Sombras del pasado

I picked this movie up on vhs for 10 cents at the local goodwill. I wasn't expecting too much, but I knew Rutger Hauer was in it, and his movies are usually pretty good. I didn't expect for him to be playing a man so vulnerable though, he wasn't his usual tough and villainous character. What I also didn't expect was how well Natasha Richardson played her part, which was the trusting yet also vulnerable social worker Laura Matthews, tasked with finding a job for the parolled Ben Jordan (Hauer) Laura has suspicions of Jordan's guilt or innocence in the crime of killing his wife 15 years earlier, and she investigates, against her client's wishes. The movie moves along quite well and you're wondering whether he was guilty or not, and is Laura getting too close to him, endangering her own life and those around her.

This turned out to be more of a women's romance-soap-suspense film than what I hoped it was....simply a tense thriller. Yes, the final 20 minutes were suspenseful but much of the previous 75 bordered on being just plain tedious.

Ruter Hauer was a little too subdued, not playing his normal intense character. Natasha Richardson sports somewhat of a dumb look most of the time and her character was very unappealing.

The story is so-so. It's not as bad as I'm making out, but it sure isn't anything I'd watch again, and the back of the VHS describing this movie was misleading.

The stage curtains open ...

"Past Midnight" had all the earmarks of being a worthy entry in its genre, a sleeper, a hidden gem. However, despite Natasha Richardson's undeniable onscreen charm, and some pretty good cinematography, this thriller came off as a lost opportunity.

Richardson plays the part of a social services worker, Laura Matthews, who is assigned the task of helping a parolee, Ben Jordan (Rutger Hauer), find employment upon being released from prison. Jordan was tried and convicted for the murder of his pregnant wife, yet after meeting with Ben, Laura is not entirely convinced that he did it. Despite warnings from her well-meaning co-worker and ex-lover, Laura takes it upon herself to investigate the events of that night which eventually leads to the revelation of the truth behind a man who she is beginning to fall in love with.

The movie actually started out really good. The characters were strong, the acting fairly decent, and, as I mentioned before, the cinematography was spot on. They even threw in a joke to get you smiling, no doubt the influence of Quentin Tarantino. But, about halfway through, the movie starts to lose itself. The screenplay was pretty weak, which surprises me, since Tarantino had a hand in it. The love scene between Richardson and Hauer had no chemistry, and in fact, it seemed like they were only doing that scene because they had to. I didn't buy any of the dynamics between them. And the story and final reveal was pretty absurd by movie's end.

I cannot recommend this one. I saw it late night, and as something to do when there is nothing else to do, it will fill the void. However, you would be better served watching an old favorite than taking a chance on this lost dud. It is easy to see why it wasn't a hit back in the day. 3 stars out of 10.

Whilst this film is not going to re-invent the Suspense/Thriller genre it views as one that could have been an A movie with a little more money and a bit of promotion. Certainly not with a change of cast. The twists, the developing romantic theme, all make this worth your viewing time. Rutger Hauer has his own unique brand of acting and Natasha Richardson can not only act but is rather cute.

Loved Rutger, liked the movie, and Quentin Tarantino wrote the script!