Amazon.co.uk Review
Taking its lead from Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning pulse-raiser The Silence Of the Lambs, Copycat strives for intelligence over gristle and carnage. It's a terse, involving thriller that swings away from the usual cinematic notion of violence as a means to an end by forgoing brawn for brains. Young San Francisco police inspector Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) is teamed with brilliant force vet, M J Monahan (Holly Hunter), a diplomatic, no-nonsense cop who must buck the system in order to find a killer who is copying the crimes of history's most notorious serial killers. Ruben would rather shoot to kill than merely wound a suspect; Monahan labours to help him think more diplomatically. Everything changes when crank calls arrive at the station from serial-killer pin-up girl psychiatrist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver). She's been housebound for 13 months, ever since murderer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.) nearly made her his next victim because she testified against him in court. Though he's in prison, he's still mentor and muse to every loose cannon walking the streets--one of whom is killing people with a vengeance and hoping to finish the job Cullum began. Cop and doc team up to solve the case in this stylish, plot-driven movie. Though Copycat loses steam in the end, it still makes a point. And it serves as a cautionary tale for people everywhere, tossing in street smart warnings against victimisation. The teaming of Hunter and Weaver works well, the short and the tall forging a terrific and friction-filled relationship that leads to grudging respect. Establishing an ominous atmosphere reminiscent of his classic British TV miniseries The Singing Detective, director Jon Amiel has an eye for the dark and the unusual and it gives this film an edge that eludes most other mainstream filmmakers. --Paula Nechak
Customer Reviews:
A MASTERPIECE.......2007-11-26
It all starts with Dr. Helen Hudson(Weaver) giving a lecture on serial killers, little knowing that she's about to have an encounter with one. After her lecture is over she visits the restroom, and is attacked by one Daryll Lee Cullum(Connick). Flash forward 13 months. We see Hudson yet again, but this time she's confined to her apartment. You see, she's now an agoraphobic, having retired after that fateful day. At the local police precinct detectives M.J. Monahan(Hunter) and Ruben Goetz(Mulroney) are tracking a killer of their own, played by William McNamara. He appears to be mimicing the MO's of various famous serial killers. Hudson hears about this over the radio and calls the precinct with some information. She speaks to Monahan, who thinks it's a crank call. Monahan and Goetz pay a little visit to Hudson's residence, carrying with them photographs of the recent crime scenes. Hudson determines the killer is indeed copying other serial killers. A while later, an unseen visitor breaks into her apartment, leaving the dress she was wearing the day she was attacked by Cullum neatly spread out on her bed. Her home is no longer safe. Monahan and Goetz have dragged her back into the world she tried to leave behind. Now Hudson must help the detectives catch the copycat before she becomes the next victim.
Realistic in just about every aspect, Copycat is right up there with Silence of the Lambs. Comparisons to Seven are not unwarrented, but the plot here is more believable. A very good cast, with Weaver giving one of the best perfomances of her career. Hunter and Mulroney are also excellent. The film is provided a very tense and terrifying atmosphere, thanks to director Jon Amiel. It doesn't need to wallow in needless violence and gore, because it has what every great Thriller needs: suspense on an epic scale. The violence is kept to a minimum, but what it contains can be a bit unsettling, if for no other reason than because we get to know how the killer thinks. Along the same lines, Weaver's portrayal of an agoraphobic is perfect. You don't have to imagine what Weaver is feeling when she steps out of her apartment, or what the killer is feeling while he murders his victims. You feel every bit of it, which is why this film succeeds so masterfully.
Copycat is that rare film that comes along every other year or so that has the ability to pull you into it. It takes you on a most terrifying journey into the mind of a serial killer and the doctor that understands him. I can't say anything more, except that I love this film. Hitchcock would've been proud.
more of the same please.......2006-07-15
Saw this on tv one night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Probably the only flaw is the length of the movie as i found myself wishing they would get on with it towards the last 15 minutes or so.
