Harry here... Finally something of interest! A movie with lots of Heather Graham nudity... Ok, I can see this movie, I am all for seeing this movie. It is now high on the list of let's see it right now please movies. Hehehehehe
Hi Harry
I've just got back from a test screening of Killing Me Softly. I guess it must have been one of the very first tests, or you don't rate the film enough to add any other previous reports!
This screening took place in Milton Keynes, England... not the most trendy place to hold a test screening, but I suppose it's a tad more average place to hold them than London. I guess they are also testing with British audiences since this film is based in Britain.
I had not read Nicci French's original novel, so had no idea what to expect. I've since found out that the main character in the novel is in fact British, whereas in the film the protagonist is played by Heather Graham, portraying an American in London.
Co-starring are Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) and Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show, Love's Labour's Lost), and Ian Hart (Backbeat, Enemy of the State, Harry Potter) also pops up for one scene.
I don't want to give a blow-by-blow account of the film since that was already done in August, so I'll keep my comments as spoiler free as possible. Basically, Heather Graham plays Alice, an American web designer in London. One day as she walks to work she meets Adam (Fiennes), and although nothing is said there is immediate attraction. They begin a fierce relationship, and Heather leaves her current boyfriend to be with Adam, and they eventually marry. However, she begins to receive strange notes which lead her to believe not everything is right with her husband...
Heather Graham is very good in this film, and never resorts to being the whimpering damsel when things start to get scary. When she discovers things may not be as good as they seem, she does just what any ordinary person would do - and *does* go to the police. Plus, and as a bonus for the lads, she gets her kit off... a lot! Not to worry though ladies, so does Fiennes...
Joseph Fiennes doesn't get to do much, although he manages to smoulder in every scene, menacing or not. Natascha McElhone has even less to do, but is the kind of actress where not much needs to be said but you get what the character is.
The British scenery is great, but is not so typically 'English' as Bridget Jones's Diary, this story could really take place anywhere.
There are a couple of downsides however. At some points the score is very over-dramatic when it should be understated, there is an unnecessary subplot regarding Alice's best friend shacking up with her ex-boyfriend, and then there's that typical 'thriller' ending where the characters suddenly come out of left field and do things they completely out of character, and become superhuman i.e. one character's sudden ability to find dead bodies, and then kill. Plus the way over-foreshadowed use of a flare gun set up this death too easily. The ending also seems to have been altered slightly since the last report of the film in August, either that or they removed elements from the original novel i.e. *spoiler*
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After the Deborah's death, there is no scene of Alice and Adam together again, discussing their relationship and trust issues. Nor is there any divorce scene. Alice does see Adam in an airport some time later, but he is alone and not with a pregnant wife. Which is kind of good, since the whole 'incest' thing was nicely brushed over?!
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I would say that this film would be aimed at a female audience. I'm female and enjoyed it, although I'm not your average female cinemagoer - preferring the Bruckheimer films of this world over the Steel Magnolias. I think they may have to tone down some of the violence to really get the female crowd, the woman sitting next to me had to duck her head when Joseph Fiennes was smashing the living daylights out of a mugger.
I can't see this film smashing any records, it's not doing anything we've not seen before. Then again, people like genre films in that they know what's going to happen... Joseph Fiennes and Heather Graham are 'names', but not big enough to open a film. It'll be interesting to see what happens with this one.
Hannah
