Adapted from a steamy potboiler of a novel (its actual title, “Waltz Into Darkness,” is also a much cooler name) from acclaimed pulp novelist Cornell Woolerich, this movie could have been lurid, trashy fun.
But the direction is too languid and the pace too slow to keep things interesting. Angelina Jolie is incredibly sexy, and the sex scenes are pretty hot. The odd editing style, accentuating the exotic locations over characters, however, is enough to leave you scratching your head.
I like film noirs, and plot-wise, this is right up my alley. The femme fatale and her hapless victim are tried and true noir devices and there’s always lots of doublecrossing. Having the story told in flashbacks from a death row jail cell was a nice touch, too. But overall, it’s too long, tries too hard, isn’t very believable, and the ending doesn’t work.
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and contributor for The Pitch. He’s former President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls, Ultimate Fakebook, and Truck Stop Love . He is also the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin, ranked 4th best of all-time. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:
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