Otherwise the storyline was interesting and gripping with a good dose of adrenaline pumping scenes too. The acting was extremely good, notably Ms Weaver as a criminal psychologist haunted by a previous attempt on her life who gets embroiled in helping the police hunt for a serial killer.
As i mentioned the main plot is the hunt for a serial killer where there is so little evidence that the cops turn to a psychologist for help. Unfortunately for them she has her own demons to deal with leading her to never leave her home, drink to excess and pop pills. Never the less she is still very intelligent and gives them lots of leads to work on. Soon the killer seems to take an interest in her raising the tension and the stakes.
A good film, one worth watching.
Copy That!!!.......2004-12-14
Ive seen this film a hundred times, yet the originality of it still astounds me. It takes real events and makes them up to date, every detail. Sigourney weaver is excellent as Helen Hudson, and what a character Darryl Lee Cullum is. Great script, great acting, great movie. . Buy it!!
Brilliant!.......2003-11-26
I watched 'Copycat' on BBC 3 a couple of weeks ago with my 13 year old brother, and we both agree that it an excellent thriller movie. I think that it is ok for under 18's but it does have some 'adult' scenes (I covered my brother's eyes). This is an brilliant film, and i would recommend it to everyone.
A powerful, gripping thriller.......2003-11-22
A powerful gripping thriller based on an actual event that happened many years ago. Involving a serial killer stalking and strangling his victims, two cops and a psychologist who tries to track him down before he claims more lives with his demonic style execution. Ironically the psychologist happens to be on his very list of victims he kills for fun, thrill and power. Fortunately the psychologist, Dr. Helen Hudson, has an amazing ability to predict when a crime will take place, and the gruelsome outcome before it happens. She also has an obstacle against her in a form of terrifying phobias and panic attacks which could threaten to wreck havoc on her crime fighting skills, putting her life and others involved in danger as well. Incredible acting and drama that is so convincing that you have to see it to believe it.
Customer Reviews:
too bad to be true..........2007-05-29
Surely, James Foley's WORST movie. A sleazy imitation, an insipid mixture of "psycho haunts decent family" sub-genre of thrillers like "Cape Fear", "Fatal Attraction", "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and even "Straw Dogs".
This flick is lacking all four essential elements of a powerful movie: originality, believability, substance and style. Characters are unbelievably funny & silly, so are their affairs. Lines are cheesy, plot is predictable & stale. On the other hand, Carter Burwell's scores and Thomas Kloss' cinematography is surprising good, but not making "Fear" a decent movie.
The movie highlights the importance of "being daddy's girl", otherwise some fatal complications may arise as we see: a pretty, mini-skirted but naive & stupid 16-year old blonde Nicole lives with her overworked as well as overprotective dady, her stopmom and stepbrother. One day, thanks to paternal pressure, Nicole decides to put on her miniest-skirt, wears 5-gallons of makeup and cuts class with her promiscuous & drug-addict girlfriend and goes to a bar. There, at first sight she falls in love with billiard-playing, tight-bodied but half-brained hoodlum, David.
After several trysts, full of saliva-free kisses, one night David strips Nicole of her virginity. Then he becomes obsessive, overprotective and violent. Overwhelmed by his "shifted" personality, Nicole decides to leave him. Also, her daddy warns him to stay away. But ignoring warnings David goes berserk and unleashes terror by infiltrating her life, decapitating her dog, destroying daddy's car, demolishing their house, spilling blood, and ultimately taking their house hostage in a carbon-copied "Cape Fear" fashion which is replete with ridiculous, trite and stale scenes seen in cheap, B-grade horror flicks. The final scene is the most terrible of all, desperately imitating Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" but it screws up all the money and effort.
This is what it is. A nightmarish experience for mature, intelligent and conscious viewers. We have seen such craps zillions of times. I wonder how some gifted people opted to be involved in such an inane project. I'm giving 2 stars for sake of musical scores and cinematography.
Amazing !.......2004-02-21
If there are any Reese Witherspoon fans out there, then this you must see this film.
