On E List of Movie Reviews
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Exception to the Rule (1997)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
6/13
6/13:
Sometimes, it helps not to overanalyze a situation and let the police take care of it.
In Exception to the Rule, what Tim Bayer should've done is getting a lawyer and turning the case over to the cops
to catch the extortioner. Tim will benefit from it, but he's going to have to break the news of the affair to his wife.
Of course, he should be justified because he has Sean Young for a wife. I mean, it's Sean Young, for Pete's sake.
On the other hand, the more authoritarian Kim Cattrall's character is, the more ridiculous she looks. For a hit(wo)man, she's
an amateur. I thought at the beginning she trying to fix the car while under the hood was a dead giveaway which made the
whole situation suspicious. Let's be honest: what female does that for real? Also, whenever the light was shining on
Kim Cattrall's face, she looks old, suggesting Tim Bayer, because of his youthful appearance, can do a lot better than her
character. Ditto for Sean Young.
Given everything William Devane has to work with, he does a nice job of enlivening the scenes. Eric McCormack seems to be
well-trained in facial expressions by giving an appropriate reaction for every situation his character might feel,
but who are we kidding here? He belongs in the theater. As for the story, there's one twist I never saw coming
which left me surprised for a minute.
All in all, Exception to the Rule holds up well for a mystery thriller, but in hindsight, it has flaws.