Killing me softly

The drudgery of a boring job and a far from exciting love life are all the reasons to start an affair.

Cast: Heather Graham, Joseph Fiennes

Alice, an American research scientist living in London, bumps into Joseph on the street and is instantly attracted by his good looks. There is nothing casual about this attraction and soon stirs feelings Alice thought never existed. She drops her comfortable but ordinary relationship with her boyfriend and begins an obsessive affair. There is an element of danger surrounding Joseph, which coupled with his charm, soon delivers the satisfaction that Alice has been craving for. Getting cautious of their fast paced relationship, Alice quickly marries Joseph. But her security is short lived as she begins to suspect her mysterious lover to be a serial killer.

The movie loses the viewer somewhere here. It would have been good enough to continue as a romance like the similar set, Unfaithful. Instead director, Chen Kaige, leads the audience to a lame thriller of sorts. What is even more frustrating is that the merge in both the romance and thriller scenarios is abrupt and unforgiving. They could’ve tried harder to show that paranoia and suspicion can build in a relationship without necessarily having an elaborate mystery to back it up.

The choice of cast however is very interesting. Joseph Fiennes seemed to carry the entire movie on his shoulders. Like his brother, he is solid as rock throughout the movie and has no reservations on the intimacy. While his role moulds well, Heather, on the other hand is totally out of place, and she looks more like a paranoid ‘Scream’ star thrown into a Mills & Boon romance. However, she is not completely unbelievable and does attempt to put some effort into the movie for which she definitely deserves some plus points.

The movie would be well classified as a steamy thriller with more than its share of romance. Essentially it is two movies in one. A bargain, but not worth it unless you’re a blinded Heather Graham fan.