olsontd-1 Review of Still of the Night

Still of the Night (1982)

HItchcock wannabe requires major players to be dense

[3/10 · 31 July 2009]

A mystery should not create a situation where the decisions of the characters are more moronic than the audience response. When the audience can issue warnings a mile away for the protagonists NOT to put themselves in dangerous situations foolishly, and the plot repeatedly puts the characters in harm's way, impatience with the film direction and pace only increases. A great idea and genuine mystery (like this story) should unfold logically and with subtle clues. Instead the movie undermines itself by lowering the I.Q. of the characters so that the number of danger points can lengthen the movie. The plot is strong to keep the audience guessing, but is weak because of the repeated foolish decisions of the lead character. Perhaps this is to show that love makes us blind, but it was not satisfying as a thread to keep the movie going, and going, and whew--it's finally over. Please, what took the director so long!