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16 out of 18 people found the following review useful: Very Ordinary Suspects, 28 March 2005 Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK
Bryan Singer's 'The Usual Suspects' was itself a rather unusual thriller: almost the entire plot consisted of a criminal suspect telling the police a lie. By literally representing the character's words in images, the film exploited the trust that any movie-watcher has to put in what they see; the very concept of cinema only works if the audience can believe their own eyes, so it's a somewhat underhand trick to take advantage of this. But 'The Usual Suspects' nonetheless worked as a film, for three reasons. Firstly, the lie was extraordinarily entertaining in itself. Secondly, it's essentially falsity was brilliantly revealed. And thirdly, this revelation forced the viewer to reconsider everything they had seen in the film. If all movies were like this, cinema would die, but as an isolated film, it definitely made the grade.Alan Rudolph's curiously named 'Mortal Thoughts' (surely "morbid thoughts" are actually what feature in this film) is a kind of precursor to 'The Usual Susepcts', but less acclaimed, and with good reason. The basic tale is less interesting than in the later film; there's no cleverness in the revelation, and the actual truth does not anyway fundamentally change one's opinion of the characters. The film doesn't even try and fool the audience: Harvey Keitel's policeman tells the witness throughout that he doesn't believe what she is saying, and once you accept that the woman may be lying, then the possibilities are limitless (something Singer dealt with deftly by only uncovering the lie at the very end, before it truly sinks into the audience that if the story was a pack of lies, then the truth could be anything). The result is a film that is reasonably watchable, but hardly distinguished. Yet in the true story, revealed at the end, there's actually a tale of human drama that might have driven a pretty strong film. The secondary tale of someone merely lying about such a story, however, is comparatively dull.
10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Striking Change of Pace for Alan Rudolph, 29 September 2004 Author: cookiela2001 from Los Angeles
When I first rented this film (I don't remember it being in movie theaters) I was excited to see what Alan Rudolph, who I associate with looser style character studies, would do with the taut, slick format of a thriller. Indeed, the whole presentation of the film is very different from the funky CHOOSE ME, one of my favorite films. The music, the pacing, the INTENT of the film-making are markedly different from this director's other works.MORTAL THOUGHTS is not a wholly satisfying film, but I am humbled to say that I was amazed by Demi Moore's performance. I have never sought out a film starring this husky voiced pinup, and have found her off-screen persona to be arrogant and grating. In the big films of hers that I'd seen, I considered her adequate...striking to look at, but slightly mechanical and hollow. Here, playing a working class beautician from New Jersey, her emotions are very real and she has a human warmth and vulnerability. Plus, with the tricky lighting and creamy lenses of big budget cinematography taken away, one can see what a natural, diminutive beauty she really is.Moore's interaction with the rest of the cast is never false. This is understandable with Bruce Willis (as he was her husband at the time) but she plays equally well with respected "serious" actors Glenne Headley and Harvey Keitel. In fact, in one midpoint interrogation scene in which he's slow coming in on a few cues, Keitel actually seems to be holding Moore BACK! Who would have thought?Maybe the surprise of seeing Moore be so convincing makes the performance seem stronger than it actually is, but I truly was deeply impressed with her work here. Perhaps playing a woman close to her own roots (Moore was raised in a series of trailer parks) unleashed something in the actress and let her relate to the role on a more personal level. Maybe having Rudolph, who is famous for drawing tender, intimate performances from his actors (see AFTERGLOW!), at the helm is the explanation. Whatever the reason, Moore is a knockout here, and the film gave me new respect for her. She is very affecting, and unforgettable.
12 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Solid and Underrated, 11 June 2006 Author: jonathon_naylor from Manitoba, Canada
Solid, underrated thriller about murder and the domino effect of lies. Demi Moore stars as Cynthia Kellogg, a woman caught in the middle when her best friend (played by Glenne Headly) murders her jerk of a husband -- or so it seems. Great performances and intriguing plot twists and turns help elevate this forgotten effort from director Alan Rudolph (Breakfast of Champions, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle). Moore and Willis (who went on to marry after reportedly meeting on this film) are particularly effective. Mortal Thoughts is made all the more memorable in that it constantly asks the viewer what he or she would do in the strenuous situations in which the characters find themselves.
