Paraíso perdido

Pamela Sue Martin, then part of the acting ensemble on TV's "Dynasty", co-wrote, co-produced and stars in this tatty tale of drug addiction. Martin and Steve Railsback are the loving California couple who are ripped apart by cocaine, but Railsback--a somewhat over-eager actor with wildly active eyes and tics--was fundamentally wrong for the role of an "ordinary" man who gets hooked on coke and loses control (the viewer can easily see Railsback was over-wound to begin with). Martin is a strong, dependable actress who should be commended for this attempt to broaden her capabilities, but the film's budget is low and the script, while well-meant, is full of tired clichés (updated clichés for the 1980s). Whatever good will Martin manages to build is mitigated by the pretentious finale, which has to be seen to believed. *1/2 from ****