Comments
Siskoid
Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill are grieving parents intent on working through their trauma by sailing the Pacific in Dead Calm. But when they pick up a castaway (Billy Zane) who turns out to be dangerous, things get very thrillery indeed. It's an old formula that's enhanced in a number of ways. First, we're used to these stories being claustrophobic, but this is contrasted with the wide openness of the sea. Second, the script doesn't obviously attack the trauma, but finds its way in Kidman consistently being asked to forget/ignore what's going on, and the omnipresent feeling of powerlessness, give it thematic power. And finally, this isn't a case of the man having to save the woman, but rather of putting both characters in different jeopardy and making us wait to see if either will be able to save the other. They're supported by cinema's most useless dog, so there's no help there, and while the last scare is entirely unnecessary, it's so crazy, it deserves your attention.
Jumping Elephant
Despite more than a few minor flaws, this is one of the most successful thrillers I've seen in a very long time.
