IRRESISTIBLE
Director: Ann Turner Stars: Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, Emily Blunt, William McInnes, Georgie Parker, Bud Tingwell, Joanna Hunt-Prohovnik, Lauren Mikkor, Terry Norris
Reviewed by GREG KING
Irresistible is another in a line of thrillers which uses as its central plot device a psychotic, obsessive, deranged woman who insinuates herself into a perfectly normal household and proceeds to destroy lives, previously solid relationships and even their sanity. We’ve seen variations on this potentially lethal cat-and-mouse theme in films like Play Misty For Me and its subsequent imitators, including the excellent Fatal Attraction, the unsettling Single White Female, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, etc, but Irresistible lacks any real sense of suspense of genuine menace.
Sophie (Oscar winner Susan Sarandon) is an illustrator for a series of children’s books, who is just starting to get her life back in order following the recent death of her mother. Her husband Craig (Sam Neill) is an architect, but seems to have emotionally drifted apart as he becomes more consumed with his work. With an important deadline looming for her latest project, Sophie finds herself distracted by a series of vaguely disturbing events that convince her she is being stalked.
Sophie becomes suspicious of Maya (Emily Blunt, from My Summer Of Love and the recent The Devil Wears Prada, etc), Craig’s beautiful and overly efficient new assistant. Sophie believes that Maya is targeting her for some mysterious reason, breaking into their house and stealing articles of clothing and sabotaging her work, trying to take over her family. Of course, everyone finds it hard to believe Sophie, and dismiss her concerns out of hand, putting her fears down to stress and her recent bereavement. Soon Sophie seems in danger of losing her family and her sanity.
The film seems to include any number of familiar cliched plot devices, and the whole thing has been rather flatly directed by Australian writer/director Ann Turner (Celia, Hammers Over The Anvil, etc), who maintains a deliberately slow, languid pace throughout. She barely ramps up the tension, even when the film desperately needs an injection of adrenaline. The conclusion is a little rushed and unconvincing, and fans of thrillers will see the crucial twist coming a long way off.
The performances of the three leads however are all quite solid. Sarandon is particularly effective, and delivers a strong performance that combines both emotional fragility and inner resources of strength. Blunt is also perfectly cold and calculating, while Neill is also quite good in his role as the faithful husband and devoted father, who finds his own belief in his wife’s sanity tested. William McInnes is wasted, given little to do in his underdeveloped role as Maya’s husband.
The film has been beautifully shot around various locations in Melbourne by cinematographer Martin McGrath, and his use of light and shadows creates a vaguely disturbing mood. David Hirschfelder’s score also contributes to the heightened sense of paranoia and uneasiness. Technically, Irresistible is well made, but dramatically it is vaguely disappointing, and never quite reaches any great heights as a mystery thriller.
Despite the title though, it is surprisingly easy to resist this ultimately unconvincing and lack lustre thriller.
**
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
There are three central characters in this domestic drama (which has a kind of terror film edge as it develops). There is the wife and mother of two, an illustrator, who is married to her husband, a successful architect, who is the object of fascination by one of his secretaries who is also intrigued by the wife. But, it is not easy to say which of these characters is irresistible let alone to whom.
That description is meant to be intriguing. Who are these characters and what are the connections?
First of all, the married couple seem perfectly normal, married for ten years with two nice daughters. Both are more than competent in their jobs. However, the wife has just lost her mother and her grief sends her into depressive moods in which she seems to be imagining things. The husband meanwhile deals honourably with the advances of his secretary. She, however, does not seem to be too worried about feeling guilty.
In fact, there are several secrets which come to light gradually, especially in the explanations of the weird experiences of the wife. The hauntings have a more than very natural explanation.
The setting is Melbourne. The stars are Susan Sarandon as the wife (with an explanation for her American accent), Sam Neill as the husband and Emily Blunt (My Summer Of Love, The Devil Wears Prada) as the enigmatic secretary.
Direction is by Ann Turner who has made only a few feature films during the last 18 years: Celia, Hammers Over The Anvil (which starred Charlotte Rampling and Russell Crowe) and Dallas Doll.
As the film veers towards the madness and violence ending, secrets are revealed – especially with one final unexpected twist that has shock emotional impact.