(rated R, 90 mins.)
“Scream 4” it ain’t. This sophisticated “And Then There Were None” with its old-fashioned premise, takes place in an isolated motel when 10 strangers, stranded from a desert storm, are killed one by one. John Cusack is a former cop now working as a chauffeur, Amanda Peet is a call girl, Rebecca DeMornay is the movie star (who actually pokes fun at herself “didn’t you used to be a movie star?”) and Ray Liotta is well-cast in his usual yet unusual cop role hired to escort a prisoner (Gary Busey). But the movie belongs to Cusack, who seems naturual and at home in his role. The story has the stereotypical darkened-rain backdrops, but unlike other thrillers, it manages to metamorphose into a dramatic almost poetic experience that takes the audience by surprise without waiting until that final shocking moment. Director James “Copland’ Mangold delivers a tale that once again captures his talent in characters rather than action-oriented films. “Ten Little Indians” Agatha Christie would be proud.
“Scream 4” it ain’t. This sophisticated “And Then There Were None” with its old-fashioned premise, takes place in an isolated motel when 10 strangers, stranded from a desert storm, are killed one by one. John Cusack is a former cop now working as a chauffeur, Amanda Peet is a call girl, Rebecca DeMornay is the movie star (who actually pokes fun at herself “didn’t you used to be a movie star?”) and Ray Liotta is well-cast in his usual yet unusual cop role hired to escort a prisoner (Gary Busey). But the movie belongs to Cusack, who seems naturual and at home in his role. The story has the stereotypical darkened-rain backdrops, but unlike other thrillers, it manages to metamorphose into a dramatic almost poetic experience that takes the audience by surprise without waiting until that final shocking moment. Director James “Copland’ Mangold delivers a tale that once again captures his talent in characters rather than action-oriented films. “Ten Little Indians” Agatha Christie would be proud.