I was drawn to As Good As Dead because of its sturdy cast. Andie
McDowell (Groundhog Day), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Brian Cox (Manhunter,
X-Men 2) and Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction) appear in this low-budget thriller about
Ethan Belfrage (Elwes), a New York City based photojournalist who’s sparring
with his landlord, a sleaze ball who’s resorting to harsh tactics in an attempt to
get Ethan to move out of his rent-controlled apartment. Ethan is a fighter; no
amount of bullying will get him to move from his home. But things escalate to a
full-bore home invasion when thugs break into his apartment and take him
hostage. However, instead of being thugs hired by his landlord, Ethan’s attackers
turn out to be members of an extremist group who claim that Ethan was responsible for the
murder of their leader.
After a careful and methodical build-up of both its story and characters, As
Good As Dead then becomes a single-room psychological thriller in the same vein
as Panic Room. It’s an
interesting premise that’s being offered up here, but as the film unfolds, it also
begins to unravel. It doesn’t help that plot information that’s pertinent to the
story is kept till the very end in a clumsy attempt to create a twist that could
still be easily seen coming a mile away. And the film’s pacing, which is the
lifeblood for any good thriller, drags interminably. Instead of being on the edge of their
seat, the viewer winds up being completely turned off by the non-stop torture
and violence.
The motivations of everyone involved--on both sides of the fight--is not explained
very well by the script. And without giving the viewer anything to root for but cardboard
characters, there's really not much worth watching here. One strange thing I've
noticed is that Jess Weixler--who plays the small but pivotal role of Amy,
Ethan's innocent neighbor who gets caught up in the proceedings--is not listed
in the film's credits at all. I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but
considering the mess this film turned out to be, perhaps Ms. Weixler should
consider herself lucky not to have her name assoiciated with this fiasco.
--SF
Main Review Page | Suspense/Thriller Page |As Good As Dead on DVD