9 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Demi Moore was Outstanding, 6 September 2005 Author: whpratt1 from United States
Demi Moore,(Cynthia Kellogg),"G.I. Jane", played an exceptionally difficult role, where she gets involved with a very abusive lover played by Bruce Willis,(James Urbanski) who has mood changes like the weather, hot, cold and goes completely nuts. I was beginning to lose my patience with Cynthia because she never reported these incidents to the police in order to prevent this horrible human abuse. This is a good film to show innocent women in this world, if you experience this type of behavior, run to the nearest police station and turn this guy in immediately. However, I must say that Bruce Willis did such a great acting job, you actually grew to hate him and the role he played. Good Film, Enjoy
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Better than its reputation, 24 April 2005 Author: Dennis Littrell (dalittrell@yahoo.com) from SoCal
First of all I have no idea why this was named "Mortal Thoughts." More appropriate would be, "Fatal Lies" or "An Inadvertent Confession," or maybe "Desperate Friends." Be that as it may, this is a superior thriller mainly because the story is compelling and the acting is first rate. Demi Moore who plays Cynthia is just outstanding. She commands the screen with her beautiful and expressive features and her great natural skill. If you don't like her, I guarantee you will not like this movie because she dominates the film. She is as vivid and unforgettable as an Al Pacino or a Betty Davis.As an aside on the career of Demi Moore, I want to say that it's a shame for her that her off-screen personality is not well liked, which in large part accounts for the fact that she is one of the most underrated, although one of the most often seen and hardest-working stars of the last fifteen years or so. This movie is an example of how she is ignored. The plain fact is her performance here is better than many who have won Oscars, and she wasn't even nominated. Another problem for her is that this movie (and others she has made) are not the sort of films that the Academy pays much attention to. Mortal Thoughts (which she co-produced, by the way) is too low-budget, too "common" one might say, for any part in it to be taken seriously in an artistic sense. Too bad.Glenne Headly (Joyce) is also outstanding while Bruce Willis is excellent as Joyce's drug-addled, boozing, wife-beating loser of a husband. The dialogue is right on, realistically depicting the lives of New Jersey beauty shop people while the plot told in ersatz flashbacks unfolds nicely with a fine tension.The story is that of two friends, Joyce and Cynthia who find they have to cover up a killing (NOT a murder, but at worst a manslaughter, or better yet, a case of self-defense), but fall apart as the investigation closes in on them. In a sense they are both like Lady Macbeth with blood on their hands and no effective way to wash it off. They are both appropriately naive as young working-class women, and both act foolishly, as many of us might in their predicament.Here's a nice bit of ironic dialogue. Joyce is questioning her ability to convince people about what happened. She tells Cynthia that she isn't a very good liar. But Cynthia reassures her: "Joyce, you're a terrific liar. You just lost confidence in yourself." This is all to the good as far as film-making goes. It is the ending that is the problem.One might ask, what happened to the ending? Maybe I need to watch this again to be sure I didn't miss anything. But better yet, YOU watch it and you be the judge. What I think happened is director Alan Rudolph truncated it. Either that or he decided to try something artistic, which I don't recommend in a commercial thriller flick. Maybe they just ran out of money and had to wrap it up. At any rate, we are left wondering what is going to happen and who actually did what to whom. Presumably, the last flashback from Cynthia tells us how Bruce Willis's character met his end, but that doesn't solve the problem of how or why (somebody else) was shot full of holes. Maybe the producers thought they would wrap it all up in a sequel. Actually, there's enough there for one, easily.I would also like to complain about a movie that acts out a false story told by one of the characters as though the story were true. That can be done, but it must be done in such a way that there is some kind of hint or "coloring" of the story that allows the viewer to suspect that something is amiss. True, Det. John Woods (Harvey Keitel) makes some compelling arguments along the way to suggest that Cynthia is not telling the truth, but we are mislead by the actions that our eyes see and the sounds that our ears hear. In movies, since anything can be contrived, it is the usual rule to have the camera show the truth while letting the characters do the lying.What might have saved this (and what I was expecting all the way through) is Joyce's side of the story acted out on screen so that we could compare the stories and make our choice about who was telling the truth.Bottom line: better than one might expect with a realistic edge clearly a notch or two above the usual thriller fare.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: A Stellar Film Noir, 6 July 2003 Author: CPT_Doom from Washington, DC
