Rating: Summary: Check out the Brittany Murphy Audition on the DVD Review: This thriller is full of very strong performances. Of very special note is Brittany Murphy. On the DVD is Brittany Murphy's audition, which is nothing less than searing; some of the most powerful acting I have ever seen. Even if you don't watch the movie, watch the audition. The audition performance is considerably more intense than the same scene in the movie because it has no cuts, no breaks. It is just one 5 minute long take. It is like going 5 minutes without blinking. Powerful stuff. One can envision the producers getting the funding to complete the movie on the basis of this audition alone.Actually all the actors are very good, Michael Douglas, Famke Janssen, who plays Michael Douglas's wife and Skye McCole Bartusiak who is their daughter are all attractive and winning. Skye McCole Bartusiak as the daughter deserves special note as she imbues that role with a sweet intelligence. The good guys are attractive and we care about them. Sean Bean, the bad guy, has a scary intensity sort similar to Robert Shaw of Jaws fame. The problem with Don't Say a Word is its plot. Sean Bean's character is both a mad dog killer and a cool, calculating criminal mastermind. On the one hand, Bean kills the one man who can tell him where to find what he is looking for ... on a subway platform in front of dozens of witnesses. (Talk about a dumb move!) On the other he plans a split-second bank heist of considerable complexity. On the one hand he kills a kidnap victim while the ransomer (Oliver Platt) has yet to do what Bean wants. (Bean was bored? Didn't care? Who knows?) On the other he plots another complex kidnapping and manipulation of the Michael Douglas character. Add this to other characters acting particularly stupid (Jennifer Esposito plays a cop who does not believe in calling for backup until it is too late for the backup to come in a timely manner/ do any good.) and the movie loses us as it piles improbability on improbability. Too bad that all those fine performances don't add up to much.
Rating: Summary: Somebody turn on a light! Review: Because this movie was so dark, we couldn't see what was happening at the big suspense ending.
Rating: Summary: interesting story Review: Don't Say a Word is a very interesting movie. Suspenseful with a good storyline that keeps you going through the movie. Famke Jansen is wonderful, and so is Brittany Murphy (she plays psycho so well!) The DVD version has so many wonderful extras....full-length commentary by the director Gary Fleder, and commentary by the actors on specific scenes. Murphy's test screen is enlightening for such a young actress. A few deleted scenes are added, and some other features about location and storyboards. For the entire movie experience get the DVD and watch the extras after, it's really worth it.
Rating: Summary: Don't Say Award Review: Maybe it's me---I saw the film on it's day of release, just over two weeks after September 11th., and the film's portrayal of a constantly smoky New York w/ firemen and policemen everywhere made me slightly uneasy. So did Douglas's obviously facelift. Another flaw is a seriously uninvolving subplot involving a policewoman played by Jennifer Esposito. And Oliver Platt's character is forgotten about seventy-five minutes in. But Douglas turns in a decent performance and there are two or so clever or thrilling scenes. All in all, a sub-par effort put on the shoulders of a mega-star.
Rating: Summary: Good movie Review: This movie is very entertaining.It has action, suspence, and violence. Michael Douglas plays a man whose daughtor is kidnapped.His occupation is that he works with people who neem special help.When his daughtor is kidnapped, the kidnappers hold her ransom. He has a certain patient that has a number inside her head.The kidnappers say that they will give his daughtor back if he can find out that special number. Michael Douglas, Famke Janssen, and Oliver Platt all give solid performances, but the highlight of this movie is defiantly Brittany Murphy. She does an amazing job as the patient. If you want to go see a good movie, go see Don't Say a Word. You wont be disapointed.
Rating: Summary: Brittany Murphy is a star! Review: Brittany has come a long way since the film "Clueless"..she was Cher's "project"..Wow! what a great performance she turns in in this very predictable yet engrossing enough thriller starring her and Michael Douglas. It's hardly the best film of the year. I am of the opinion that 2001 was not a very good year for films. A lot of bad movies came out. The really good screenplay writers were on strike, I guess. The script is really formulatic to all thrillers. It did keep my attention, and I thought that Douglas was good in it..but Murphy gets kudos from me for her awesome portrayal of the chick that coos "I'll never telllll" Worth a look for diehard Murphy fans. It's a very predictable movie, and has no surprises. Some of the acting was awful! Famke Jenseen..you are beautiful to look at, but you can't act worth a lick! the girl playing the daughter was a better actress. Note: the girl playing the daughter was the youngest child in The Patriot with Mel Gibson for those of you that think she looked familiar..her hair was colored for this. for a thriller, you may be disappointed, but at least you'll get to see Murphys' finest 2 hours.
Rating: Summary: Been There, Done That Review: Yes, you've seen this film before. And yes, that isn't always a bad thing, but here your time is wasted. See "Ransom" again if you need a fix. Plot holes populate this movie to the point of frustration, the acting is average, the suspense is minimum, etc. It really doesn't take advantage of its premise. I would have been more interested if it became an intense psychological thriller dealing with the inner workings of this young woman's mind. "I'll never tell!" Yeah right, she tells ten minutes later in full deatil.
Rating: Summary: A suspense thriller for adults Review: 'Don't Say a Word' stars Michael Douglas as Nathan Conrad and Sean Bean as Patrick Koster. Koster is a desperate jewel thief, just released from prison, who kidnaps Conrad's 8-year old daughter Jessie. Conrad is forced to use all his skills as a psychologist to get through to a new catatonic patient (Brittany Murphy) in order to rescue Jessie while running against the clock. This story is full of twists and flashbacks and is action-packed from start to finish. Strong performances from Famke Janssen (Aggie) as the bedridden wife, Jennifer Esposito as the intuitive police detective and Oliver Platt as a fellow psychologist and blackmail victim.
Rating: Summary: week plot, some good acting Review: I really have mixed emotions about this film.The plot itself wont win any originality awards but the acting of Brittany Murphy was a nice suprise as was Michael Douglas.Douglas who plays a 200.00 dollar an hour shrink who needs to extract a number from a catatonic patient, and needs to do it by 5pm, so the bad guy can get home for dinner.Why 5? why not 5:30? Although many of the scenes of this movie were boring and not very suspensful i enjoyed the acting of the very talented Brittany Murphy as well as Gary Fleder.I would personally rate this movie a 6.5/10.Not very well construted but somewhat entertaining never the less....
Rating: Summary: Gripping and Entertaining Review: Dont Say A Word is a excellent movie. All the cast perform extremely well (especially Brittany Murphy and Michael Douglas) and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you gripped through out (even though the basic plot isnt anything new). Any fan who enjoys thriller's should be more than happy with this superb movie.
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