Rating: 
Summary: SEALED LIPS AND MORE
Review: As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T SAY IT'S GOOD!!!
Review: I was recently 'lucky' enough to see Don't Say A Word at a preview screening at my local movie theatre (in the UK). It's always exciting to be able to see a movie weeks ahead of the general public, plus it has a promising cast. In particular, Michael Douglas is a very fine actor that seldom makes poor movies and I've been very impressed (so far) with Famke Janssen's transition from model to actress but unfortunately that was about all there was to get excited about. The opening bank robbery double cross scene of the movie is promising enough but unfortunately it's all downhill from there really. To say that the basic premise of the movie is pretty ridiculous and implausible is to understate. Dr Nathan Conrad an eminent psychiatrist is called in to help a clearly psychotic and uncommunicative patient, Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy), only to wake the next day to find that his daughter has been kidnapped by, the recently released from a ten year stretch in pokey, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his bad boys. Apparently locked inside Burrows clearly loony head is a six digit code that will reveal the location of a $10 million diamond and in order to get his daughter back Dr Conrad has until 5 pm to retrieve the code. Yeah, like in reality that would be possible! Don't Say A Word is by no means the worst film you will see this year but unfortunately when push comes to shove it's a thriller that quite frankly fails to thrill. There are so many plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them and all of the characters are so totally underdeveloped that you neither get a feel for them nor do you particularly care about them. Director Gary Fleder seems to be aiming at a David Fincher (Seven, The Game) type dark menace feel for the movie but instead you are just left feeling that you have seen this all somewhere before and done better (i.e., Ransom, Seven etc.). Michael Douglas is an Oscar winning actor, who has given us many excellent performances over the years (in movies such as Traffic, The Game, The Wonder Boys etc.) but even he can't cope with a lousy script. Famke Janssen meanwhile is left with even less to play with in her role as a bedridden housewife with a broken leg, who is still somehow able to deliver a sound beating to a hardened criminal, whilst Sean Bean is suitably menacing and makes a good fist of his bad guy role for most of the movie but inevitably in the end, even he is let down by some awful lines and an implausible plot. Brittany Murphy meanwhile in the showy mentally disturbed young girl role is okay too but ultimately this slick film is an overwhelming disappointment. Take my advice and wait 'til its on cable!
Rating:
Summary: DON'T SAY A WORD Doesn't Say, "Buy My Today!"
Review: DON'T SAY A WORD should and could have been a better movie, and it probably was the first couple hundred times I saw it. This movie is a hodge-podge collection of other films all rolled in to one. DON'T SAY A WORD didn't have to say jack for me to see right through it, call the superficial ending from a mile off, and realize that the crazy chick won't do her job and scare the hooey out of me like she should. I rolled to the flick expecting quite a bit more than simply one desperate father's race against time to save his kidnapped daughter from the clutches of some bank bandits with big grudges who demand that our father/psychiatrist dig through the mind of a seemingly insane teen in search of a single six-digit number for God only knows what kind of sick, perverse reason. That should rap it up. Close the friggin' book. Pop some popcorn. Eat a sandwich. Turn off the TV. Kiss the wife. Go on back to bed. Honestly though, I said it could have been better, that doesn't mean that it completely reeked. It had some high points. Michael Douglas (BASIC INSTINCT, TRAFFIC, ROMANCING THE STONE, WONDER BOYS) always does a great job no matter what the role. In FALLING DOWN he was crazy. In THE GAME he was rich. In BASIC INSTINCT he was pleasured. And in every film, he did his job well. DON'T SAY A WORD doesn't say anything bad about Douglas. He plays Dr. Nathan Conrad, the father mentioned above and you already know his role in the scheme of things. I choose not to go any further. His acting is intense and he acts like a concerned father would act: irrational, desperate, super-stressed, etc. One nice thing about the antagonist in the film is that you can almost feel sorry for him at times. Sean Bean (PATRIOT GAMES, RONIN) plays PATRICK COSTER, a thief who gets roasted by some "buddies" in the initial, intense, bank-heist, opener. (P.S. This isn't the greatest heist in movie history. That title would be reserved for HEAT or maybe THE GETAWAY.) Bean is certainly a memorable villain, because you believe it when he threatens to kill someone. Famke Janssen (X-MEN, ROUNDERS) throws around way too much sex-appeal for a mom as Aggie Conrad. Moms are not that attractive. I just don't want to talk about it. I've had enough. Our little lost girl, Skye McCole Bartusiak (THE PATRIOT, RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS) talks quite a bit more in this flick than she chose to in THE PATRIOT. She plays JESSIE CONRAD, and actually talks too awful