rheaton-94697

Once you start watching you can't stop. Something about this film is very captivating. It certainly isn't the plot which is pretty simplistic. Maybe it's the wonderful scenery in the Great Barrier Reef. Or perhaps the fine caring. Or maybe the many nude scenes of Helen Mirren. She's beautiful. Mirren plays an "under aged" character, so probably supposed to be 17. She was 24 when she made the film and that's what she looks like. All woman, not a girl. Nevertheless the film is a joy to watch and brings to mind other Man / girl films like Lolita, Night of the Iguana and Venus. Much lighter material however. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

The script just doesn't hold up. Scott plays a 19 year old school girl. She's really 25 at the time and looks and acts older than that. It's just not believable. It's a good cast but the dialog is choppy and comes off like an amateur production. .Lancaster holds his own in a less than staring role. But the rest of the cast just keep dragging on in this 40's soap opera.. There are no surprises or suspense here. The ending is very predictable. The four stars is mostly for the photography. There are some nice color desert scenes throughout the movie but it was real hard not to use the fast forward on this one. Don't waste your time.

It's a very good mystery story with lots of twists and turns. Plenty of potential gaps and loose ends but it all comes together nicely in this excellent script. Pacino is top notch as usual and his gradual deterioration from insomnia and mental anguish is always evident. Williams is surprisingly good as the creep and Swank is perfect as the upstart detective. The moral of the story is kind of summed up in one quote "A good cop can't sleep because he is missing a piece to the puzzle. A bad cop can't sleep because of his conscience." And the best part is it's pre woke so there isn't any mandatory messaging or casting shoved in your face. Definitely worth a watch.