A 1985 British film, Dance with a Stranger is the true life story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged for murder in Great Britain. The eminent actress Miranda Richardson made her debut in the film as Ellis who was notably made up to look like Marilyn Monroe.
One wonders why director Mike Newell was drawn to the material in the first place. While the acting and cinematography are fine the story is not only completely downbeat but lacks even a modicum of suspense.
The plot can be summed up in a couple of short paragraphs: Ruth Ellis (Richardson), a former prostitute and now nightclub hostess at a pub in London finds herself smitten by ne'er do well David Blakely (Rupert Everett), an aspiring race car driver from a well-to-do family who abuses her and sees other women. Well-off businessman Desmond Cussen (Ian Holm) becomes besotted with Ruth who has no romantic interest in him and enters into a platonic relationship with her.
After losing her job because of David, Desmond rents an apartment for Ruth and occasionally takes care of her son until Ruth murders David over his long-term pervasive emotional and physical abuse.
Ultimately there is nothing likeable about any of the three principals and all the emotional outbursts on the part of Ruth prove tiresome. One can hardly sympathize with Ruth who has ample opportunities to escape the abusive David but in classic domestic abuse victim style, always goes back to him.
It might have been a better idea to use Ruth's court trial as a framing device. That might have answered the only interesting question about this whole affair: why the woman was hanged over a crime of passion which in other venues would have easily resulted in a lesser charge of manslaughter.
One wonders why director Mike Newell was drawn to the material in the first place. While the acting and cinematography are fine the story is not only completely downbeat but lacks even a modicum of suspense.
The plot can be summed up in a couple of short paragraphs: Ruth Ellis (Richardson), a former prostitute and now nightclub hostess at a pub in London finds herself smitten by ne'er do well David Blakely (Rupert Everett), an aspiring race car driver from a well-to-do family who abuses her and sees other women. Well-off businessman Desmond Cussen (Ian Holm) becomes besotted with Ruth who has no romantic interest in him and enters into a platonic relationship with her.
After losing her job because of David, Desmond rents an apartment for Ruth and occasionally takes care of her son until Ruth murders David over his long-term pervasive emotional and physical abuse.
Ultimately there is nothing likeable about any of the three principals and all the emotional outbursts on the part of Ruth prove tiresome. One can hardly sympathize with Ruth who has ample opportunities to escape the abusive David but in classic domestic abuse victim style, always goes back to him.
It might have been a better idea to use Ruth's court trial as a framing device. That might have answered the only interesting question about this whole affair: why the woman was hanged over a crime of passion which in other venues would have easily resulted in a lesser charge of manslaughter.