The building tension, the hero becoming more and more aware he is trapped in a strange and dangerous situation at every turn, not knowing who to trust, the music, even the cool blonde, all remind me of Hitchcock.
BTY-Loved the book
I've made this a "Favorite" here on IMDB, so I see when new posts are made.
I agree with you. Unlike most reactions that find Kim Cattrall not sufficiently cool at all, I believe she was cast specifically because she's not cool. Two chilly women on a chilly island would be one too many. Her character completely took my attention away from the real evil-doer the first time I saw the movie (I own it now and have trouble not watching it monthly).
Kim was Grace Kelly cool on the outside and warm inside, the wife is a boiling pot outside and an ice queen inside.
So they changed the ending, in the book (stop here if you are a spoiler phobic ha ha) The crazy dad is disguiesed as airport staff and wired with a bomb. It is suggested that Roy the ex-PM sees what is going to happen and quickly walks toward the bomber so the bomber meets him as far away from the others as possible. He trys to save everyone else as his last act on earth. I loved the noble end for him, as he seems so morally conflicted.
I wonder too if he was trying to save them all, or mostly Amelia the sec. who I think he truley loved, but never acted on it.
Have you read the book?
So they changed the ending, in the book (stop here if you are a spoiler phobic ha ha) The crazy dad is disguiesed as airport staff and wired with a bomb. It is suggested that Roy the ex-PM sees what is going to happen and quickly walks toward the bomber so the bomber meets him as far away from the others as possible. He trys to save everyone else as his last act on earth. I loved the noble end for him, as he seems so morally conflicted.
I wonder too if he was trying to save them all, or mostly Amelia the sec. who I think he truley loved, but never acted on it.
Have you read the book?
she is not crazy. She is Ruth-less, cold and manipulative
shareYeah, she's not 'crazy' as in mentally ill, but she's a fanatic. We're all capable of being seduced by appealing ideologies, and some people, true believers like Ruth, will kill to protect them.
I think that should be "Hitchcockian". And the film sure is; Polanski has always been a bit like Hitch, only even more devilishly perverse.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Ditto. Even the cinematography is Hitchcockian dreary and noirish, That might actually be the most impressive thing about the movie. The movie is so reminiscent of the H man that it almost has his trademark in most of the scenes. Throughout the movie, sooner or later, his name will come to viewer's mind. It's not even a tribute, it's apprentice's work.
shareThe music (by Alexandre Desplat) was particularly Hitchcockian. Or, rather, strongly reminiscent of composer Bernard Herrmann, especially in the opening scene, when the ferryboat touches land in the rain. The combination of a contrabass clarinet, a bass clarinet and a standard clarinet, plus a muted trumpet and nervous strings is typical of Herrmann's "ominous" music.
I also like Desplat's eerie combination of violins in their highest register plus a celesta to convey tension. Desplat's orchestration throughout is impressive.
UPDATE: My thanks to the reader below who recommended the soundtrack recordings in YouTube. I wasn't aware they were available and spent many enjoyable moments listening to them. Thanks again.
You can hear that particular opening sequence on Youtube. I must have played it at least 1,000 times.
shareI think it is so Hitchcock-ish that Im sure if Polanski was not in prison he would have been in a scene as bystander.
shareThe first time I saw this film, and i am a huge Hitchcock fan, it may have occurred to me that the director was trying to use some Hitch elements. But it sure did not strike me as anything near as good as a Hitch film.
In fact it reminded me more of that film George Clooney did a few years ago, The American. But The American was much better.
Well it`s worse than `some` Hitchocks. Better than some others. An elegant and intelligent film, even though nothing special, and also unfortunately kind of anonymous, lacking the usual, idiosyncratic Polanskian "quirk", a sense of eccentricity that characterizes most of his best work.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
It's a 100% Polanski-ish.
The room's a wreck, but her napkin is folded.