Page Seven, The Aletheia
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Murder in the Past Tense
By Tony Kiss
Asheville-Citizen Times
Reprinted with permission
“Dead Again” is alive and
kicking. It’s a tight, scary little
thriller - like something right out
of the Fabulous Forties - mixing
amazing dual performances by
the major actors, fast-moving
direction and a fascinating un
predictable story.
That’s a mouthful of praise,
but “Dead Again” is really that
good. It’s one of those rare films
that qualify both as solid enter
tainment and first-rate, classy
movie-making.
It seems certain to generate
an Oscar nomination or two,
especially for British star/direc
tor Kenneth Branagh, best known
for the Oscar-nominated “Henry
V.”
Actually, “Dead Again” is
two seemingly separate myster
ies combined into one.
The first (shot in crisp black-
and-white) is set in late ’40s Los
Angeles, where a promising
young pianist, Margaret Strauss
(Emma Thompson) is violently
murdered with a pair of scissors,
and her jealous, hot-tempered
composer husband Roman
(Branagh) is arrested, convicted
and executed for the crime.
But just before they throw
the switch, he predicts: "This is
far from over.” How true.
Flash to the present, where
an irreverent young private eye,
Mike Church (Branagh again)
reluctantly takes on a puzzling
case - a mysterious young
women (Thompson again) with
no memory, haunted by blood
curdling nightmare of murder.
With help from the prissy
curio collector and hypnotist
Franklyn Madson (Derek
Jacobi), the strange story begins
unfolding.
The young woman, whom
Mike calls “Grace,” believes
herself to be the long-dead pian
ist Margaret S trauss - and is con
vinced she’s still being chased
by a killer.
The link between the two
tales is a retired, terminally ill
newsman. Gray Barker (Andy
Garcia), who covered the sensa
tional Strauss murder and may
provide crucial information.
Eventually, confirmed
bachelor Mike is pulled into his
web, first as a lover and then as
a participant, leading to a sur
prising, completely unexpected
crisis and finally, the equally
impressive final showdown.
The key to “Dead Again” is
the telling of the two stories as
one. As director, Branagh pulls
this off with seeming ease, spin
ning these two complicated tales
into one flawless gem by the use
of frequent flashbacks.
Of course, he has help from
writer Scott Frank, who has not
only crafted a provoking scen-
erio, but also loaded the film
with fine memorable characters,
giving the actors meaty, juicy
parts with which to work.
The cast makes the most of
Frank’s screenplay, with stellar
performances especially from
Branagh as the executed com-
poser/-private eye and
Thompson as the murdered pi
anist/amnesia victim.
Garcia also makes a double
turn, getting some of the movie’s
best lines and scenes, including
one set in a present-day nursing
home, where he smokes a ciga
rette in a most disturbing way.
The film packs fine support
ing work by Derek Jacobi as the
fastidious hypositst: Wayne
Knight as Pete, the roly-poly
newspaper photographer; Ger
man star Hanna Schygulla as
Emma, the straight-laced 1940s
Strauss housekeeper and in an
unbilled, surprising role, Robin
Williams as a defrocked advice
giving shrink, reduced to work
ing as grocery story clerk.
“Dead Again” puts to shame
any of the big summer actions
blockbusters and easily ranks as
one of the years best movies.
Editor's Note: "Dead
Again" can be seen at
Beaucatcher Cinemas.
s
L
E
P
P
0
T
s
E
R
F
0
X
Y
T
M
E
C
0
X
N
U
D
T
S
L
0
D
X
S
A
A
A
0
E
T
A
B
A
R
C
E
0
0
U
R
N
G
T
N
M
R
0
B
I
M
R
c
R
B
T
0
A
L
A
S
B
A
0
E
V
I
0
T
P
I
P
T
G
B
A
I
T
R
0
T
D
H
W
0
A
T
E
P
I
L
T
D
P
V
Y
0
A
Y
E
L
S
R
D
M
S
R
E
E
T
A
G
N
X
N
L
U
V
E
S
E
A
X
I
R
E
F
E
0
A
A
R
N
E
T
S
T
V
T
N
A
0
I
R
T
M
T
R
D
E
V
I
A
C
E
P
T
L
P
N
S
U
B
M
F
R
0
Y
E
F
A
C
I
0
N
D
R
E
S
P
A
N
X
Y
V
N
A
L
0
T
S
N
0
M
M
U
S
Y
0
T
A
E
V
A
N
T
H
E
S
I
H
c
N
A
R
F
C
R
0
W
Collegiate Camouflage
Can you find the hidden legal terms?
ABATE
FRANCHISE
ACT OF GOD
LIEN
AGENCY
MARTIAL LAW
ARBITRATION
NOVATION
BAILMENT
PATENT
CAVEAT EMPTOR
PRIVITY
CONSIDERATION
PROBATE
DAMAGES
PROOF
DEED
PROXY
DURESS
REMEDY
EASEMENT
SUBPOENA
ESCROW
SUMMONS
ESTOPPEL
TORT
FELON
TRUST
Solution on Page Four