It is a great film with terrific acting.It see Nicole (Reese witherspoon) meeting a guy and thinking that he is the one when all of a sudden he goes Psycho on her and her family. Mark Wahlberg plays the terrific stalker boyfriend David and charmed Star Alyssa Milano plays the tarty best friend Margo, which is a change from her normal role as good witch Phoebe on charmed. This is a good film that very different from other Reese witherspoon films like Legally Blonde as it is chilling and freaky. The situation that Nicole oes through could happen to anyone so this makes the film even more disturbing yet interesting. I suggest Reese fans see this film and even if you are not a Resse fan still watch it !!!!!!
Not a bad film.......2004-02-04
I first saw this film just after I had started watching Alyssa Milano in her tv show, Charmed. I was flicking channels, and was surprised to see her, and then even more surprised when she turned in such a different role to the ones I was used to seeing her in (though I later found out she had played similar characters before). Seeing her made me want to watch the film, and I was glad I did. It is relatively well acted, and has a good plotline, though they never quite explain why the boyfriend flips out, or how he gets a gang of people to follow him, apparently convinced that he is sane. The climax is pretty effective, (watch out for the dog in the door, you'll get a nasty surprise), and though it was not nearly the most frightening, or the most suspense filled film I have seen, I did want to watch to the end, if only to see how everything turned out. Not everyone's cup of tea, but not one to miss if you're a fan of anyone acting in it. Animal lovers, beware watching.
wow! a classic!.......2003-10-08
I just loved this film, I hate to think how many times I have watched it, you have the goodlooking "perfect" boyfriend who turns into a psycho obsessive partner - really great stuff, it had me on the edge of my seat and when it finished I wanted more .....
I need help here!!!.......2003-07-07
I am desperatly looking for the Sound Track to the movie. I have searched high and low for it and cannot find it anywhere - especially the song "Wild Horses", by The Sundays and The Indigo Girls....both whom do not have the song on any of their albums.
Please could SOMEONE let me know where to get it???
Many thanks....and oh yeah.....SUPERB MOVIE!!!!! A must have for Wahlburg fans!!!!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Clever twists and a bona fide surprise ending make Primal Fear an above-average courtroom thriller. Tapping into the post-O J scrutiny of the American legal system in the case of a hotshot Chicago defence attorney (Richard Gere) whose latest client is an altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop. The film uses its own manipulation to tell a story about manipulation and when we finally discover who's been pulling the strings, the payoff is both convincing and pertinent to the ongoing debate over what constitutes truth in the American system of justice. Making an impressive screen debut that has since led to a stellar career, Norton gives a performance that rides on a razor's edge of schizophrenic pathology--his role is an actor's showcase and without crossing over the line of credibility, Norton milks it for all it's worth. Gere is equally effective in a role that capitalises on his shifty screen persona and Laura Linney and Frances McDormand give memorable performances in their intelligently written supporting roles. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Greatest Court Room Thriller Period.......2006-10-02
What an incredible actor Edward Norton is as the defendent in a murder involving a church priest. The acting is quite simply brilliant and the ending is going to knock your socks off. A film that even when you know the ending is still brilliant to watch again just to pick up the details.
This is a must buy and Norton's greatest film and most definitely Gere's too.
Innocent until Proven Guilty !.......2006-08-20
Primal Fear is a masterpiece! Superb acting from Edward Norton who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant portrayal of murder suspect Aaron and Richard Gere as his suave, confident defence attorney who seems to be the only one convinced of his innocence.
This film really stands the test of time some 10 years on with a great opening scene that gets your interest right from the start! No nipping out to put the kettle on with this one!!
A 'must have' if you're a Gere or Norton fan!
"Your job is to sit there and look innocent.".......2006-08-09
The popular archbishop of Chicago has just been brutally murdered and 19-year old altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is found running from the scene, covered in the man's blood. It looks like an open and shut case against the simple, stuttering boy, until dashing Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a self-proclaimed "big-deal lawyer," offers to defend him - pro bono. The prosecutor he'll be facing in the courtroom is none other than his ex-girlfriend (Laura Linney), who is still bitter about their past. With the help of a psychologist (Frances McDormand), Vail discovers a shocking secret about young Aaron that may save his life.