much. Brittany Murphy (GIRL INTERRUPTED; 8-MILE) is disappointing as ELIZABETH BURROWS. When you play a nut, I need you to act just a little bit more insane. And, if you play someone who is just extremely talented at acting crazy (i.e. Edward Norton as Aaron/Roy in PRIMAL FEAR), you need to act like a friggin' genius and not make stupid moves. One more addition, if you are going to play stubborn, you can't give in to the probing doctor with anything more than 45 minutes remaining in the film. These are rules to live by. Be crazy or don't; be genius or don't; be obstinate or quit wasting my time. When in doubt, ask yourself what Al Pacino would do. Now, doesn't that clear things up? Overall, this movie isn't just terrible, but I'm not recommending you all rush out and spend $7 or $10 or whatever it costs these days to glimpse the magic of film at your local theatre. Anyway, when you get the chance, rent it, snuggle up on the couch one dark night, and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment from Director Gary Fleder (spoilers)
Review: I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's. Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records. In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments. But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me? Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already." Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed but Entertaining Thriller.
Review: An Successful Prominent New York Psychiatrist (Two Time Oscar-Winner:Micheal Douglas) meets a Troubled Unfocus but Bright teenage girl (Brittany Murphy). Who is going to Help Her but When the Psychiatrist Daughter (Skye McCole Bartusiak) has been kidnapped by a Professional Thief (Sean Bean). The Thief wants the Psychiatrist to try to unlock a 6-Digit Number, that the Girl is trying to keep it as a Secert. Directed by Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls, Imposter) made a Entertaining Suspense-Thriller. Brittany Murphy is the film-true High-Light gives an Impressive Performance. Based on a Novel by Andrew Klavan and From a Screenplay by Andrew Peckham. This film was a Modest Box Office Hit in the fall of 2001. Director-Fleder keeps the fast-paced moving in this Thriller. DVD`s has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an Strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (Also in DTS 5.1 Surround Sound). DVD has an running Commentary Track by Director-Fleder and the Second Commentary is a Scene Specific from the Cast. Three Deleted Scenes and More. It`s a Sharp Thriller and It`s also Well Done. Super 35. Grade:B+.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best thrillers in YEARS.
Review: Before I sat down to watch this movie, I suspected it to be an average B movie thriller with nothing new or interesting. This film ROCKED. It takes you for the ultimate thrill ride. The film is a little like the Fugative in a sense but it has its own creative plot. It is definately not like any movie I have ever seen. The acting was wonderful, the best being Britany Murphey's. The cinematography was good as well as the score. For any fan of thrills and die hard action this is definately the movie for you. Two thumbs way up.
Rating:
Summary: Execution Overcomes a Predictable Story
Review: In "Don't Say a Word" Michael Douglas plays Dr. Nathan Conrad, a highly regarded, highly compensated psychiatrist. Dr. Conrad is asked by Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt) to see a serially institutionalized girl currently under his care. Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy) is a very troubled girl who has just recently killed someone and is under threat of being permanently put away if someone cannot break through to her. Elisabeth has a troubled past including seeing her father get hit by a subway train. Because of her troubled past, Elisabeth has six numbers etched into her memory that are very important to someone. Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) is an ex-convict recently released from prison who wants to get those six numbers from Elisabeth but needs help doing it. Koster kidnaps Dr. Conrad's daughter Jessie (Skye McCole Bartusiak) and tells him that he will kill her unless he gets those numbers from Elisabeth. While "Don't Say a Word" has a rather predictable plot, it actually is more interesting in the execution than the script would lead you to believe. This is because of the excellent performances from all parties, especially Douglas's and Murphy's. Douglas and Murphy create a doctor-patient relationship that is both convincing and realistic given the circumstances. Even Bartusiak, who was only about nine years old when this movie was made, gives a good performance. There are some weaknesses to the overall story, particularly that of the police detective investigating a series of murders who stumbles onto the scene at the right moment. The only reason it appears that Det. Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) is even in the film is to show up at the right instant to affect the proper ending. The contrived way this is achieved is primarily what keeps this from being a five-star film. However, "Don't Say a Word" should please and entertain even those people who think that Michael Douglas should play some other role besides one where he seems to be wearing a target on his back.
