It's too bad that they didn't work on the script to make this seem anywhere to be realistic, but the chilling opening sequence leads to some ridiculous follow-ups that turns what could have been a very intense thriller into something worth watching (once), then recommending, at least for the acting of Farrah Fawcett, into a film to physically toss away. Up until this point, she had not gotten good reviews in films, mainly a beautiful blond sex pot and not much else, and indeed, she really is giving her all to make this character realistic. But the script is very manipulative and very forced, and the moment the attempted rapist from the opening scene gets into the apartment that she shares with Alfre Woodard and Diana Scarwid (during the full light of day after they've gone to work and she's home alone), the script and comes as creepy and crazy as the character played by James Russo.
I truly wanted to give Farrah a chance because she never got the credit that she deserves, and she's not the fault with this movie. The fault is with the script and with the direction, and the way she is supposed to react to the intruder makes absolutely no sense. She interacts with him as if he's the plumber, having personal conversations with him while waiting for the attempted rape to begin. Then the table turns on him, and the convenience of certain household items being able to be used as weapons being close by is just far too convenient. Farrah really acts this out when the few moments of reality do allow her to become a real character, not just someone we've seen leave her job for the day, stop by a store and all of a sudden be attacked.
Yes, the attack is horrible, and how she gets away deserves applause, but there's something about how the main attack occurs that made me roll my eyes, especially coming so soon after the attack, especially when he demands that she make him something to eat. How foolish does the scriptwriter thinks the audience is? Did they think that only victims of attacks would watch this film? There are so many implausible elements about the film that even with great performances, it's torture to watch it, not just because of the violence. Russo is beyond vile, and the extremist way he's presented alas a psychopathic rapist (who apparently has a wife and child) shows a motivation in the writing, especially proven when Fawcett is rude to a delivery man without provocation while her roommates are nice to him. When films become too forceful about their agenda, they tend to fail, and there's nothing about this successful, even if it did prove that Farrah could be more than just a pretty face.
I truly wanted to give Farrah a chance because she never got the credit that she deserves, and she's not the fault with this movie. The fault is with the script and with the direction, and the way she is supposed to react to the intruder makes absolutely no sense. She interacts with him as if he's the plumber, having personal conversations with him while waiting for the attempted rape to begin. Then the table turns on him, and the convenience of certain household items being able to be used as weapons being close by is just far too convenient. Farrah really acts this out when the few moments of reality do allow her to become a real character, not just someone we've seen leave her job for the day, stop by a store and all of a sudden be attacked.
Yes, the attack is horrible, and how she gets away deserves applause, but there's something about how the main attack occurs that made me roll my eyes, especially coming so soon after the attack, especially when he demands that she make him something to eat. How foolish does the scriptwriter thinks the audience is? Did they think that only victims of attacks would watch this film? There are so many implausible elements about the film that even with great performances, it's torture to watch it, not just because of the violence. Russo is beyond vile, and the extremist way he's presented alas a psychopathic rapist (who apparently has a wife and child) shows a motivation in the writing, especially proven when Fawcett is rude to a delivery man without provocation while her roommates are nice to him. When films become too forceful about their agenda, they tend to fail, and there's nothing about this successful, even if it did prove that Farrah could be more than just a pretty face.