Past Tense

OK, so you have to think as you watch - and after - but this film is a gem - and it hangs together even though it seems at times to be an incarnation of Twin Peaks - and THAT is NOT a bad thing! (There's even a Twin Peaks cast member aboard!) This is an excellent Psycho-Drama that will keep most theorizing right up to, through and past the end. Intelligent Film Noir, superbly cast and scripted - for those who like their Films Dark.

First of all, anyone who claims that he or she didn't find this head-scratcher confusing must be the next freakin' Einstein! The plot is maybe more tangled than that of "The Usual Suspects", and there are enough distorted/out-of-chronological order events, half-remembered/repeated/altered lines and "was-it-all-a-dream-or-was-it-real?" tricks to baffle even the most avid mystery fan. Generally, movies with multiple twists and turns can be great fun, but this one is so contrived that it tried my patience. Besides, I don't understand why Lara Flynn Boyle had to whisper almost all of her lines (to come off as "seductive", perhaps?), or why they would pair her romantically with Scott Glenn, an actor almost 30 years older than her. (**)

Former cop Gene Ralston (Scott Glenn) is haunted by confusion and is writing a hard-boiled crime novel about his new sexy neighbor (Lara Flynn Boyle). He has a sexual fling with her and a woman turns up dead there. More confusion arises. He fears evidence is piling up against him as his partner Larry Talbert (Anthony LaPaglia) investigates. Suddenly, there is a different woman living in that house and the murder never happened.

This starts as a neo-noir. It pushes very hard but that's acceptable. The problem starts with the confusing bits and pieces. It's intriguing when it first begins but soon it becomes tiresome. With all the jumbled pieces, the progression feels rather random. The pieces are all there. The fit is up in the air. At least, it's trying to do something.

'Past Tense' is the type of flick you start watching and the story grips you with it's mystery elements. Then the longer it goes the more it loses you and starts to feel tired. A good cast, a nice moment or two prolong the inevitable, but the last third takes a walk off the map. This was a tv movie of the week unbeknownst to me at the time.

Gene Ralston (Scott Glenn) a police detective & part time writer has a tryst with his new next-door neighbor Tory (Lara Flynn Boyle). When he discovers her murdered, Gene's partner Larry (Anthony LaPaglia) heads up the investigation and warns him off because he was involved with the victim. Yet he can't help but investigate anyhow. When he goes to discuss inconsistencies with Larry the next day, he doesn't know what he's talking about. A different person has lived in that house for a long time and it's like the woman never existed.

Splice in Gene's repeating dreams or nightmares, a psychiatrist and further down the rabbit hole we go. 'Past Tense' never slips into awful, but the big reveal isn't terribly satisfying. Glenn and LaPaglia are solid which isn't a shock. Boyle pulls off her role effectively. Sheree J. Wilson (Walker Texas Ranger) plays Larry's wife who tries to seduce Gene and gets topless. Wasn't expecting that. An okay one time watch.

The promissing cast starts good with nice scenes between the beautiful Lara Flynn-Boyle and Scott Glenn as the sensitive cop. But the story gets so weird: Lots of cheap flashbacks and "mysterious" knifes, glasses and fruits falling on the ground – uuups! – oh, you mean this is suspense? Then watch it. I didn´t enjoy it: 4 out of 10. To less Lara F.B. for to much movie.