Le Caméléon

I am always surprised by the low rating of this movie whenever I visit this page on IMDb. I remember watching this film as a kid and being blown away by the premiss and the acting. Sure the film feels very 90s and the production value is generally thin, but bearing in mind the very decent make-up jobs, and action thriller feel mixed with espionage and psychosis, you are left with a very decent and enjoyable movie that has something for everyone.

I was unaware of Anthony LaPaglia before this movie, and while most people probably know him for his more successful recent works, such as "Fraiser", "Without a Trace", and film Analyze That, his lesser known works are probably his best performances.

Chameleon, for me shows off his acting talents best. His ability to mimic voices is very satisfying and while the make-up is very important factor in his characters, he really makes each character his own. Some might find similarities with this movie and The Saint (the film more so than the TV series) as both have an element of lost identity, but this film, while approaching it from a not too subtle and very 90s drama viewpoint, really gets the slipping of identity and overlapping of mannerisms.

I recommend this film to anyone that likes thrillers, for me this really epitomizes the psychological thriller for it's era (I would say for it's decade but Fight Club squeezed into the 90s with it's 1999 release).

I was very lucky to be able to re-watch this film today, and to anyone lucky enough to be able to get a-hold of it, watch it.

This movie shows you what an excellent plot and good actors can do. Anthony LaPaglia, one of the most underated actors of his time, protrays an undercover agent who is in the middle of a nervous breakdown. This movie is totally engrossing and well thought out and you begin to feel the depth of anger and loss that Anthony LaPaglia's character feels. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to enjoy a good movie.

Anthony LaPaglia really shows off his acting abilities. He portrayed the character from every angle of emotion. I was on the edge of my seat in suspense as to what would take place next. This is definitely a movie where you have to keep your attention on the movie to enjoy every minute of it. I had wanted more even after the movie was over. I really wish they would consider a DVD release as this was one of his great films. This is on my top 10 list of movies. I recommend that you see this movie to see what one mans determination can do. I became a Anthony LaPaglia fan back when I saw his "Innocent Blood" a cute horror/comedy. I really enjoy his newer TV series "Without a Trace".

This film has a fairly unoriginal premise: cop guy still suffering the death of his family goes out for revenge. The particulars of the crime plot - drugs, money laundering, and other organized crime activity - are also nothing to get worked up about. It's not that they're done badly or even cheesy, but they have all been done before.

What makes this film worth watching is the lead character and the actor who plays him. Willie Serling, played by the wonderful Anthony LaPaglia, drifts in and out of so many false personalities as part of his undercover operations that he's not sure who he is himself anymore. Not only does LaPaglia adeptly handle character changes - moving in and out of accents, mannerisms, gaits, etc. - but he also really brings home the performance of Serling struggling to keep a grip on his own life. LaPaglia's performance is so good that it's easy to forget about the plot issue. Furthermore, the character himself is interesting to watch as he navigates the story.

So don't watch this movie if you're looking for the best crime drama ever, but definitely watch it if you want to see a genius of an actor at work in a thoroughly interesting role.

If you're a fan of movie makeup, that part of this movie alone should entice you. Fabulous work by the makeup crew makes for a fun Spot-The-Agent game on the part of Willie's boss. If the crew didn't get an award for their work, they were robbed.

I actually watched this film based on the recommendations of those who've commented here. It was just starting on BBC1 and, as I happened to be online at the time, I thought I'd check out what had been written here on IMDb. I'm glad I did as they convinced me to watch the film.

Whilst it's plot reads like your typical, cop-looking-for-revenge-B-movie that normally gets shown in the early hours of the morning to fill time, this plot is made watchable by tour-de-force performance from Anthony LaPaglia. He plays a undercover cop searching for revenge who's so good at being other people that he's losing his grip on who he is. LaPaglia slips effortlessly from character to character, sometimes within scenes you can see him taking on the characteristic of others. His English accent is well done, and I believe if you were to just see the scenes where he's seducing Jill Hallman, you'd simply assume you were watching a Hugh Grant style romance, except LaPaglia is infinitely more charming in my opinion.

Another performance of note is Kevin Pollack's. He gives a solid performance and makes a good foil to LaPaglia. Against these two, everyone else just seems to fade into the background.

Of course, there are problems with the film. If you analyse the plot for 5 minutes, it would probably all fall apart. Also, the film feels dated before its time, looking a few years older than it's 1995 release date would suggest. But these are by-the-by things for me personally as I enjoyed the performances so much.

Finally, for anyone interested in similar subject matter, I would highly recommend the 'Human Target' comic books written by Peter Milligan for DC comics.