Not being a fan of either Demi Moore or Bruce Willis, I was not prepared to be blown away by both their performances in Mortal Thoughts. The two actors give nuanced and very real performances as regular Jersey folks, and Glenne Headly steals the movie. Demi (Cythia) and Glenne (Joyce) play lifelong friends, both beauticians at Joyce's shop. Joyce is married to the insufferable Jimmy (Willis), who alternately ignores, harasses, and hits her, when he's not out partying. Joyce is constantly talking about killing Jimmy, and since the movie begins during the investigation into his death, the movie raises your suspicion from the start.The entire movie is told as a flashback during the police questioning of Cynthia, and Demi manages to bring to life a scared, distraught, exhausted and defensive woman whose life as a simple mother of two has been turned upside down. Harvey Keitel, as the lead investigator into the case, gives an amazing performance, supplying the audience with the right level of doubt about Cynthia's story to keep the suspense flying until the end - and all while sitting in the same chair for most of the film! Glenne Headly shows just how good she is as Joyce goes from kooky and fun to paranoid and potentially dangerous. The ending manages to tie all the ends of the mystery up while grabbing at your emotions. Truly a satisfying film for a dark and stormy night.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: My review for Mortal Thoughts, 19 May 2006 Author: gelderend from Northern Ireland
Mortal Thoughts stars Demi Moore and her husband at that time, Bruce Willis. I was instantly intrigued by this film. The storyline is fantastic and the casting is superb (although I would say that as Bruce Willis is my favourite actor!) I was impressed by the acting, particularly Harvey Keitel, who plays police detective John Woods. Willis is also very good as evil and abusive husband Jim. He is very convincing and instantly hateable. Although the film contains some disturbing scenes, it is exciting and tense throughout, with an impressive and unexpected twist at the end. Set in New Jersey, the directing is also good, with flashing images and slow motion effects. A creepy but enjoyable film from beginning to end, and well worth the watch!
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: a well meaning, well acted and constructive thriller., 14 July 2003 Author: MIKEHILL38 (MIKEHILL38@HOTMAIL.COM) from manchester, england
with an impressive cast, intelligent dialogue (some improvised) and characters that are commendably well drawn; altman protege director alan rudolph should be commended for making a watchable and thought provoking movie on the subject of marital physical abuse and the retributions of such a hideous and despicable act. the plot mainly revolves around the relationship of a typical working class new jersey couple played by the then married bruce willis and demi moore. all of the situations and characters are totally believable and down to earth unlike other movies on this subject which i think make this head and shoulders above the rest. sterling supporting performances are also given by harvey keitel as the investigating officer and glen headley as demi moore's friend. the flashback sequences are particularly well done and effective and in no way affect the overall tension which is expertly handled throughout and which constantly keeps the viewer on their toes. a movie to be treasured!
Carnival, 23 August 2002 Author: charles ayala (burning_empire_of_illusion@yahoo.com) from New Jersey, USA
The Carnival Scene in Mortal Thoughts was actually filmed in a small-time amusement park in Scotch Plains, New Jersey called Bowcraft. The park is still in operation today and is better than ever. Ironically the Ferris Wheel that appears on the cover of the movie has since been removed due to the death of a child a few years back.
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Flashback Film, 27 June 2008 Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC
I was pleasantly surprised by this film for its guts to take a story and almost present it all through Demi Moore talking to two police detectives(Harvey Keitel and Bille Neal) in a room - everything we see is via her character's thoughts and perceptions and ideas of truth and untruth and is entirely in flashback form. The story centers around Moore and her friend Headly recently married to a brute of a guy played by Bruce Willis - and goes from there to murder, mystery, and the eventual uncovering of what is the truth behind everything. Director Alan Rudolph does a good job creating a story convincingly told throughout by flashback and from the first person whilst coming back to present time repeatedly. This is not as easy as it sounds and has been messed up in other films, but it does work here because of Rudolph's sure directorial talents and the acting of Moore, Willis, Headly and Keitel. Demi Moore gives perhaps one her best performances(looking lovely I might add as well) as a New York woman torn between several things. Headly is as strong as is Willis. All of the actors give serviceable performances and the whole movie looks and sounds like a spin off from The Sopranos or something the way all of the actors walk, talk, and act. You will have no doubts where the film takes place to be sure. The story is inventive and delivers at the end. I didn't see it coming but others could believably so - but even if that is the case the film works on other levels as well. There are some nice psychological examinations made in the film as well as challenges made to perceptions. I must agree the title is really quite horrible and has virtually nothing to do with this film, but all in all this is quite a good thriller that needs another look.
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