This is a great movie; I've seen it many times and it never gets old. Gere is perfectly cast as the handsome, confident charmer, and Edward Norton surely had one of his best roles ever as the unfortunate Aaron - and this was his first movie role. He is so charismatic that you will not be able to take your eyes off him. The search for the killer's motive is intense and surprising, with lots of opportunities for Gere to showcase his tremendous appeal. Highly recommended for those who like character-driven mysteries.
Disappointing........2004-11-06
I was disappointed because I'd read so many 5* reviews here on Amazon before seeing the movie, but come on, the best ending ever?!?!?
God help you people, I suppose you couldn't work out what would happen in Gothika either? & I bet you struggle to imagine what happens at the end of 'Sleeping Beauty' as well!
Anyway, that said, the acting is great, there's no finer actor around than Edward Norton & if I hadn't taken so much notice of all the hype about how amazing this film is then I probably would've given it 4* because of the acting performances.
But that ending? I saw it coming most of the movie. Not as quicly as Gothika mind you, I worked out the ending of that movie about 10 minutes in!!
Murder and Misdirection........2004-06-23
"Fui bailar no meu batel alem do mar cruel," sings modern fadista Dulce Pontes in this movie's dynamic title song: "I went dancing in my boat, there on the cruel sea." And it must be just like a nutshell-sized boat dancing on a stormy ocean's waves that nineteen-year-old Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) feels after his arrest for the savage murder of Chicago's saintly Archbishop Rushman. Or does it?
Certainly it doesn't help that Aaron was caught running from the crime scene, covered in blood, and with the archbishop's ring in his pocket. Besides, who is going to believe him anyway - a stuttering, uneducated boy from rural Kentucky who was found begging by the powerful clergyman, taken in as an altar boy and made to sing in his choir - that he was present when the murder was committed but can't remember a single thing because he blacked out? Nobody; surely not the police and ADA Janet Venable (Laura Linney), assigned by D.A./Rushman friend Shaughnessy (John Mahoney) personally to try the case, with the express mandate to obtain a death penalty conviction. Nobody, that is, except Aaron's defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Vail, of all people: the flamboyant ADA-turned-private-practitioner, the star attorney not shying away from even the shadiest client, to whom TV and magazine cover interviews are as second nature as his courtroom appearances, and who cynically quotes as his mottos a professor's maxims on his first day in law school: "From this day forward, if your mother says she loves you, get a second opinion." And: "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you want to get f**ked, go to court."
"Primal Fear" was adapted from William Diehl's like-named bestselling novel and, like in many literary adaptations, its screenplay is a hit-and-miss affair. Not successful, in my view, are those alterations that unnecessarily make Vail an even more ethically questionable lawyer as already conceived by Diehl; such as the way he becomes Stampler's attorney in the first place (which in the movie amounts to blatant client solicitation; not to mention that no sane lawyer would introduce himself to a potential client with the words "I'm what you call a 'big shot' attorney"), and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a tape revealing the archbishop's not-so-nice private side (which in the novel isn't found by Vail but by his investigator Tommy Goodman [Andre Braugher]: of course that doesn't eliminate Vail's ultimate ethical responsibility, but contrarily to the movie, at least he doesn't "borrow" the tape from the crime scene himself, and he doesn't know in advance what Tommy is up to). Further, in the book the tape is not shown in open court and immediately introduced into evidence but viewed in the presence of only the judge and the attorneys, which given its contents seems more realistic (even if it were later introduced into evidence after all). On the other hand, particularly regarding the main characters the movie's alterations work well: Unethical or not, Richard Gere's Martin Vail is even more interesting than the character devised by Diehl; moreover, an unnecessarily cliched, ultraconservative judge nicknamed "Hangin'" Harry Shoat becomes an - although still tough - overall more multidimensional Judge Miriam Shoat (Alfre Woodard); similarly, Vail's mafia-affiliated client Joey Pinero (Steven Bauer) gains considerably in stature; and although it actually reinforces cliche to shift the love/sex relationship from the book's present one between Vail and psychiatrist Dr. Arrington (Frances McDormand) to the screenplay's past one between Vail and Venable (which the ADA now derogatorily calls "a one-night-stand [that] lasted six months"), thanks to Gere's and Linney's considerable on-screen chemistry their characters' personal relationship adds sparks and tension to their professional rivalry that also lend greater credibility to the final courtroom scene's powder-keg explosion.
