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Jennifer 8 (1992)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 12/07, 5/24

Jenn8
12/07: Jennifer 8 is an oddball.

First of all, the cinematography is wonderful. There are many beautiful shots, and if not for them, the film is merely above average compared to other murder-mystery pictures.

Second, the all-around acting is good. Andy Garcia is terrific by blending into any genre to give a more-than-enough performance. That's why he could've been a premier actor, but unfortunately, he was never a bankable star.

The casting of Uma Thurman is questionable because she got to pretend to be blind when in fact was only hired for her looks. Instead, a legally blind person should've been given the role. Lance Henriksen, once again, helps out, and John Malkovich is funny and can be over the top at times.

Now, the way the story unfolds, it can be confusing in terms of direction. Starting off as a sleuthing mystery, there's a budding unethical romantic relationship. Then, out of the blue, a detective is interrogated by the Internal Affairs as he's suspected of a murder. Finally, the movie ends by catching the killer due to a twist which leads to his identity. Throughout, it seems the director threw the film away by taking on too many risks.

All in all, Jennifer 8 is unique for a mystery thriller picture.

4/24: Jennifer 8 has several major problems.

One, I don't like it when Detective John Berlin decided to be romantically involved with the blind witness. It's inappropriate on the whole. Two, John Malkovich gives the most overdone performance of his career. There's no reason for Berlin to take the silliness he was perpetuating. While at it, he should've gotten a lawyer. Three, the final five minutes is the worst. Why did Detective John Taylor need to go after the blind witness? He was already in the clear at this point; what more could be done?

The acting is fine. Andy Garcia carries the film for the most part, but there's no reason for Uma Thurman to play a blind witness. They could have gotten somebody with a legitimate disability, and it wouldn't hurt the show any bit. Fortunately, there's a lot of neo-noir going on, and the strongest aspect is Conrad L. Hall's photography.

All in all, Jennifer 8 is watchable but falls short in logic here and there.