Rating:
Summary: Don't say a word? Dont expect much
Review: Conceptually, this movie is fantastic: To save his kidnapped daughter, a child psychologist must pry a sequence of numbers from the mind of a seemingly psychotic and thoroughly overmedicated and messed up young girl. Notice I said "conceptually." Keep reading my review. Based on this premise, what I was expected was tense drama and suspense as Michael Douglas attempts to forge a bond with the girl to unlock the mysteries of her past and convince her to reveal her secrets. What I got was completely unrealistic--the girl's trust solidified in a matter of moments, leading to a completely predictable, formulaic conclusion. Come on. The only time people open up like that is when they're on Jerry Springer. Had I known that this movie was directed by the same director that ruined the book, "Kiss The Girls", I may not have rented it at all. Conclusion: If you're curious, rent it. This is not something with a lot of playback appeal.
Rating:
Summary: PREDICTABLE
Review: In Brief
Eminent Psychiatrist Nathan Conrad is swept up into a race against time to extract a six-digit number from a faux-catatonic teenager or else his kidnapped daughter will be killed. With his family under surveillance he is forced to comply, while unknown to him a persistent detective is also on the trail following the dead bodies and clues to a final showdown. Review
Director Gary Fleder broke onto the scene back in 1995 with a stylish debut in the noir 'Things to do in Denver when you're dead.' Since then with his follow up 'Kiss the girls' and now this month's 'Don't say a word,' it appears he will never truly regain the magic present in the first film. A casual observer of his three works to date might be correct in saying that it's the work of a man trying to recapture or duplicate something, rather then push themselves in a new direction. Don't say a word, is what has become typical Fleder: A great TV movie with a bigger budget, a star name in the leading role, and some flashy camera moves or choppy editing. This is a by the book thriller, taking the Hitchcockian 'fish-out-of-water' hero and letting him struggle against all odds just one more time! Indeed, to watch the performance of Douglas, one is given the feeling that there is nothing to really stretch himself within the confines of the character, and this is rather more a paid job than a chance to perform! While 'Kiss the girls' gave the viewer an interesting take on the issue of voyeurism, this film has nothing to challenge the audience. However it must be said that the camera work is competently done and the production design by Nelson Coates is beautiful; each of the autumn leaves on the trees in the final scene are silk and were sown on by hand! What truly lets this film down is the third act and conclusion: Throughout the film Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) has been on the trail of the kidnappers. This one-dimensional character never really seems to fit; superfluous, she flits in and out of the film managing to take away any tension surrounding Conrad's fight against all odds. Never truly a consistent character, she completely disappears for the bulk of the third act only to reappear in a clichéd 'nick-of-time' moment. Unfortunately the director seems unaware of the candyfloss content of his film and the ending is drawn out as if the audience needs time to recover when in fact the typical selection of slow mo reunions make you want to run for the door, rather than savour the moment.
The Verdict
Don't say a word, is a typical Hollywood thriller, its only purpose is to give the studio a return. Its not a classic and I only hope Fleder's next film with Gary Sinise is better as he finally breaks away from the sort of thing that I would quite happily sit and watch for free on TV but would definitely not pay to go to.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: Watched this movie a week ago, and really enjoyed it. The plot was good, sometimes it was a bit strange...but that is what the movies plot is all about...being set in a mental ward. If you want to be on the edge of your seat..rent this one.....
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