Passion (2013)

Passion (2013)

Director:  Brian De Palma
IMDB Rating:  5.4 (12/31/13)
PuRock's Rating (10):  4 Revengeful Women (Actually 3 Women, 1 Man) 
If this film had a sibling: Mean Girls 

Pros:  2nd half is better than the 1st, Splashes of De Palma Style
Cons:  Acting, Screenwriting, Lack of Chemistry   

Brian De Palma has had a luxurious career and there is no fault in quiting while you're ahead.  He directs this revenge thriller starring the deadly duo of Noomi Rapace and Rachael McAdams.  This film came and went with little fanfare and probably for good reason.

First lets start off with my main complaint, the acting.  It was horrendous. I heard a rumor that both the main actresses showed up late and pictured their characters differently than De Palma's vision. Whether or not this is true is anyone's guess, but it definitely felt like this was the case.  McAdams was probably the weakest link.  She didn't feel right for her the character, an ambitious back-stabbing boss.  Pair that with bad delivery and the performance was a bit of a hot mess.  Rapace's performance was very dull and lackluster but was probably the best of the film.  On screen the chemistry didn't jive and the film suffered. 

On a positive note, there were splashes of De Palma style throughout the film.  The film also took a turn for the better in the second half where a more Hittchcockian thriller developed.  It finally snagged me like a fish taking the bait, but it was only a nibble as the ending felt slopply and tangled.  The film is also stuffed with many off-kiltered love triangles that left me feeling zapped of any emotion. In the end, I wish I revisited a Hitchcock film instead.

This is the last film of 2013 that I watched.  #620