deliciously smart and nasty boozy mommy. I miss her as an actress and as a great human being. Nobody's quite like Anne Bancroft. She will be missed by people like me who love her. She's like the spider with the fly with she's talking with Kidman's hubby who just doesn't get the situation. Bancroft brings enormous power to this character. She's got to be one of the most extraordinary women actresses of our time. She's right up there with Streep and other greats.

In Massachusetts, there is a rapist attacking young women and Detective Dana (Bebe Neuwirth) is investigating the cases. The college professor Andy Safian (Bill Pullman) and his former student and presently schoolteacher Tracy (Nicole Kidman) are happily married and are trying to have a baby. When the last victim of the rapist that studies at Andy's college is sent to the Saint Agnes Hospital, the surgeon Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin) saves her life. Andy recognizes Jed that had studied with him and they become close to each other. Soon Andy invites Jed to rent a room in his house to help him in the expenses despite Tracy's protest. When Tracy has a miscarriage, Jed takes the decision of removing her ovary with the support of Andy to save her life without waiting for the results from the laboratory. Soon he leans that Tracy's ovary was healthy and she decides to sue the hospital in US$ 20 million, using her friend, the lawyer Dennis Riley (Peter Gallagher). Tracy leaves Andy and accuses Jed of God Complex. When another student of Andy's college is murdered by the rapist, Andy becomes a suspect and has to donate sperm to prove his innocence. When Detective Dana shows Andy the laboratory result that clears him, he finds that he is sterile. Now Andy decides to investigate his wife deeper and finds hidden secrets about her.

"Malice" is a great thriller from the 90's, with a plot with many twists. Alec Baldwin has a magnificent performance in the role of an ambitious doctor with God Complex. The twists lead the viewer to different directions and the truth about Tracy is totally unpredictable. Last but not the least, it is great to see the young cast with Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher and Gwyneth Paltrow working with the veterans George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Malícia" ("Malice")