Outstanding as all of its actors are, however, "Primal Fear" rises and falls with the performance of Edward Norton, and it is his breathtaking achievement that validates the movie more than anything. Then-newcomer Norton not only had to portray a boy almost a decade younger than himself (which he manages flawlessly) but also an incredibly complex character, sometimes shifting behavioral patterns, accents and manners of speech from one sentence to the next; and he delivers supremely, deservedly garnering an Oscar nomination (which in a year of extremely tight competition he lost to Cuba Gooding Jr. for "Jerry Maguire"), as well as a Golden Globe and several other awards, and together with his roles in "People vs. Larry Flynt" and Woody Allen's "Everybody Says I Love You" playing himself into public awareness once and, hopefully, for all.
Although "Primal Fear" is often cited for its final plot twist, anybody who has seen more than that occasional thriller can see its end coming somewhere halfway through the narrative (and I think that's true for both book and film - although I admit I hadn't read the novel when I first saw the movie). Moreover, the final twist depends on a feat on the part of Norton's character that lawyers and psychiatrists alike will find hard to take at face value. Thus, at first viewing this movie's end may appear a bit of a let-down. But trust me: The story grows on you the more often you watch it, and in my view it actually helps to know the end, because not only does this enable you to see the many nuances you necessarily missed the first time around; it also frees you to think about the moral issues addressed. For those reasons, and for the entire cast's - first and foremost Edward Norton's - fine performances, this has long become one of my favorite courtroom thrillers.
"[I believe that] things are not always as they appear, that sometimes facts can be manipulated the way a magician manipulates an audience. He distracts you with this hand, while the other hand does the tricks. It's called misdirection." - "Primal Fear," preface: from Martin Vail's summation in a case entitled "The State vs. Nicholas Luma."
Customer Reviews:
feel good film.......2004-03-04
I found this film to brighten up my day when i am feeling blue. It has an all star cast including the incredibly sexy Jon Bon Jovi. The story i thought was very good focusing around the lives of 4 women all at different stages of their lives. I would definatly recommend this film to a friend.
Moving, Emotional... but Humourous!.......2001-04-05
When I first saw Moonlight and Valentino advertised on the television, I knew it was a definite must-see. It was after I had watched that I realised what a great film it was! It has emotional and very sad bits in it, but also bits which will make you smile from cheek-to-cheek. I was amazed at the good casting and the films quality, as it is a well-made film. It takes place when Rebecca Lott (Perkins) becomes the 'W' word in a flash! With her hyperactive friend (Goldberg), an energetic sister (Paltrow) and an over-powering step-mum (Turner), Rebecca begins to realise the meaning of life. But when the 'painter' (Jon Bon Jovi) enters each womens lives, Rebecca becomes to realise that life isn't what it is expected to be.
Its a romantic comedy/drama which the whole family will enjoy. It will leave you feeling relieved and happy to have watched it.
All of the actors in this film are great fun (especially Whoopi Goldberg) and sexy Elizabeth Perkins and Gwyneth Paltrow give a moving performance.
I really would recommend this film to anybody who is aiming for a film about emotion, confidence, love and humour. A definite thumbs up for the film, the director and the excellent cast! Get it!
DVD:
- Disney Princess Party - Vol. 2
- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!/Horton Hears a Who! [1965] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Dungeons And Dragons - Vol. 1
- EdTV [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Elgar: Enigma Variations
- Eminem - E [2000]
- Giuseppe Verdi: Falstaff [1999] (NTSC)
- Go Diego Go!: The Great Dinosaur Rescue (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Heartworn Highways [1981] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Hello Kitty 1
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