I love suspenseful movies when they are done well. Unfortunately, too often, movies that try to be suspenseful end up failing in a big way. Years ago, I saw a preview for Dead Again - I think on a VHS tape of another movie - and I was intrigued. When I was able to rent the movie, I loved it. A few months ago I finally found the DVD and wasted no time in getting it. I just watched it again and I still like it as much as I did the first time I saw it.
A woman arrived at a catholic school for boys in the middle of the night, with no idea who she was and no memory. She had horrible nightmares when she did sleep. Sister Madeline wanted to help the woman, but Father Timothy said that she couldn’t stay there any longer. He contacted a private investigator, Mike Church, that had grown up at the school, to take the woman to the hospital and do some looking for her family. Mike ended up taking her home with him and the next day Franklyn Madson showed up saying that he could help her with hypnosis. After a session with Franklyn, she was talking, though she didn’t remember who she was. The things she said while under hypnosis indicated that she had some kind of connection to Margaret Strauss, a woman that had been murdered by her husband Roman in 1948.
Franklyn had a theory that Mike didn’t believe at first, so he took her to see Cozy Carlisle, a man that had been a psychiatrist. Cozy confirmed Franklyn’s theory and Mike started to have fewer doubts. Mike started to call the woman Grace and they seemed to be developing feelings for each other. Mike decided to try to find Gray Baker, a reporter that had know Margaret and Roman. Things that Grace said in her next session with Franklyn added complications to the situation and she was convinced that she was in danger.
The plot of Dead Again ended up being rather complicated since it involved events going on in two different times. Mike was trying to help Grace figure out who she was and what had caused her memory loss. Complications were added when Grace talked about things that had happened in 1948 and it seemed like she was somehow connected to Margaret and Roman Strauss. The movie jumped between the two different time periods throughout the movie. I thought the way events from 1948 were tied into what was going on with Grace and Mike was very interesting and I really liked that aspect of the plot. Some people may not like how the movie jumped between two different years and people could get confused if they didn’t pay close enough attention. The scenes that showed what happened in 1948 were in black and white, so it was very easy to tell when a flashback was happening.
The mystery in Dead Again at first seemed like it was only connected to Grace, though the first scene of the movie did take place in the past and the short summary on the back of the DVD case did mention a connection to Margaret and her husband. As the movie progressed, it became clearer how Grace was connected to Margaret and Roman. I am being vague about this part because I don’t want to say too much and ruin the movie for people who haven’t seen it yet. I thought that the mystery was interesting and unique. Things were slowly revealed over the course of the movie in a way that built that suspense. I was kept guessing about what would happen next and how things would work out throughout the movie. It worked very well as a suspense thriller and is worth watching for people who like this type of movie. After seeing the movie several times now, I have spotted some things that were subtle clues about the conclusion. There was a little bit of violence in a few scenes that didn’t get graphic. The movie was rated R, though I believe that was more because the word that rhymes with luck was used several times. Children shouldn’t see this movie.
The first time Grace went under hypnosis she talked about how Margaret and Roman had met. Time was spent to show the attraction they felt as well as some of their wedding day. It was established that they were very much in love, though they were having a few problems before the murder. The two did share a few sexual situations. Mike and Grace ended up spending a lot of time together when he took her home with him instead of leaving her in the hospital. There was a definite attraction between them. Any possible relationship was complicated by the fact that Grace didn’t know who she was and if she might be married or dating. Mike and Grace also shared a few sexual situations. Really all that was shown with either couple was kissing and hints of sexual activity. There wasn’t any nudity in the movie
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson both played two characters in Dead Again, one in the main time period and one in the flashbacks. Branagh and Thompson were actually married when they made this movie. Branagh was really good as both Roman and Mike, two different men that did share a few traits. Mike was a kind, friendly man that tried to inject humor into tense situations. Roman was a talented composer who could be moody. Thompson handled the parts of Grace and Margaret very well. Not much was known about Grace until later in the movie because of her memory loss. She spent the first part of the movie not even able to talk unless she was screaming during a nightmare.
Cozy Carlisle was a former psychiatrist now working in a small grocery store that Mike had been hired to find. Cozy had lost his license to practice once it was discovered that he’d had affairs with some of his patients. He was grumpy, though he did share some helpful information with Mike later on. The part was really small, but I really liked Robin Williams in it. Gray Baker was a chain smoking reporter that had known Margaret and Roman. Gray had been interested in Margaret even though she was already married when he met her. After the murder, he wrote several articles about it and the trial. Andy Garcia was good as Gray even though he didn’t have a lot to do.
Franklyn Madson owned an antique store with his mother and was also a hypnotist. He showed up at Mike’s, saying he could help Grace. Derek Jacobi was fine in the part. Father Timothy had known Mike growing up, which was why he contacted him to help find Grace’s family. Father Timothy didn’t want her around the school any longer and argued with Sister Madeleine about it. Richard Easton and Jon Anderson were good in the parts. Wayne Knight turned up in a few scenes as Mike’s friend Pete. He worked at a newspaper and was trying to help Mike find out who Grace really was.
Main Cast
Jo Anderson - Sister Madeleine/Starlet
Kenneth Branagh - Mike Church/Roman Strauss
Richard Easton - Father Timothy
Andy Garcia - Gray Baker
Derek Jacobi - Franklyn Madson
Wayne Knight - Pete
Emma Thompson - Grace/Margaret Strauss
Robin Williams - Cozy Carlisle
Kenneth Branagh - Director
DVD Information
Dead Again is available on a widescreen DVD. I’m not sure if there is a full screen version available or not. There are really only two special features and the theatrical trailer included on the DVD. The two special features were commentaries, one with a producer and the screenwriter and the other with Kenneth Branagh.
Dead Again was a very entertaining, well done suspense thriller. I have seen it several times now and still enjoy it when I watch it. People that like good suspense movies should give this one a chance. Fans of the cast may also enjoy the movie.
I discovered a little bit of interesting trivia when I was double checking the cast online. The building that served as the boy’s school - and it also had a connection to the part of the story taking place in the past - was the house that was used for exterior shots of Bruce Wayne’s house in the Batman television show.
This review is part of elvisdo’s Canadian Write-off. Richard Easton is originally from Quebec Canada.
In Kenneth Branagh's stylish suspense film Branagh stars as Mike Church a Los Angeles detective who is drawn into the life of Grace Emma Thompson a wo...More at Family Video
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