aka The Treatment. The Full Treatment.
"Why would you want to kill me Alan?"
Newlyweds Alan and Denise Colby (Ronald Lewis and Diane Cilento) holiday in Southern France following a bad car accident. Since the crash Alan is quick to anger, and resort to violence, especially against his wife. Following a stormy dinner, at psychiatrist Dr. David Prade's (Claude Dauphin) house, the doctor tries to help, but Alan resists. Then one morning Alan awakes to find Denise gone, and Prade alludes to the possibility that Alan may have murdered her...
Crisply filmed, this is a psychological thriller which brings out the best in Diane Cilento as the tormented wife. Unfortunately the film gets bogged down with talk, and what could have been a taut 90 minute thriller is stretched and loses its way.
My main problem with this flick was that the character of Alan was a jerk from frame one. The filmmakers really dropped the ball in not giving him the "petting the dog" moment (that is, showing that however bad he becomes, he's decent at heart: because he likes dogs!).
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ReplyDeleteI totally agree - a good chance missed. I sympathised with her, but just thought 'ditch him he's not worth it' as it all went on.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, he showed no redeeming features at all. I think he would have needed a whole kennel of dogs to pet by the end to make me sympathise with him.
I saw this as part of the Hammer DVD double feature with "Cash On Demand," a much better film. I know you've screened COD; what did you think of its ending? Smelled of some sort of censor board compromise to me....
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a much better film than Stop Me, and not knowing anything of it prior to my watching it I was pleasantly surprised.
ReplyDeleteAs for the ending well you are probably right - I believe that there was an agreement that no criminal should be seen to profit from their crimes. Hence the literal cliffhanger ending of the Italian Job.
But it strikes a wrong note when the Colonel coughs to the deception and lets off Cushings character, just when it looked like he was in for an uncomfortable time down the station.