Shadow of Fear

Rating:
Summary: A Bizarre, Intriguing Examination of Desperation
Review: SHADOW OF FEAR has all the markings of one of those scary French suspense films - evil begets evil in a centrifuge of action and mind manipulation. For first time writers and director this is an interesting concept that unfortunately ends with a too pat resolution.

After opening credits play over moody and very well photographed shoes walking on a rainy pavement bleeding into a hand held glass of liquor, we are plunged into an event of a hit and run by one Harrison French (Matthew Davis) only to discover that this youngest member of a secret society of wealthy men controlled by William Ashbury (James Spader) at first tries to keep his murderous event to himself without involving his wife Wynn (Robin Tunney) or his associates. French deals in real estate and is on the verge of bankruptcy and is dependent on his father-in-law Congressman (Peter Coyote) who strangely warns him to move away from the present environs.

Events develop: French's dope addict brother-in-law is killed after being involved in a bank heist (is this the man French murdered by hit and run?), French is arrested by Detective (Aidan Quinn) who seems to have all of the information about the interweaving scandalous events captured on film but one of French's associates in the society (an associate on the brink of being discovered as womanizer and adulterer), and the very cool and omniscient William Ashbury consistently intervenes to correct each of the evil doings of the secret society - for a price. Money can apparently change all truths and the entire secret society is implicated in some way with odious misdeeds covered up by the evil manipulations of Ashbury.

How all of these interwoven missteps are resolved is left to the very end of the film and therein lies the film's weakness. Too many loose threads are flimsily tied together by a few pertinent deaths and the story simply ends. Up to this point the tension is high and the characters all are well played by a fine cast (especially James Spader), the cinematography is moody and elegant and the musical score heightens the tension and atmosphere. For the first three fourths of this film we are suspended in a bizarre world of shadows and human deceit that could have had much more punch with a better resolved denouement. Still, a good film for a rainy evening suspense addict! Grady Harp, January 2005