Clanging metal doors and a wailing saxophone jolt the viewer to attention. Twists and turns in the tricky plot keep your mind guessing. What's true? What's a lie? Two performances stand out. Willis is tantalizingly despicable as the obnoxious, wife abusing lowlife who spends his day doing drugs, hanging out at the playground, and feeding his sweet tooth. Headly is excellent as a tough, brazen, street-smart hairdresser who plays his wife. In one of her best scenes, she plays chicken with a Mack truck.
The director, Alan Rudolph and DP, Elliot Davis employ various cinematic techniques to express the portent of crime. They use scenes in slow motion to convey the burden of guilt and a blurred kaleidoscope of vibrating lights to depict a state of confusion. Their choices of a gunmetal gray for the precinct and the ooze of vapor filled streets produce a noir effect. Discordant sounds and Mark Isham's eerie music enhance the psychological thrills.
Review of Mortal Thoughts
