Juicy neo-noir
LGwriter | Astoria, N.Y. United States | 11/25/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This was actually made for cable TV back in 1991, but is well enough directed by Bill Condon to make it feel like a feature release. Based on a 50's hard-boiled pulp novel by the great Harry Whittington, Web of Murder, the movie stars Bryan Brown as hot shot attorney Charlie Deegan who's married to a rich wife played by Anne DiSalvo and who has a sexy secretary Laura (Teri Hatcher).
So there's the standard noir plot elements--lust and greed and murder. Yep. But the way they're put together here is sharp and nifty, with lots of juicy dark humor along the way, so this is a really fun movie.
Nice score--dig Satchmo's singing in the opening credits--and the acting, especially by major fly-in-the-ointment Veronica Cartwright (who puts a serious damper on Charlie's plans) is very strong.
A really good addition to your neo-noir collection, Dead in the Water is a great way to spend an hour and a half soaking up them noir vibes. Oh, yeah."