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Letters from a Killer (1998)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
3/20
3/20:
When nearly everything fails, the final resort is to rely on acting.
That's the case with Letters from a Killer, one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen, yet the cast has done
a great job of pushing through it. They've kept me entertained from start to finish with a cliffhanger ending.
It's not often that there exist clones of Jodie Foster (think of FBI trainee Clarice Starling in
The Silence of the Lambs)
and Meryl Streep in the same picture. Also included are Roger E. Mosley, who's well known to Magnum, P.I. fans,
and Bruce McGill, having turned in a good performance as the boss for the FBI side.
Stupid moments are aplenty, causing my eyes to roll. For starters, why did Lita keep Race Darnell in the dark about what's
going on in order to prevent any confusion at the end? Had she done so, then Race wouldn't be tossed out of the
fast-moving car which should've resulted in broken bones. The mall setup by the FBI is terrible and makes no sense in terms
of apprehending the suspect.
Although Race is at fault, I have to say that 80% of the blame should go to the two prison guards who switched the tapes,
setting off the chain of events. Then, I wonder how Race was going to break the news to the four women he simultaneously had a
relationship with during his incarceration.
By the way, why is the movie called Letters from a Killer when the method of communication has been through cassette
tapes? If Patrick Swayze looks less than 100%, it's because he broke both of his legs during a horseriding accident, tearing
four tendons in his shoulder, which delayed the filming for two months. It may explain why he stopped being a bankable actor
afterwards.
All in all, like Shattered with Tom Berenger, Letters from a Killer is a
dumb movie but works well, thanks to the interesting elements.